For years, baseball fans everywhere have recognized Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani as one of the greatest hitters of all time. In the 2026 campaign, though, he’s also managed to prove that, when he’s healthy enough to pitch, he’s also one of the best players at that position, too.
For the first time since 2023, the Dodgers have taken the training wheels off Ohtani and decided to unleash him on the mound once again. The result has been an absolutely dominant 10-start stretch to begin the year, and in the wake of his latest shutout outing, manager Dave Roberts didn’t hold back when discussing the two-way phenom’s work from the hill.
Dave Roberts Dishes on Shohei Ohtani After Latest Start
Just another day in the life of Shohei Ohtani, who dropped his league-leading ERA to 0.74 and raised his batting average over .300.
More from last night:
By now, Ohtani’s accomplishments at the plate are pretty much common knowledge among baseball fans. Ohtani has won an MVP Award in four of the past five seasons, and he’s gotten off to a similarly strong start at the plate again this season (.301 BA, 10 HR, 33 RBI, .941 OPS). However, this time around, his work as a pitcher is actually commanding more attention.
Ohtani was used sparingly as a pitcher over the past two years, as he made just 14 starts during that stretch. This year, though, Los Angeles has decided to unleash Ohtani, and the results have been outrageous (6-2, 0.74 ERA, 67 K, 0.79 WHIP). Everybody knew Ohtani was a stellar pitcher, but after taking so much time off, he has simply blown folks away with how good he has looked in his return to action.
On Wednesday night, Ohtani hurled six scoreless innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks, giving up just two hits and one walk while striking out six. At this point, Ohtani has made these sorts of outings feel regular, but they should not be viewed that way. After the game, Roberts credited Ohtani for going out and essentially refusing to allow opposing teams to score runs.
“He’s really being very selfish with baserunners, trying to give up runs,” Roberts said, per Katie Woo of The Athletic. “I think a lot of starting pitchers, you feel your way into the game, give up a couple early and you bear down. With Shohei, every run is a premium. He’s literally trying to throw a shutout every time out there.”
Dodgers Asserting Themselves as the Team to Beat Again
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 24: Manager Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on against the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium on April 24, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Injuries made life more difficult for L.A. earlier this season, but now that it has gotten several key players back, it has gotten hot, which is a scary sign for the rest of the league. The Dodgers have already built up a seven-game lead atop the National League West division, and it doesn’t look like they will be letting go of that anytime soon.
What should worry folks even more is that Los Angeles still isn’t at the peak of its powers, so as good as the team has looked as of late, it may be able to get even better in the near future. For now, the Dodgers will look to keep the good times rolling, as they will aim to finish off a sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night.
Dodgers’ Dave Roberts Sends Brutally Honest Shohei Ohtani Message