Shohei Ohtani’s 大谷翔平 2026 pitching debut was absolutely INSANE… could he actually win the 2026 CY Young Award?! 🔥
This week in Shohei Ohtani news: The two-way superstar returned to the mound for the first time in 2026 and delivered a dominant gem!
✅ 6 scoreless innings
✅ 6 strikeouts
✅ Only 1 hit allowed
✅ 3 walks, 87 pitches
✅ Winning pitcher in a 4-1 Dodgers victory over the Guardians
He also entered the start riding a ridiculous **35-game on-base streak** — the longest by any player making a pitching start since 1961!
Offensively, Ohtani has been getting on base multiple times with walks and a HBP while setting the table in that stacked Dodgers lineup (even if the power hasn’t shown up yet). The Dodgers are off to a hot start, and Shohei looks fully healthy and locked in for his two-way duties.
Bonus historic moments:
– Part of THREE straight Japanese-born starters for the Dodgers (Sasaki → Ohtani → Yamamoto) — first time in MLB history!
– Exactly 8 years after his MLB pitching debut (March 31, 2018)
– Ohtani gifted the entire Dodgers team 4K watches as a team gesture
Small-sample struggles at the plate are normal early on.. the real headline is how untouchable he looked on the mound. He hasn’t allowed a run in his last 22⅔ regular-season innings dating back to 2025.
Do you think Shohei could win the 2026 Cy Young Award?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 👇
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:03 First Start on the mound
6:35 Shohei at the plate
8:32 Dodgers dominant start
9:39 Shohei gifts teammates
10:15 Another MVP campaign underway
#大谷翔平 #ShoheiOhtani #Dodgers #MLB #Ohtani2026 #PitchingDebut #FlippinBats #MLB
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