Shohei Ohtani Fantasy Stats

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani looked to be in midseason form when he made his Cactus League pitching debut on Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants. Ohtani allowed just one hit, walked two, and struck out four in 4 1/3 scoreless innings. His fastball touched 99 mph on the radar gun, and he threw 34 of his 61 pitches for strikes. "The stuff was really good. It's going to get more crisp as he gets out there and gets regular pitching," manager Dave Roberts said. It was an even more impressive performance for the four-time MVP, considering temperatures pushed 100 degrees at Camelback Ranch. It was Ohtani's first time on the mound in a competitive setting since Game 7 of the World Series against Toronto on Nov. 1. The Dodgers plan on Ohtani being a part of their rotation all year, although his innings will be limited early on. He returned to pitching midway through the 2025 season after recovering from elbow surgery, and he had a 2.87 ERA in 14 regular-season starts before going 2-1 with a 4.43 ERA in the playoffs. The 31-year-old Japanese star has high-end SP1 upside overall in 2026 as a pitcher.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani will pitch in the team's Cactus League game on Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants, manager Dave Roberts told Maddie Lee of The Los Angeles Times. Roberts also revealed that Ohtani is lined up to pitch in the Freeway Series against the Los Angeles Angels on March 22 and 24. The 31-year-old right-hander isn't recovering from any type of injury, but the Dodgers are slow-playing him this spring after a lengthy run into the postseason. Ohtani will be pitching in a spring training game on Wednesday for the first time since 2023 with the Angels. The Dodgers plan on Ohtani being a two-way player for the entire 2026 season, but he'll be on an innings limit early on and will only go around three to four innings, which will obviously limit his ceiling in both DFS contests and regular fantasy leagues. When he's fully healthy and fully stretched out, though, Ohtani has fantasy ace potential as a starting pitcher.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani threw a four-inning live batting practice session on Thursday against Samurai Japan hitters during a workout ahead of the World Baseball Classic quarterfinal against Venezuela on Saturday, according to David Adler of MLB.com. Ohtani threw 59 pitches during the workout and had seven strikeouts while facing 18 batters. It's part of the 31-year-old four-time MVP's process to be ready to pitch for the Dodgers when the regular season starts on March 26. He is only serving as a hitter in the WBC for Japan, though, and will not pitch in the tourney. The Dodgers are being cautious with Ohtani after he returned in 2025 from right-elbow surgery and then pitched through a long postseason in the fall. Ohtani is expected to be a full-time starter for L.A. for all of 2026, but he could have limited pitch counts early on. Despite a potential overall innings limit, Ohtani offers elite starting pitching upside in fantasy.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani was able to throw a live batting practice session without any issues on Sunday. Ohtani threw 33 pitches across two innings of work and touched 99 mph on his fastball. This is expected to be the last time that Ohtani will throw for the Dodgers in camp. He'll now leave to join Team Japan for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. It doesn't sound like Ohtani will pitch in the tourney, so he likely won't take the mound again until the start of the regular season. The Dodgers might ease Ohtani in, but he should be a solid No. 2 starter in fantasy once he's fully stretched out.

MLB.com's Sonja Chen suggests that Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar and four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani is fully expected to begin the 2026 regular season in the starting rotation, but he has limited time to build up as a pitcher while representing Team Japan exclusively as a hitter in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. The Dodgers could use someone like Justin Wrobleski in long relief behind Ohtani as they build up his pitch count early in the season. The 31-year-old didn't make his debut as a pitcher for the Dodgers last year until June after recovering from Tommy John surgery, and L.A. eased him in slowly. Ohtani had a 2.87 ERA (1.90 FIP) and 1.04 WHIP with 62 K's and just nine walks in 47 innings over 14 starts during the regular season. His upside will be limited on the mound early on in 2026 as he's being eased in, but once he's fully stretched out, Ohtani should at least be a solid No. 2 starter in fantasy.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Wednesday that designated hitter Shohei Ohtani will remain in the leadoff spot this season, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic. Why mess with success? The two-way superstar won his third straight MVP award and fourth in the last five seasons while also helping the Dodgers win back-to-back World Series titles. The 2026 season will be his first full year in L.A. as a true two-way player. Ohtani led the league last year in runs (146), slugging percentage (.622), OPS (1.014), and total bases (380) in 158 regular-season games while also hitting .282 with a career-high 55 home runs, 102 RBI, and 20 stolen bases. The 31-year-old was unable to live up to his 50-50 showing from 2024, but he still was a beast as a DH for fantasy managers. He will once again set the table for the best team in baseball and will be the top player off the board in all fantasy drafts as a hitter.

When asked if he expects two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani to be in the team's Opening Day starting rotation as a pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said, "I do." Ohtani will not pitch at all for Team Japan during the upcoming World Baseball Classic, so he probably will be on a strict innings limit to begin the 2026 season, but he'll be in the Dodgers' rotation. The 31-year-old four-time MVP and five-time All-Star didn't make his season debut on the mound for L.A. until mid-June after recovering from Tommy John surgery he had in September of 2023, and he was slowly eased into the rotation. Ohtani made 14 starts (47 innings) during the regular season and had a 2.87 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 62:9 K:BB. The leash was lengthened in the postseason, as he made four starts and threw 20 1/3 frames, striking out 28 and walking seven. Fantasy managers should anticipate a limited workload early on, but the expectation is that he'll be a full two-way player in 2026.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani could pitch in a Cactus League game in spring training, and that it's "still in the air," according to Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation. Ohtani was recovering from Tommy John surgery that he had in September of 2023 and didn't make his season debut as a pitcher for the Dodgers until mid-June of 2025. The 31-year-old Japanese hurler ended up making 14 regular-season starts (47 innings) and posted a strong 2.87 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 62 strikeouts and only nine walks. His workload was expanded in the postseason, and although he might be babied this spring as a pitcher, he's fully expected to be part of the Opening Day starting rotation as a pitcher. Ohtani's fantasy ceiling is much higher as a hitter, but he's not too shabby as a pitcher either, and is RotoBaller's No. 32 starting pitcher in fantasy.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has decided that he will not pitch in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, according to manager Dave Roberts. Ohtani will still play for Team Japan, slotting into the lineup as their designated hitter. Roberts said that the Dodgers would have been open to Ohtani pitching, but that won't happen because he is only going to be covered by the league's third-party injury insurance as a hitter and not as a pitcher. Less strain on Ohtani's arm might work out better for Los Angeles in the long run, anyway. The 31-year-old didn't throw a pitch in 2024 due to elbow surgery, and he was limited to just 47 innings on the mound across 14 starts. He was as dominant as ever, pitching to a 1.90 FIP with 11.87 K/9, 1.72 BB/9, 0.57 HR/9, and a 41.4% ground ball rate. He said that he will be healthy to start the 2026 season, making him the consensus 1.01 pick in fantasy baseball draft rankings.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani said he will be ready to pitch from the start of the 2026 regular season, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. When asked about his workload for Team Japan in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, Ohtani said that it will be up to "how my body feels." No matter what, he will be fully ready to serve as the designated hitter in the WBC. The 31-year-old, who has been named MVP in three of the last four seasons, is a living legend for the Dodgers and has helped them win back-to-back World Series in his first two years with the team. Ohtani is much more valuable in fantasy baseball as a hitter, but his value is on the rise as a pitcher, especially since he is in line for a full season on the mound. He made only 14 starts for L.A. on the mound in 2025, posting a 2.87 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 62:9 K:BB in 47 innings. Ohtani could have his innings monitored early on in 2026, but if he stays healthy all year, he should be a high-end rotation arm for fantasy managers.