Two-way star Shohei Ohtani (32) of the Los Angeles Dodgers is drawing more attention as a pitcher than as a hitter this season. The Japanese phenom is maintaining a sub-1.00 ERA, standing out on the mound, with some analysts predicting he could win the Cy Young Award, the highest honor for a pitcher.
Starting against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park in Texas on Tuesday (local time), Ohtani went seven innings, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out eight. Although the Dodgers' 2-1 loss handed him his second defeat of the season (against two wins), he recorded his first quality start plus (at least seven innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs) of the year with a stable performance.
Ohtani has posted a 0.97 ERA over 37 innings across six games this season through Tuesday. His walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) stands at 0.81, below 1.00. He ranks first in ERA and WHIP across MLB, and second in opponents' batting average (.160). Ohtani has returned as a full-time starter this year, nearly three years after undergoing elbow surgery in September 2023. His arsenal features a four-seam fastball topping out at 99 mph (159.3 kph), an 88 mph (about 141 kph) splitter, and an 85 mph (about 136 kph) slider.
Ohtani has in fact posted stronger numbers as a hitter in MLB. During his time with the Los Angeles Angels, he was named American League (AL) MVP in 2021 with 46 home runs and 100 RBIs, and again in 2023 with 44 home runs and 95 RBIs. Since joining the Dodgers, he has won National League (NL) MVP honors in both 2024 and last year. In 2024, playing exclusively as a hitter, he recorded 54 home runs, 130 RBIs and 59 stolen bases. Last year, after resuming two-way play in June, he posted 55 home runs and 102 RBIs.
This year, however, his offensive numbers have dropped significantly from past seasons. He is currently batting .240 with a .432 slugging percentage, the second-lowest marks of his career. His weighted runs created plus (wRC+) stands at 125, putting him on pace for his lowest season since 2020. He has also shown signs of a slump, going hitless in his last 17 at-bats.
"It's true that my batting condition hasn't been good," Ohtani said after the game. "This is a period when I need to focus on pitching and minimize the stress I get at the plate."
The Dodgers are also accommodating "pitcher Ohtani" by removing him from the lineup on his starting days, boosting expectations for his first career Cy Young Award. Ohtani's most brilliant season as a pitcher came in 2022 with the Angels, when he went 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA and 219 strikeouts. He finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting that year.
Experts attribute Ohtani's success on the mound this season to changes in his pitching mechanics focused on efficiency. Renowned MLB columnist Tom Verducci analyzed, "By smoothing out his arm swing angle, he has developed a less strenuous delivery motion. His pitching form has shifted to a lower, more stable posture, and he appears to be throwing much more comfortably."
Baseball commentator Kim Sun-woo said, "He's a player with extraordinary abilities in both pitching and hitting, so when he focuses on pitching, the performance follows accordingly. From spring camp, he showed great enthusiasm for his role as a pitcher this year." He added, "His current arm swing is completely different from his days in Japan. Thanks to a pitching form that has settled in allowing him to stably throw a variety of pitches, he is now freely commanding horizontal movement in addition to vertical movement."
