Oct 9, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after striking out in the tenth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game four of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Dodgers Star Sends Shohei Ohtani Warning to NLCS Opponent

Originally posted on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI
By Patrick Warren | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The most versatile man in baseball hasn't made too much of an impact from the plate over the postseason.

Dodgers starting pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani had a strong performance in the Wild Card round, going 3-for-9 at the plate with two home runs and four RBIs, but was relatively quiet as a hitter in the NL Division Series.

In 18 at-bats, Ohtani had just one hit and one RBI in the Dodgers' four-game series win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Ohtani added two walks and nine strikeouts in an uncharacteristically inefficient stretch from the likely NL MVP.

"You can see, it's balls in/off, and he's really not giving himself a chance to hit a mistake," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said ahead of Game 4. "I just think that he's in between a little bit, but the swing decisions are just not where they need to be right now. That's kind of what I see, decision making."

Let it be said, however, that Ohtani's contributions to the Dodgers well exceed his performance at the plate. Ohtani took the mound for the first time this postseason in Game 1 of the NLDS, pitching a masterful six innings, striking out nine batters and allowing three earned runs off of three hits and one walk.

Although the Dodgers are enjoying a long weekend during which they are gearing up for the NL Championship Series, catcher Will Smith cited Ohtani's struggled in the NLDS as a reason why the Dodgers have yet to reach their full potential.

"I think there's another gear," Smith told the Los Angeles Times. "Look at Shohei. ... He didn't do much this series. I expect next series for him to come out and hit like five homers. That's just who he is."

While the Dodgers don't yet know who they will face in the NLCS, as the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs must play a Game 5 on Saturday to decide who advances, they do know what they have in Ohtani.

Ohtani hit 55 home runs this season, holding a 1.014 OPS, all while ramping up to resume pitching again after nearly a year-and-a-half off. Ohtani, who Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced will likely be the Game 1 starter of the NLCS, is statistically likely to put together a stronger performance against Milwaukee or Chicago.