Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy expects two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani to be in the mix for the NL Cy Young this season.
Ohtani made his first start of the 2026 season against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday, and made the most of his opportunity. He allowed a single hit through six innings of work, striking out six batters without allowing a run. Dating back to 2025’s regular season, Ohtani has a 22.2-inning scoreless streak—the longest of his MLB career.
Muncy said he expects the reigning MVP to be among the NL’s best pitchers this season.
“I expect nothing short of almost a Cy Young out of him,” Muncy said.
Muncy also contributed to the Dodgers’ win on Tuesday, hitting his first home run of the season and recording a two-hit performance.
Ohtani has been in the “almost” category for a Cy Young before, placing fourth in the American League’s Cy Young vote in 2022. He had a 2.33 ERA through 166 innings pitched that season.
If you ask his teammates, Ohtani want’s more than “almost” a Cy Young, though.
“He wants a Cy Young,” Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing said in spring training. “He wants a Cy Young, and you can tell with the way he’s carrying himself here recently.”
When Did Shohei Ohtani Return to the Mound?
Ohtani made his first appearance as a pitcher for the Dodgers against the San Diego Padres on June 16, 2025, returning after more than a year of recovery from Tommy John surgery.
He pitched a single inning in that outing, allowing one run, and began building on the appearance throughout the year.
The right-hander made 14 pitching appearances for the Dodgers in 2025, logging 47 innings and striking out 62 batters. He had a 2.87 ERA—the second-best mark of any year in his career.
He also made four appearances for the Dodgers in the postseason, and while he wasn’t quite as successful in October, he still put together one of his best pitching performances of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. In that game, Ohtani struck out 10 batters through six scoreless innings while also hitting three home runs on the other side of the ball to power himself to his first NLCS MVP award.
What are Shohei Ohtani’s Odds to Win the Cy Young?
After Ohtani’s start, FanGraphs’ Cy Young Projection formula has him at 4.6 Cy Young Points (CYP)—which ranks sixth in the national league behind Cristopher Sanchez, Sandy Alcantara, Randy Vasquez, Landon Roupp and Chris Sale.
Ohtani will need to string more of these performances together in order to contend for the award, and will look to do so as the Dodgers pursue their third consecutive World Series in 2026.
Do you think Shohei Ohtani will be able to contend for the Cy Young with his strict pitching schedule?
