"Is that worth $700m contract?"; "Do it during a game" - Fans unimpressed as Shohei Ohtani’s BP homer fails to erase playoff disappointment

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is in the hunt for a second consecutive NL MVP award with the NL West team after a historic regular season.

While the Dodgers hold a 2-0 lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, Ohtani's quiet offseason has been one of the talking points this October. The Japanese two-way phenom is 2-for-25 in the postseason with 12 strikeouts since the NL Wild Card series.

However, Ohtani showed a glimpse of his hitting prowess during Wednesday's batting practice as he launched a home run out of the Dodger Stadium.

While Ohtani's home run in BP excited his teammates, it failed to impress baseball fans.

"Is that worth a $700 million contract? 😐"

"Do it during a game now."

"So now the goal is to get hits during a game. Doesn’t have to knock the leather off the ball…just hits! Back to “barrels are overrated.” Put the ball in play!"

"Maybe he should try hitting it at a game."

"May I ask him to do this in a real playoff game?"

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confident in Shohei Ohtani's ability despite postseason slump

While Shohei Ohtani has not been at his usual best in the postseason, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is content with his at-bats. However, Roberts revealed the Japanese star's frustration after his lackluster NLCS games in Milwaukee.

"So for me, the first two games in Milwaukee, his at-bats have been fantastic," Roberts said. "That's what I've been looking for, that's what I'm counting on. I think he's in a good spot right now. That's expected, and I don't mind it. I like the edge.

"He's obviously a very talented player, and we're counting on him. So for him to realize his own personal expectations, and if they are not realized, then certainly there's frustration. He's a great competitor, he's very prepared and there's still a lot of baseball left."

While Ohtani has struggled with the bat, the Dodgers pitchers have pulled through for the team in the NLCS. Tyler Glasnow is set to start in Game 3 at Dodger Stadium followed by a Game 4 start for the Japanese star

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash