MLB Stars Ohtani, Guerrero Jr. Struggle Early Without Home Runs

Several top players, including Dodgers' Ohtani and Blue Jays' Guerrero Jr., have yet to hit a home run this season.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 4:23am

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A cubist, geometric painting featuring sharp, overlapping planes of color in shades of blue, orange, and purple, conceptually representing the deconstructed motion of a baseball swing.The fragmented, angular depiction of a baseball swing captures the raw power and intensity of the sport's biggest stars as they struggle to find their home run stroke early in the season.Los Angeles Today

According to a report from Yahoo Fantasy Sports, several MLB superstars including Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays have yet to hit a home run through the first week of the 2026 season. Other notable players on the list without a homer include Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr., Kyle Tucker, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Rafael Devers.

Why it matters

The lack of home runs from these elite players is surprising, as they are typically among the league leaders in power hitting. Their slow starts at the plate could be an early concern for their teams and fantasy owners, as home runs are a key statistical category that drives fan interest and TV ratings for the sport.

The details

Through six games, Ohtani is batting just .167 with a .590 OPS, while Guerrero is hitting .300 but has yet to record an extra-base hit. Raleigh, who hit 60 homers last year, is off to a slow start as well, batting .160 with 15 strikeouts in seven games.

  • The Yahoo Fantasy Sports report was posted on X (Twitter) on Thursday, April 2, 2026.
  • By the end of play on Thursday night, both Rafael Devers and Matt Olson had hit their first home runs of the season, coming off the list.

The players

Shohei Ohtani

A two-way star for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani is one of the most dominant players in MLB when he's at his best.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

The star slugger for the Toronto Blue Jays, Guerrero is known for his prodigious power at the plate.

Cal Raleigh

The Seattle Mariners catcher hit 60 home runs last season, making his slow start this year even more surprising.

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What they’re saying

“Notable players with 0 home runs this season: Shohei Ohtani, Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kyle Tucker, Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, Nick Kurtz, Junior Caminero, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Rafael Devers.”

— Yahoo Fantasy Sports

What’s next

As the season progresses, it will be important to monitor whether these star players are able to break out of their early power slumps and start hitting home runs at their typical pace.

The takeaway

The lack of home runs from some of MLB's biggest stars is an unexpected early-season storyline, as fans and teams alike hope these elite power hitters will soon find their stroke and provide the offensive fireworks that make the game so exciting.