Angels fans are sick watching Shohei Ohtani about to make 2nd straight World Series

What's happening?

Evan Roberts

National League Championship Series - Los Angeles Dodgers v Milwaukee Brewers - Game Two / Michael Reaves/GettyImages

As the Angels regroup from a 72-90 season and attempt to conduct a more thorough managerial search than Arte Moreno probably wanted, their crosstown rivals continue to show that they are on the verge of a dynastic run. The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, who had the best record in all of baseball, for a third consecutive National League Championship Series victory. The Dodgers have seen perhaps the best starting pitching performances in a single playoff series of all-time...and Shohei Ohtani has yet to even pitch in the NLCS.

Angels fans are sick watching Shohei Ohtani about to make 2nd straight World Series

Ohtani was finally able to take matters into his own hands during Game 3 against Milwaukee, as he led off the game with a triple against an opener in the left-handed Aaron Ashby. He scored on a Mookie Betts double, so he is at least no longer getting fully carried by his Dodgers teammates now.

From the start of the NLDS through Game 2 of the NLCS (6 games played), Ohtani was slashing .080/.233/.080/.313 with 0 home runs, 0 runs scored, 2 RBIs, and a 12:5 K:BB (3 of those BBs were intentional). Now, for the entirety of the postseason, Ohtani is slashing .158/.273/.368/.641 with 2 home runs, 4 runs scored, 6 RBIs and a 17:6 K:BB. He's made one playoff start, in Game 1 versus Philadelphia, and went 6.0 innings, posted a 9:1 K:BB, with 3 hits, 3 earned runs and earned the win.

In his now two-year playoff career, Ohtani is slashing .202/.336/.384/.720 (yes, his playoff batting average is less than his weight of 210 lbs), where in his eight-year regular season career he is slashing .282/.374/.582/.957. It's pretty maddening for Angels fans to see Ohtani get carried by Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Mookie Betts and Co. to a second straight World Series appearance (and likely another championship) when he is not playing up to his standards.

The Dodgers do not view the Angels as their rival, but Angels fans certainly loathe the Dodgers organization. It's hard for Angels fans to try and dunk on Dodgers fans on social media when Ohtani needed some semblance of a functional roster to even make the postseason with LAA and did not get it. Now, he is on the Dodgers super-team and can afford to post an OPS that is over 230 points below his regular season mark and still is able to win games. It's pretty maddening to watch.

Evan Roberts

Evan Roberts worked in professional baseball for 5 years, after pitching collegiately at Davidson College for 4. After graduating in 2018, he worked with the Boston Red Sox at their Pawtucket affiliate for the 2019 season as a Player Development Intern. He picked up with the Chicago White Sox in 2020, but after the Minor League season was canceled he worked with Team USA Baseball at their National Training Complex as a Trackman Stringer/Operator. From 2021-2023, he worked with the Los Angeles Angels as a Game Planning Strategist at their Arizona (ROK League), Salt Lake (AAA), Rocket City (AA) affiliates. He attended the Angels' last 2 Major League Spring Trainings. During Rookie Ball games, he coached 1st base and assisted the players & coaches in the dugout.