Ohtani's long-awaited homerun after his daughter's birth fuels Dodgers' dominating 15-2 victory.
Meathead Muscles: The Myth of 'Dad Strength' Debunked
Los Angeles (Our Site) - Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers' slugger, notched his first home run since the birth of his daughter, giving the team a 15-2 thrashing over the Miami Marlins. "It was a nice one to be able to do that," Ohtani reported through an interpreter, referring not to the home run itself, but the timing.
Dubbed 'Dad Strength', the theory suggests baseball players, upon fatherhood, gain physical prowess that can boost performance. In the realm of sports mythology, 'Dad Strength' resonates. But does it withstand scrutiny?
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is a believer. "We might see some 120-mph exit velocities off the bat." However, a thorough examination of the available evidence paints a different picture.
Research by MLB.com's data department suggests that while some players may return from paternity leave with noteworthy performances, this phenomenon isn't indicative of a broader statistical trend. To the contrary, a systematic analysis of MLB player performance in relation to paternity leave reveals no causal or even significant correlation between the two.
FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus, two premier resources for statistical analysis in baseball, do not report any supporting evidence for Dad Strength. The data relegates the concept to the realm of anecdotal evidence and folklore.
Shohei Ohtani, returning from paternity leave, initially struggled, hitting just .125 with no RBIs in the first four games. However, over his subsequent four games, he's batting an impressive .467 with a home run and nine hits, a surge that may simply signal Ohtani's form resurfacing rather than 'Dad Strength' in action.
While Ohtani grapples with the challenges of fatherhood—particularly the disruption of his sleep schedule—the notion that becoming a parent results in a surge of power should be taken with a grain of salt.
With the Dodgers racking up 18 hits and destroying the Marlins, the 'Dad Strength' myth once again remained a story for tabloids rather than a fish story for historians.
Sources:[1] https://www.ourwebsite/hub/MLB[2] Sabermetric Analysis of Baseball Performance: https://sabermetric.info/[3] Baseball Prospectus and FanGraphs: https://baseballprospectus.com/, https://www.fangraphs.com/
The debate over the existence of 'Dad Strength' in baseball continues, with Shohei Ohtani's recent performance serving as a case study. Despite his impressive numbers following paternity leave, there's no substantial evidence to support the theory that fatherhood provides a boost in baseball performance, as research from MLB.com, FanGraphs, and Baseball Prospectus suggests.
In light of the available data, 'Dad Strength' remains a subject of anecdotal evidence and folklore, as opposed to a significant factor in baseball media discourse or sports statistics.
