Harold flags Ohtani's leg strength as a hitting concern

He has six strikeouts in nine September at-bats

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Sep 91 min read

Harold breaks down what he sees from Shohei Ohtani as the superstar shared that he'll focus on hitting moving forward: Via @MLBNetwork on X

What happened: Shohei Ohtani said he will focus on hitting and is unlikely to pitch again in 2026. He has not pitched since July 3.

Why it matters: Harold linked Ohtani's leg strength to an inability to sit back and wait for the ball. His recent plate results give that concern added weight entering the regular season's final weeks.

By the numbers: Ohtani went 26-for-108 (.241) with a .795 OPS in August. He began September 1-for-9 with six strikeouts.

What to watch: Watch Ohtani's daily availability and whether his strikeout rate eases with pitching work paused.

Sources

@MLBNetwork 2026-09-09T01:58:42.922862+00:00

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