Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts took a step back and processed two-way star Shohei Ohtani’s first season of pitching, coming away surprised by how well he looked.
Ohtani was nursing Tommy John surgery for the 2024 season, his first with the Dodgers and as a player for Roberts to manage. In that season, he showed elite hitting skills, driving the ball far, while stealing bases regularly on his way to an insane 50/50 season.
In 2025, he cut back on the steals because he was working his way back onto the mound — seriously ramping up his throwing program before making his pitching debut over the summer with the Dodgers.
He ended up starting with just one inning, building his stamina and feel slowly before making full-blown starts in the postseason, including the World Series.
Oct 28, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) pulls Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) from pitching during the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game four of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
At the start of Spring Training, as pitchers and catchers report, Roberts highlighted his takeaways from the first sample of Othani’s mound debut.
“I think the thing that was most surprising from last year was his command. And I’ll say that he still feels his command wasn’t up to par, but given the Tommy John and what typically command looks like the year after, it was above that,” Roberts said.
“So I think that was impressive, just his ability to command a couple of different breaking balls to change the shape of his breaking balls was pretty impressive. And everything he does is with a purpose.
“So I’m really excited to see with the full off-season to just prepare and not rehab what he can do this year.”
Shohei Ohtani’s First Dodgers Pitching
Ohtani put up a great 2.87 ERA over 47 innings of work, giving up just 15 earned runs. His strikeout-to-walk ratio was ridiculous, walking only nine players with 62 strikeouts.
His velocity was faster than ever when appearing on the mound, quite a feat considering his second Tommy John surgery.
In the postseason, he put up a 4.43 ERA in four games of work, pitching 20.1 innings. While he was not the same as he was in the postseason, he was affected by short rest and his intense hitting responsibilities.
Still, Dodgers fans should be quite excited for Ohanti to get a full Spring Training.
LA Baseball Report
Get the app for faster news
GET ×