Shohei Ohtani is aiming to merge his peak performance as both a hitter and a pitcher into a single season. He enters Wednesday night’s start against the Giants in San Francisco carrying a 0.50 ERA.
Ohtani’s Previous Peaks
From 2021-23, Ohtani was at his peak as a pitcher, throwing nearly 80% of his total career innings to date. His ERA was 2.84 over those three years, a figure surpassed by only five regular starters.
In August 2023, an elbow injury kept Ohtani off the mound for all of 2024 and much of 2025. This allowed him to focus on his hitting, with only Aaron Judge providing more offensive value from 2023-25. Ohtani’s offensive record included a 1.037 OPS, 154 homers and 99 steals.
The Quest for a Complete Season
Despite his exploits, Ohtani has yet to combine his peak batting and pitching for an entire season. He aims to achieve what eluded him in 2021 and 2023. A late-season slump impacted his 2021 season, and an injury cut short his 2023 campaign. In 2022, he pitched well but hadn’t yet reached his peak hitting level. While he had the hitting in 2024-25, he wasn’t able to take the mound at full strength.
A Healthier Offseason
Last year, Ohtani gradually worked his way back into the pitching rotation. He didn’t complete five innings until his 11th start. He had the reins loosened during the playoffs.
While the World Series run led to a shortened offseason, it was a less stressful one for Ohtani. He said in March that he felt he had a pretty easier offseason mentally, compared to rehabbing the elbow.
Current Form on the Mound
With a relatively normal winter behind him, Ohtani, the pitcher, looks as good as he’s ever been. He carries a 0.50 ERA, having allowed just one earned run in 18 innings over three starts. Since his return last June, only five other starters with as many innings as he’s thrown have a lower ERA.
Entering Wednesday night’s game in San Francisco, Ohtani carries a 0.50 ERA.