Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani will exceed his expectations and compete for his first Cy Young award in 2026.
“I think there’s certainly a lot more in there, and regardless of my expectations for him, his are gonna, you know, exceed those,” Roberts said. “You know, I think it’s fair to say he expects to be in the Cy Young conversation, but you know, we just want to be healthy and make starts and all the numbers and statistics will take care of themselves. But man, this guy is such a disciplined worker and expects the most from himself.”
Ohtani returned to the mound for the Dodgers in 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and slowly worked himself up to pitching six innings towards the end of the regular season. He threw 47 innings across 14 appearances in 2025, posting a 2.87 ERA.
Has Shohei Ohtani Ever Won a Cy Young Award?
While Ohtani has proven himself as a dominant pitcher in MLB since arriving in 2018, the superstar is yet to take home a Cy Young award in either league.
The closest he came to earning the award came with the Los Angeles Angels in 2022, when he placed fourth in voting for the award. He posted a 2.33 ERA through 28 starts that season, striking out 219 batters in 166 innings pitched.
2022 stands alone as the only season in which the two-way player has earned Cy Young votes.
Can Shohei Ohtani win the Cy Young Award in 2026?
If Ohtani remains healthy throughout the season and continues to produce as he did after his return in 2025, he could very well find himself in the running for the Cy Young.
That being said, the right-hander has some stiff competition in the NL if he is to compete for the award.
Paul Skenes won the award in 2025 after a dominant sophomore season, and he’ll also have to compete with teammate and countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is fresh off of an MVP-worthy World Series performance.
Ohtani will have to perform at the top of his game if he’s to challenge for the award next year, and will look to do so anyways as the Dodgers chase their third World Series championship in a row.
Do you think Shohei Ohtani will win the Cy Young next season?
