Before Game 3 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers, Mookie Betts said out loud what the Los Angeles Dodgers had been keeping quiet for six games: Shohei Ohtani is really struggling, and nobody should brush that off. Ohtani is 3-for-20 (.150) in the 2026 postseason with seven strikeouts and zero home runs. For Game 3, he batted sixth — the lowest spot in a lineup he has ever occupied in his MLB career. The Dodgers entered the game down 0-2 in the series, needing a historic comeback to survive.
What Betts Said — and Why It Landed Differently
Betts didn’t offer generic locker-room solidarity. He drew on his own experience. The Dodgers’ right fielder spent nearly two years rebuilding his swing mechanics after an injury, and that’s exactly the lens he used when talking about Ohtani on October 14, as reported by Dodgers Nation on X.
«I couldn’t imagine having the expectations he has and falling short in a way that’s not normal for him,» Betts told reporters. «He’s trying. It’s just really, really hard.»
Those words carry extra weight given the moment: the Dodgers on the edge of elimination, and Ohtani as the most visible symbol of the team’s offensive problems.
For context — in the 2025 NLCS against these same Brewers, Ohtani was named series MVP. He hit three home runs and threw six scoreless innings in Game 4 to seal the sweep. One year later, in the same round, he’s 1-for-7 in the 2026 NLCS with a single walk.
The Real Problem: Injuries and Broken Mechanics
This isn’t a confidence slump. It’s medical and mechanical at the same time — and that combination is the hardest to fix mid-series.
On July 3, Ohtani stopped pitching due to inflammation in his left knee and right biceps. In September, he spent 12 days on the injured list and returned to play just five regular-season games before the postseason began. Those injuries forced him to adjust his swing mechanics to keep playing, and the consequences are showing up on tape.
According to Statcast analysis, Ohtani is starting his swing late in October, failing to reach peak bat speed at the right contact point. The result is weak contact to the opposite field and a high rate of ground balls. High-velocity fastballs he used to handle with ease are now getting past him.
The numbers tell the full story. From August 18 through the postseason, Ohtani is slashing .156/.283/.200 with just three extra-base hits and one RBI. In his first 121 games of 2026 — before that date — he was hitting .294/.390/.558 with 30 home runs. Two completely different hitters, same season, separated by an injury.
Manager Dave Roberts considered sitting Ohtani for Game 3 but kept him in the lineup — just not in his usual spot. Ohtani himself pushed to play and took public responsibility, telling MLB.com that physical symptoms shouldn’t be used as an excuse for his struggles at the plate.
The Duo That Won Two World Series Is Now the Biggest Problem
The most painful number in the Dodgers’ clubhouse isn’t just Ohtani’s .150 average. It’s that Betts also has zero extra-base hits and zero RBI through six postseason games in 2026. The pair that powered back-to-back World Series titles in 2024 and 2025 has combined for nothing in the two columns that matter most in October.
That’s why Betts’ words hit differently — he’s speaking about Ohtani from inside the same crisis.
Betts finished the 2026 regular season with a 90.2 mph average exit velocity and a squared-up rate in the 99th percentile in MLB. When he makes contact, it’s quality contact. But in this postseason, quality contact hasn’t been enough for either of them.
Betts’ 2026 Numbers at a Glance
- Plate appearances: 528
- Home runs: 23 | RBI: 69
- AVG: .257 | OPS: .780
- xwOBA: .339
- Exit velocity: 90.2 mph avg
- Barrel rate: 7.8%
- Hard-hit rate: 38%
- Bat speed: 69.6 mph avg
- Squared-up rate: 99th percentile (elite)
- Chase rate: 97th percentile (elite)
- Whiff rate: 96th percentile (elite)
The Dodgers enter Game 3 down 0-2, needing to win three straight to stay alive in the NLCS. Rallying from 0-2 in a best-of-seven is a genuine statistical rarity. Betts’ support for Ohtani is real — but without their two stars producing, the Dodgers have almost no margin for error.
