Shohei Ohtani is an absolute phenom in baseball, regardless of whether you’re analyzing him from a fantasy perspective or from real-life performances. The four-time MVP winner is the only player in the world who can impact the game at an elite level both as a hitter and pitcher, but this time, we’ll focus on what he can bring to the table as a hitter.
Ohtani hit .282 with a 1.014 OPS, 55 homers, 102 RBIs and 146 runs scored in 158 games and 727 plate appearances in the 2025 regular season. It was the third consecutive season in which he posted an OPS north of 1.000, and the 55 dingers were a career-best mark for the Japanese slugger.
Ohtani will stay as the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter, meaning he’ll be the one in charge of initiating an offense that will also feature several elite-level bats, such as Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and free-agent signing Kyle Tucker, just to name a few. That means Ohtani is pretty much guaranteed to see four to five at-bats per game, and thus, he’ll have more and more chances to inflict damage on opposing teams.
What to Expect from Shohei Ohtani in 2026 Fantasy Baseball
A hitter with Ohtani’s power might be better suited to hit in the middle of the order, but given the other options in the Dodgers’ lineup, plus Ohtani’s impressive on-base ability, having him at the top of the order means opposing pitchers will open the game facing one of the most dangerous hitters in the game. That’s no easy task for any hurler.
From a fantasy perspective, this means Ohtani’s value should be extremely high. If you’re looking to draft Ohtani for what he brings to the table as a hitter, you’d better select him with one of the first picks in your league. There’s a strong case to make him a 1.01 player, meaning he could very well be the first player taken off the board, although Aaron Judge also has a strong claim for that spot.
Ohtani possesses elite bat-to-ball skills, outstanding raw power, excellent ability to make contact and is one of the best players in all of baseball at getting on base. Plus, he also offers above-average speed and doesn’t strike out as much as you’d expect from a player who can hit 50-plus homers. He’s the complete package as a hitter, and he fully deserves to be one of the first players taken off the board across all formats.
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