Shohei Ohtani remains one of the most electrifying talents baseball has ever seen—but right now, something isn't clicking. For the first time in a while, murmurs around the Los Angeles Dodgers clubhouse are turning into serious questions: Can Ohtani truly dominate as both a hitter and pitcher at the same time?

As of mid-May 2026, the two-way superstar is mired in one of the worst offensive slumps of his MLB career. The numbers are ugly: a .111 batting average over his recent stretch, with no home runs since April 27th. For a player who can change a game with a single swing, the power outage is especially alarming.

This isn't just bad luck. There are real mechanical red flags. Reports indicate his bat speed has dropped from 76.3 mph to 74.8 mph, and his swing angle has shifted. Instead of driving baseballs with authority, Ohtani looks hesitant and out of sync—producing weak fly balls, grounders, and pop-ups. For most players, this would be a routine slump in a long season. For one of the all-time greats, it's a wake-up call.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has suggested the issues may be more mental than physical, describing Ohtani as appearing "off-balance" and "not himself" at the plate. The team has denied that physical exhaustion is the culprit, but it's hard not to wonder whether the demands of returning to full two-way duties are taking a toll.

Here's where the conversation gets interesting: Ohtani is still pitching well. But while he's pouring energy into being a full-time two-way player again, his offense has cratered. That raises a fascinating question—can he truly perform both jobs at an elite MVP level simultaneously? In his recent MVP-caliber seasons with the Dodgers, he either wasn't pitching much or wasn't pitching at all, allowing him to focus heavily on hitting.

To be clear, Ohtani can absolutely still be a two-way player. Nobody is questioning that. But there's a difference between being very good at both and being elite at both over a full season. Pitching alone is exhausting. Hitting at an MVP level alone is exhausting. Trying to do both every single week may simply be too much—even for someone as unique as Shohei Ohtani.