It looked for awhile like Shohei Ohtani was stuck. He wasn't hitting for a ton of power and his numbers were plummeting rapidly after a scorching hot start. There was never any real concern about whether he'd come out of his slump, but his chances for a career year at the plate seemed to be slipping quickly.
Thanks to his recent tear with five home runs in his last six games, however, Ohtani finds himself right back in the hunt to be the MLB home run leader for this season.
Heading into the Dodgers game Saturday night Ohtani's 22 home runs lead the National League, and trail Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (24) and Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (28) for the most in baseball.
Atlanta's Marcell Ozuna is one behind Ohtani for the National League lead. Bryce Harper and Ohtani's teammate Teoscar Hernandez both have 18 and are tied for third in the NL.
It's unlikely Ohtani will catch Judge. The Yankees slugger is on a torrid pace that puts him on track for a whopping 59 long balls. Ohtani is on pace for 48 which would still be a career-high.
The key for the Dodgers is that Ohtani continues hitting for power. When he's racking up extra-base hits their lineup is so much more difficult to slow down. If he continues his pace and tracks toward upward of 50 HRs this season, the Dodgers offense will be fine while it deals with injuries, and Ohtani will add an MVP-caliber season without pitching to his resume.