Shohei Ohtani might be on his way to even more history with 0.82 ERA and Cy Young discussion
A new surprising fact about Shohei Ohtani seems to emerge every few days, because there is.
Ohtani is a unique player; Someone who has accomplished just about everything a player can accomplish in Major League Baseball.
He won back-to-back World Series titles after joining the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of the 2024 season. He won the Most Valuable Player award three times in a row and became the first player to win multiple MVP awards in different leagues. His most recent win during the 2025 season made him the second player, along with Barry Bonds, to win four MVP awards.
Ohtani won the Rookie of the Year award with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018. He went on to be selected to five All-Star teams. He won the Silver Slugger award four times. He was named to six consecutive All-MLB first teams.
ARE THE DODGERS GETTING AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE BY THE ‘WEIRD’ RULES AFFECTING SHOHEI OHTANI?
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates after hitting a home run in the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in game three of the 2025 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 27, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
In 2024, Ohtani had one of the greatest offensive seasons in baseball history, becoming the first player to hit more than 50 home runs and steal more than 50 bases. And it wasn’t close; He finished with 54 home runs and 59 steals. Oh, and he hit .310 with a .390 on-base percentage and a .646 slugging percentage. Good for 79 production runs above the average player, according to FanGraphs.
He then followed this up in 2025 by hitting 55 more home runs, setting a new career high. All this as he returned to the mound for the first time since 2023, posting 62 strikeouts in 47 innings with a 2.87 ERA and 1.90 FIP and 1.9 strikeouts off the bench.
What could possibly be left to achieve? There’s only one thing: the Cy Young Award. After another outstanding start Wednesday night, Ohtani may be on track to make more history there, too.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani walks to the dugout against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning of Game 4 of the World Series on October 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Brynn Anderson/AP Photo)
Ohtani faced the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday and was dominant once again. He pitched seven innings, striking out eight while allowing just four hits and two walks. The performance dropped his ERA to an incredible 0.82 by mid-May.
Of course, it’s still early. The Dodgers have played 43 of 162 games, meaning they have just over 73% of the season remaining. But if the season were to end today, it’s hard to argue with Ohtani being the winner of the Cy Young National League. And if that happens, it will be the latest in a long line of historic accomplishments by baseball’s best player.
If Ohtani wins, he would become the first player to win MVP honors as a hitter and pitcher. He became the first player to win multiple MVP awards and the Cy Young award. There have been 11 pitchers to win the Cy Young and MVP awards in the same season, but no pitcher has won a second MVP. His manager and teammates are already talking about this.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. GET THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
“As I’ve said for a long time, you’re a different person when you’re pitching,” manager Dave Roberts said after the 4-0 win over the Giants. “I think he wants to win the Cy Young. I think that will help the Dodgers in 2026, too. When he pitches, I kind of turn him loose and… he’s in a zone.”
Added Santiago Espinal, who hit a home run to lead Los Angeles: “When you’re pitching, everybody expects a Cy Young. When you’re batting, everybody expects an MVP or something. He showed that tonight. Just Cy Young caliber.”
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning of Game 7 of the World Series on November 1, 2025 in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
There’s still a long way to go. There are other pitchers in the National League who are off to great starts in the 2026 season. Defending Cy Young champion Paul Skenes has seen his ERA drop from 1.97 in 2025 to 1.98 so far in 2026. Christopher Sanchez was once again excellent and Jacob Misiorowski looked unhittable for the most part, striking out 14-plus in nine innings.
But it’s a reminder that what Ohtani does day and night is actually unprecedented. The five best pitchers and the two or three best hitters in the sport. At the same time. This remarkable and already extraordinary career of his may somehow become even more historic this year.
