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The story
US radio host James Koh examined Shohei Ohtani’s batting average with runners in scoring position against teams with a winning record (.500+), calling him a “completely average player.” The verdict has reignited debate over whether Ohtani’s roughly $700 million, 10-year contract is worth it, splitting opinion in a 5channel thread. Supporters point to Dodgers sponsors and advertisers who reportedly “recouped their investment in year one” thanks to Japanese ad spending, while critics cite changes in his physique and his pitching/hitting numbers in the World Series as grounds for doubt.
Published 9/2 (Wed) 7:23 AM JST
Full-Count
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has been hit with a harsh analysis from US media. James Koh, host of “The James Koh Show” on US broadcaster 97.1 The Fan, examined Ohtani’s performance with runners in scoring position against teams with winning records, declaring bluntly: “Against teams that are winning, Shohei is a completely average player in scoring position.”
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Read the original article here
What people said
Sounds like they already recouped it in year one.
And on top of that, they haven't even paid Ohtani yet.
No way. Don't disrespect the contract like that.
Makes you realize how amazing Ichiro really was.
Ichiro kept his body in top shape. Ohtani seems to have slacked off on training at some point.
His salary was always going to invite this kind of talk eventually — it's just too high.
Makes you wonder if he's really worth 100 billion yen.
Just take responsibility and pay up.
Pick your moment and come on back to the Fighters (his old NPB team, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters) — Kuriyama (his former manager) is still there.
No way, they're obviously raising the kid in America lol.
She gave birth in the US, so I doubt they're planning on moving back to Japan.
Before that happens, they're dying off one after another.
they've already gotten their money's worth — everything from here is basically a bonus round.
Isn't the feeling that this Dodgers team could've won it even without Ohtani?
His numbers this year are outstanding too.
Isn't this basically what you'd call slander?
Even bringing it up just feels hollow.
Ohtani's got charisma, drama, whatever you want to call it. Even if he dips this season, you can feel he'll bounce back next year.
A pitcher who's also a home run hitter — he's like a character straight out of a manga. There's something to dream about there.
Uehara was the one with real 'Make Drama' power. Ohtani's more of a drama-breaker.
Koji Uehara
2013 Postseason
Stats
ERA 0.66
WHIP 0.51
Opp. AVG .152
Games 13
Innings 13.2
Saves 7
Strikeouts 16
Walks 0
Ohtani
2025 Postseason
Stats
ERA 4.43
WHIP 1.13
Opp. AVG .246
Games 4
Innings 20.1
Record 2-1
Strikeouts 28
Walks 7
There's drama, alright.
He's got a whole supporting cast — the interpreter, the stunningly beautiful wife.
No shortage of side stories either, like glaring down a US TV crew member or shouting 'stop peeking into my house without permission!'
Background and Key Points
Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December 2023 (about ¥112 billion at the exchange rate at the time), but the bulk of that money is deferred and won’t be paid out until 2034 and beyond. It’s worth keeping in mind that the metric the US radio show zeroed in on — batting average with runners in scoring position against teams with winning records — is a narrow slice of the picture, distinct from his full-season numbers or on-base percentage. In the thread, some noted that Japanese companies like Itoen have poured sponsorship money into ads featuring him, even as reports emerge of weak business performance at some of those same companies — meaning the debate over the contract and its advertising value tangles together both evaluations of his on-field performance and the sponsors’ own commercial interests.
*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Shohei Ohtani Is a ‘Completely Average Player’: US Media Flags a ‘.741’ Weakness — Is His $700 Million Deal Worth It?“
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