By now, the baseball world is well aware that Shohei Ohtani is an elite hitter and an elite starting pitcher. The Los Angeles Dodgers have to be excited about a full season of both from their superstar in 2026.
Ohtani will start for the first time this spring when the Dodgers play the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, March 18, according to MLB.com’s Sonja Chen.
The build up on the mound for Ohtani will look different than last year, according to manager Dave Roberts, as he is ramping up to be ready for Opening Day instead of mid-June. Team Japan’s early exit from the World Baseball Classic means Ohtani can toe the rubber multiple times before the defending champions break camp.
“Last year, we had the plan to start from one inning to keep him with us active and playing. I think this year, we’re certainly north of that,” Roberts said. “I don’t see how we won’t be able to get three or four innings from him in a Major League game. So that’s certainly a better jumping off point than last year.”
Shohei Ohtani As A Pitcher In 2025
This is slated to be the two-time reigning NL MVP’s first full season on the mound since 2022, when he was with the Los Angeles Angels. He had Tommy John surgery at the end of 2023 and did not pitch at all in 2024.
Ohtani made 14 starts in a successful return to the mound in 2025, pitching to a 2.87 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 47 innings. He also walked only nine batters and his strikeout to walk ratio was the highest of his career, an incredible feat considering pitchers often struggle with their command coming off of Tommy John surgery.
Ohtani started four playoff games for the Dodgers, including Game 7 of the World Series. He pitched to a 4.43 ERA and had 28 strikeouts in 20.1 innings pitched. He was awarded the NLCS MVP mostly for his three home run, 10 strikeout performance in the clinching Game 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers, becoming the first player to ever accomplish the feat in a single game .
Dodgers’ Starting Rotation For 2026
Ohtani will once again be a part of a vaunted Dodgers rotation that includes four All-Stars and a two-time Cy Young Award winner in Blake Snell (who will begin the season on the injured list). Roberts said on Monday that World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start on Opening Day. Tyler Glasnow and Emmet Sheehan figure to round out the back of the rotation.
Earlier in the spring, the Dodgers were expected to go with a six-man rotation that would also include Roki Sasaki. However, the Japanese youngster has struggled mightily in Cactus League play, pitching to a 13.50 ERA and 9 walks in just 6.2 innings of work. Sasaki struggled in his rookie season last year, making just eight starts and posting a 4.46 ERA while dealing with injuries.
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