Shohei Ohtani's sluggish hitting start draws attention, legendary player suggests Dodgers "adjust batting order"

Although the Los Angeles Dodgers started the new season with a 4-2 record, the overall slump of the batting lineup is gradually becoming apparent, and the performance of team core Shohei Ohtani has become a focal point of external attention.

Ohtani, aiming for a fourth consecutive MVP award, has only managed 3 hits in 18 at-bats over the first 6 games, with a batting average of 0.167. While he has drawn 7 walks, tying for first in the National League, he has yet to hit a home run, and his RBI production has also stalled.

Overall, the Dodgers have currently scored 23 runs, ranking only 10th in the league, indicating their offensive firepower has clearly fallen short of expectations. Faced with the困境 of low scoring efficiency, different voices have emerged in American media, with some suggesting that adjusting Ohtani's position in the batting order might be a solution.

According to US media reports, legendary outfielder Kenny Lofton, who accumulated 2428 hits, 622 stolen bases, and won 4 Gold Glove awards during his career, recently publicly suggested on a program that the Dodgers should consider moving Shohei Ohtani from the leadoff spot to the third spot in the batting order to enhance the team's overall scoring capability.

Lofton直言 on the podcast "All the Smoke": "I really don't understand why Shohei Ohtani is batting leadoff? It makes no sense. The first at-bat最多 is just a hit, scoring one run or one RBI." He further分析说, placing Ohtani as a cleanup hitter would better utilize his power-hitting ability.

"If Ohtani bats third now, he has the chance to hit a three-run home run. Batting leadoff, even if he hits a home run, it's only one run. But if there are runners ahead of him, he can bring more runs for the team." Lofton emphasized, "假设 he bats third for the entire season, he could even have the opportunity to produce 150 RBIs, but now he doesn't have that chance."

In fact, discussions about whether Shohei Ohtani should serve as the leadoff hitter have existed for some time. However, the Dodgers previously won the World Series precisely with the configuration of "Ohtani batting leadoff," which has kept the coaching staff confident in the current system.