ESPN’s Karl Ravech says Shohei Ohtani ‘struggled’ after two-hit performance

Shohei Ohtani is officially at the “two hits in one game isn’t good enough” point of his Major League Baseball career.

The Los Angeles Dodgers thrashed the New York Yankees 18-2 Saturday night in Southern California. Ohtani didn’t drive any of those 18 runs in, but he did get two hits and score two runs before getting removed from the lineup once the game was out of reach.

Two hits and two runs might be a good night for most Major Leaguers, but coming from Ohtani? Karl Ravech and ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball crew were not impressed. Ohtani struck out during his first at-bat Sunday night and it prompted Ravech to highlight his struggles in the Dodgers 18-run barrage on Saturday.

June 1st, 2025 vs. NYY
1st Plate Appearance
Result: Strikeout pic.twitter.com/pQQOpNLh63

— Every Ohtani At Bat (@EveryOhtaniAB) June 1, 2025

“On the 1-2 to Ohtani, oh boy, filthy pitch on a changeup,” Ravech noted from Yankees starter Ryan Yarborough. “And Shohei, who struggled yesterday in that 18-run game by the Dodger offense, strikes out.”

This is the type of baseball commentary you might expect in one of the few times Ohtani gets mentioned on First Take or any other national debate show throughout the year. But Sunday Night Baseball should be more informative.

And one could make the argument Ravech is right, which says a lot about how dominant Ohtani has been in recent seasons. In theory, Ohtani striking out twice in one game without getting an RBI or an extra base hit is “struggling” for the three-time MVP.  But he did get two hits and score two runs. And he would have had more opportunities to produce at the plate if the Yankees kept the game remotely close. “Struggled” seems a bit dramatic.