What happened: Shohei Ohtani has hit his 10th home run of the season. Eighteen days ago his OPS had sagged to .767, but it has since surged to .898 on the strength of a hot stretch at the plate.
Why it matters: The turnaround reaffirms Ohtani's grip on the top of the NL MVP conversation after a sluggish early run. A jump of more than 130 OPS points in under three weeks shows the league's marquee hitter has found his timing again.
By the numbers: OPS: .767 eighteen days ago → .898 now (a 131-point swing). Home runs: 10 on the season.
What to watch: Watch whether Ohtani can sustain the power surge and hold his lead in the latest NL MVP poll.