Los Angeles Dodgers megastar is on top of the baseball world right now, but he might rise even higher in 2026. The 31-year-old has seemingly done everything possible (and more) in Major League Baseball. Even so, ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez believes Ohtani will do something in 2026 he’s never done before. Gonzalez predicted that Ohtani will win his first Cy Young Award.
“He won the World Series in his first trip to the postseason — then another one — and started the 50/50 club in a year in which he could not pitch, becoming the first full-time designated hitter to win an MVP,” Gonzalez wrote on January 2. “He has four of those trophies now, all in a span of just five years. But there is one thing remaining for Ohtani to establish himself as the greatest baseball player ever, and that is to assert his dominance as a pitcher.”
“Don’t think for one second he hasn’t noticed that, either,” Gonzalez continued. “Because for all the praise he has received for his offensive dominance and two-way persona, Ohtani’s pitching has long been considered inferior to his hitting. Some have wondered if he should give it up entirely. This year … will be the one when Ohtani asserts his dominance on the mound like never before. By the end of it, there will be no doubt — nobody has or ever will be like Shohei Ohtani.”
Ohtani’s 2025 MLB season with the Dodgers solidified his status as baseball’s premier two-way star. Returning to the mound after elbow surgery, he posted a 1-1 record with a 2.87 ERA over 14 starts, striking out 62 batters in 47 innings while issuing just nine walks. At the plate, Ohtani batted .282 with 55 home runs—setting a Dodgers franchise record—along with 102 RBIs, 146 runs scored (leading MLB), and 20 stolen bases.
Story continues below advertisement
He became the first player ever to hit 50 homers, draw 100 walks, and steal 20 bases in a single year. His efforts earned him a unanimous National League MVP—his fourth overall and second straight with the Dodgers—a Silver Slugger, and League Championship Series MVP honors, culminating in his second World Series title.
Over his MLB career since 2018, Ohtani has amassed a .282 average, 280 home runs, 669 RBIs, and 165 stolen bases as a hitter, while compiling a 39-20 record with 624 strikeouts as a pitcher. From his Rookie of the Year debut with the Los Angeles Angels to back-to-back championships with the Dodgers, Ohtani’s unprecedented versatility has redefined the game.
Featured image via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
