’s brilliance is rooted primarily on his unprecedented ability to be elite both as a hitter and as a pitcher — making him a true one of one in MLB history. Alas, the human body can only take on so heavy of a workload. The physical toll of being appears to be catching up with the star.
Ohtani’s knee troubles haven’t just kept him out of the mound since early July, but they’ve also been preventing him from suiting up in the Dodgers’ lineup. The Japanese superstar has been getting days off recently as he recovers from wear and tear, and even though he’s had another excellent all-around season, he seems to have lost significant ground in the awards race.
For former MLB pitcher Trevor May, the for the Dodgers is to shut Ohtani down from the mound this year — even if it comes at the cost of his Cy Young candidacy. What matters is that Ohtani is out there on the field for LA.
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“Shut it down. Let’s just end the dream now. It’s not gonna happen. It’s okay. He didn’t pitch that much last year. He didn’t pitch at all the year before that. It’s okay if he just hits. He’s gotta be on the field,” May said on Foul Territory TV.
"Let's just end the Cy Young Award dream now. " wants the Dodgers to shut down Shohei Ohtani from pitching for the rest of the season.— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV)
Ohtani only has 14 starts under his belt this year, and he’s only pitched in 85.2 innings. However, he’s been elite during his limited time on the mound — having recorded an ERA of 1.79 with 95 strikeouts.
Alas, the Dodgers star’s limited workload means that his NL Cy Young candidacy pales in comparison to that of Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski (27 starts, 161.1 innings, 1.95 ERA, 14-5 record).
Moreover, to the 2026 season appears to be sealing the NL MVP award in his favor over Ohtani, who is in the middle of an uncharacteristic slump.
But if Ohtani is healthy enough to lead the Dodgers to another World Series title, then he’ll have the last laugh anyhow.
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