Will Shohei Ohtani Have A Chance To Win Cy Young Award in 2026? |
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani's remarkable return to the mound in 2026 has positioned the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar as a legitimate contender for the National League Cy Young Award, with his microscopic ERA and strikeout dominance fueling debates about whether the two-way phenom could finally capture pitching's highest honor this season.
Through mid-May, Ohtani has posted an ERA as low as 0.82 to 0.97 across six starts, striking out 42 batters in 37 innings while allowing just four earned runs. The performance has Dodgers fans and analysts buzzing, with some predicting he could become the first player in modern baseball history to win both MVP and Cy Young honors in the same season — or at least come close. Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller recently forecasted Ohtani winning the NL Cy Young while still falling short of a fifth MVP, highlighting the extraordinary year the 31-year-old is having on the mound.
Ohtani's pitching resurgence comes after focusing primarily on hitting in 2024 and 2025 following elbow surgery. His workload has been carefully managed in a six-man rotation, limiting his innings but maximizing effectiveness when he does pitch. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has praised the approach, noting Ohtani's elite stuff — particularly a 98 mph fastball and devastating sweeper — remains intact. "He's throwing the ball as well as I've ever seen," Roberts said recently. "When he's on the mound, he's one of the best pitchers in baseball."
The Cy Young race in the........