MLB roundtable: Will Shohei Ohtani hit 50 home runs this season?

Ohtani currently has a sizable lead in the MLB home run race

The dog days of August will soon turn into the postseason races of September. We're starting to see the light at the end of the regular season tunnel and there is still so much to be decided. Postseason races, award races, pursuits of history, etc.

Throughout the season the CBS Sports MLB scribes will bring you a weekly roundtable breaking down, well, pretty much anything. The latest news, a historical question, thoughts about the future of baseball, all sorts of stuff. Last week we broke down the NL Cy Young race. This week we're going to tackle Shohei Ohtani's home run pace.

Will Shohei Ohtani hit 50 homers this season?

Dayn Perry: I'd love to say yes to this, but I'm going to have to say no. Already we're seeing his place slack off, as Ohtani at this writing has hit just three home runs in August after hitting nine in July -- a month that included several days off for the All-Star break. I just think the fatigue of doing double-duty is a real thing, especially down the stretch. I'll say Ohtani narrowly hangs on to win the home run crown, but 50 is going to be out of reach for him. 

R.J. Anderson: As I write this, Ohtani would need 10 home runs in 36 games to reach 50. It's possible, given that he's averaged a home run every three games so far this season, but I have two concerns. Number one is that he's going to experience some fatigue based on the workload he's handled this year; number two, is that the Angels are going to expect the same, and that they'll rest him more once they're officially eliminated from playoff contention. Maybe I'm wrong in both respects -- I certainly hope he hits 50 -- but that's why I'm saying no.

Matt Snyder: I'm gonna have to join the crowd in saying I'd love to see it happen but he's very clearly showing signs of power fatigue now as the year has worn on. Up until the All-Star break, Ohtani had 33 homers in 301 at-bats, or a home run every 9.12 at-bats. Since the break, he's hit seven home runs in 125 at-bats, or one homer every 17.9 at-bats. If we pare it down to just the month of August, it's three home runs in 74 at-bats (one every 24.67 at-bats). His biggest month was June, when he went deep 13 times in 81 at-bats. That alone shows it's entirely possible he gets hot again and reaches 50. I just think the downturn is a lot more trend than simply a run-of-the-mill drought, given how much of an all-around workload he's taken on this season. 

Mike Axisa: I'll say yes. Going into Thursday, Ohtani needed 10 home runs in the team's final 34 games to get to 50 homers, and that is within reach. I understand the fatigue concerns and that's a real obstacle. I also think the Angels are more likely to cut back on Ohtani's pitching workload to combat fatigue rather than take him out of the lineup, so I expect him to continue getting regular at-bats at DH all the way through Game 162. Ten homers in 34 games is a big ask, no doubt, but the Angels still have six games remaining with the homer-happy Rangers pitching staff (1.45 HR/9 as a team!), plus one or two two-homer games, and suddenly getting to 50 becomes very doable. I'm guessing Ohtani gets there the final weekend.