Despite winning back-to-back World Series championships, the Los Angeles Dodgers have still not gotten the full Shohei Ohtani experience since signing the four-time MVP before the 2024 season.

The Dodgers signed Ohtani after he underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2023 with the expectation that the two-way superstar would not pitch in 2024, but an injury during the World Series required shoulder surgery which later delayed Ohtani’s return to the mound.

Ohtani returned to the mound for the Dodgers in June, essentially completing his rehab in Los Angeles, but did not handle a typical workload pitching. Even without pitching, Ohtani’s impact is undeniable, winning back-to-back National League MVP’s and hitting a career-high 55 home runs for the Dodgers last season.

Though Ohtani made 14 starts last season, he only pitched 47 innings. Now, the Dodgers will get to see the “full version” of Ohtani in the 2026 season, according to MLB.com’s Jared Greenspan.

“Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior is excited to see what he’s calling a ‘full version’ of Shohei Ohtani in 2026,” Greenspan wrote on Friday. “We last saw a ‘full version’ of Ohtani in 2023, when the two-way superstar was still with the Angels. That year, Ohtani hit 44 home runs with a 1.066 OPS while pitching to a 3.14 ERA across 23 starts before tearing the UCL in his right elbow in August.

“Ohtani returned to the mound on June 16 following a 22-month absence from pitching at the big league level. He essentially completed his rehab in the Majors, progressing from one-inning stints to a typical starter’s workload in the postseason. In October, Ohtani displayed his two-way brilliance. Right now, according to Prior, Ohtani is throwing bullpen sessions, and the team hopes to have him face live hitters before he leaves for the WBC.”

Ohtani has been Los Angeles’ best player the past two seasons despite hardly pitching. When he’s healthy, he is one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball, which the Dodgers will get to see on full display next season.

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