Shohei Ohtani could very well turn in his best career season yet with Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers megastar Shohei Ohtani looks like he has the chance to have the best season of his career in 2026, and he doesn't have to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases to do so. That's because Ohtani is off to an excellent start as a starting pitcher that, if it continues, could result in him turning in a two-way campaign that trumps any of his MVP efforts up to this point.

Ohtani has been marvelous on the mound through three starts for LA. He's 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, and 18 strikeouts through 18 innings of work. If he makes, say, 25 starts this season and ends up with stats anywhere close to the above figures, he could end up with the greatest pitching season of his career. Paired with an offensive output of 45-ish home runs and 30-ish steals, Ohtani could achieve his best overall season.

He's only made 20-plus starts in three seasons. He did so consecutively for the Los Angeles Angels between 2021 and 2023. If we look at the following stats for each of those seasons, we can arrive at an understanding of what Ohtani is "chasing" in 2026: Number of starts, pitching record, ERA, WHIP — and as an offensive player: OPS, home runs, and stolen bases. See below.

Shohei Ohtani's two-way numbers from 2021-2023 (Angels)

We can see from Ohtani's 2021-2023 seasons that his best pitching season of the three (2022) was also his least productive season as a slugger and base-stealer.

You can probably already tell where I'm headed with this. Ohtani has the ability combine an offensive season like 2021 with his 2022 pitching season into a single campaign ... and it might happen in 2026.

By looking at Ohtani's 2021-2023 stats all laid out, we can make an even more specific estimate for his ideal two-way season than I did initially above. A sub-3.00 ERA across 20-plus starts, combined with 44-plus home runs and 26-plus stolen bases, would do the trick. Even if Ohtani's OPS landed below 1.000 for the season (he's currently at .910 entering April 17), the rest of those numbers would be enough to make the case. And while his 50/50 season in 2024 was magical, Ohtani didn't pitch that year. A two-way campaign of the above nature would be more uniquely impressive.

Shohei Ohtani is a pitcher first, slugger second

Believe it or not, Ohtani has said that, when it comes to his baseball identity, he still sees himself as a pitcher first. He's also indicated to the Dodgers that he wants to prove in 2026 that he can be one of the best pitchers in the sport (some people are convinced that he's already in that conversation). What can't this guy do? He's also a great teammate, by the way.

Ohtani's off to a special start in 2026, especially on the mound. If he can stay healthy, no one really knows what his ceiling is on the path to a three-peat. He might end up producing the best individual season in the history of MLB.

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