Shohei Ohtani playoff stats 2025: Inside the Dodgers star’s hitting slump -- one of his worst stretches yet

As the Los Angeles Dodgers are close to another World Series appearance, their best player is still searching for success at the plate.

Shohei Ohtani was once again one of the best players in baseball this year, but he hasn't produced to expectations in the playoffs. His lone pitching appearance so far was ok, but the bigger story is that he has struggled at the plate.

While the Dodgers are doing well, they could really take it to the next level if Ohtani finds his regular season form. Here's a look at why Ohtani hasn't excelled thus far in the postseason.

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Why has Shohei Ohtani struggled at the plate?

After another incredible season that will likely result in another MVP award, Shohei Ohtani hasn't been able to carry that success over to the postseason as a hitter. The two-way player is hitting under .200 and has been subpar in most categories in the first three rounds of the playoffs.

However, many in the industry seem to believe that Ohtani's issues have been a result of just great pitching execution. Dodgers president Andrew Friedman specifically praised the Philadelphia Phillies pitchers for their work, calling it "the most impressive (pitch) execution against a hitter I've ever seen," Friedman said.

Andrew Friedman attributed some of Shohei Ohtani’s struggles against the Phillies to how they nailed their plan against him. “The most impressive (pitch) execution against a hitter I’ve ever seen,” Friedman said.

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) October 13, 2025

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy agreed with that statement, as he praised the Phillies three left-handed starters for helping neutralize Ohtani.

"I think most people struggle against (Cristopher) Sanchez, (Jesus) Luzardo and (Ranger) Suarez," Murphy said before the NLCS. "Those guys are really, really good. Really good. So I don't consider Ohtani struggling."

Brewers manager Pat Murphy when asked about Shohei Ohtani "struggling" offensively vs. the Phillies in the NLDS:

"I think most people struggle against Sanchez, Luzardo and Suarez. Those guys are really, really good. Really good. So I don't consider Ohtani struggling."

— Paul Casella (@Paul_CasellaMLB) October 13, 2025

Still, Ohtani's struggles have carried over into the NLCS, as he has just two hits in the first three games of the series against Milwaukee.

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Shohei Ohtani 2025 playoff stats

Ohtani's playoff stats this year are a far cry from his MVP-caliber season at the plate. The Dodgers two-way player has struggled in pretty much all categories, especially when it comes to strikeouts.

The most notable drop in Ohtani's production comes with OPS, as Ohtani is almost .400 points worse in the postseason than in the regular season thus far. He does have a few home runs, but hasn't been able to contribute much beyond that.

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Shohei Ohtani career playoff stats 

Ohtani doesn't have extensive playoff experience, as he never made the postseason in his six years with the Los Angeles Angels. Still, his first taste of playoff baseball in 2024 wasn't too spectacular, as he had 14 hits and a .767 OPS in the Dodgers World Series run.

Of course, Ohtani has almost 1,000 more regular season games under his belt than playoff games, so his playoff struggles could simply be small sample size. It's also notable that in the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees, Ohtani injured his shoulder but played through it.