Shohei Ohtani is redefining dominance on the mound. The Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star now leads Major League Baseball with a 0.82 ERA after tossing seven scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.
Ohtani has allowed just four earned runs in 44.0 innings this season. His performance comes during a relative slump at the plate-he is batting .240 with a .796 OPS, well below his career .951 OPS and back-to-back 50-plus home run seasons.
“If I’m not contributing offensively, then I know I can contribute on the pitching side,” Ohtani said after the Dodgers’ 4-0 win.
Manager Dave Roberts praised Ohtani’s focus: “He wants to be the best pitcher in baseball, and right now, he’s doing it.”
Ohtani did not pitch in 2024. Last season, he posted a 2.87 ERA in 14 starts while winning his fourth MVP in five years. The Dodgers have managed his workload carefully, occasionally using him solely as a pitcher.
“There’s no one way to go about it,” Roberts added. “You’re just trying to be fluid.”
For now, Los Angeles has the game’s best pitcher batting leadoff-a modern twist on baseball’s pre-DH era.