PHOENIX\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Shohei Ohtani wants to win the World Series.<\/p>\n
Again.<\/p>\n
He wants to win the World Baseball Classic.<\/p>\n
Again.<\/p>\n
He also wants to win his first Cy Young Award.<\/p>\n
And then do it again.<\/p>\n
Dodgers star pitcher Shohei Ohtani works out at spring training. JASON SZENES FOR THE CALIFORNIA POST<\/p>\n
\t\t\tMore From\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDylan Hernandez<\/p>\n
Ohtani was unusually open on Friday, the ordinarily guarded two-way star revealing his goals and offering insights into his mindset after throwing a 27-pitch bullpen session in the Dodgers\u2019 first workout of the spring for pitchers and catchers.<\/p>\n
What Ohtani said confirmed the depths of ambition long described by those close to him.<\/p>\n
Ohtani, 31, has won four MVP awards, two World Series and a WBC, but he said he wants more. And more. And more.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani throws during spring training. JASON SZENES FOR THE CALIFORNIA POST<\/p>\n
Cy Young Award trophy wall with a plaque for Tom Glavine and a list of award winners. Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that when you\u2019re satisfied, it\u2019s time to finish,\u201d Ohtani said in Japanese. \u201cI don\u2019t feel that way at this point. The opposite way of saying it is that I think I should quit when I do.\u201d<\/p>\n
There aren\u2019t many unchecked boxes in his career to-do list, but he said there\u2019s value in checking the same box multiple times.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether it\u2019s winning the World Series or winning the WBC or being the MVP there, it\u2019s not enough to do it once,\u201d Ohtani said. \u201cWhen you continue to do that, I think that\u2019s when you\u2019re viewed as a first-class player for the first time. Doing it twice is better than doing it once, and doing it three times is better than doing it twice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nevermind that Ohtani proved he was a first-class player five years ago when he won his first MVP award with the Angels. He has already been at Camelback Ranch for close to two weeks. The bullpen session he threw on Friday was his third of the spring.<\/p>\n
When manager Dave Roberts said a couple of weeks ago that Ohtani would focus on hitting and not pitch for Japan in the WBC, I wrote that it was a sign that he might have his eyes set on a Cy Young Award.<\/p>\n
Ohtani basically said as much on this day.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I can get it,\u201d he said, \u201cI think that would be wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Makes sense. Why else would a legacy-driven player such as Ohtani sacrifice potential glory in an event considered more prestigious than the World Series in his home country?<\/p>\n
Ohtani said of the Cy Young Award, \u201cTo just be close would mean I\u2019m pitching the required number of innings. I think the most important thing I have to do is to take my turns in the rotation for an entire year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts looks on during a spring training workout. JASON SZENES FOR THE CALIFORNIA POST<\/p>\n
The health of his arm figures to be front and center for Ohtani, who is very much aware that a third elbow operation could turn him into a full-time designated hitter.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s gone through a lot of things,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cAs much as people think that he\u2019s not human, he\u2019s still a human being that\u2019s had two major surgeries. He\u2019s got a long career ahead of him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ohtani is under contract for eight more seasons. He underwent his second Tommy John surgery in 2023, his final year with the Angels. He returned to the mound in the middle of last season and went on to post a 2.84 ERA in 14 starts. He pitched four more games in the postseason.<\/p>\n
Shohei Ohtani smiling in his Los Angeles Dodgers uniform during spring training. JASON SZENES FOR THE CALIFORNIA POST<\/p>\n
Roberts was encouraged by what he saw.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the thing that was most surprising from last year was his command,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cI\u2019ll say that he still feels his command wasn\u2019t up to par. But given the Tommy John and what typically command looks like the year after, it was above that. 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters <\/p>\n
California Post News: Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, WhatsApp<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a> Ohtani sounded at peace with the decision to not pitch in the WBC, which he said was made jointly with the team.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLast year, I only pitched in the second half (of the season),\u201d Ohtani said. \u201cTiming-wise, if this came after pitching an entire season, I think the overall approach would\u2019ve been different. Right now, at this stage, honestly, I\u2019m satisfied with the feeling that it would be difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n While Ohtani said he was relieved to finally have a normal offseason\u00a0\u2014\u00a0he spent his two previous winters recovering from elbow and shoulder operations, respectively\u00a0\u2014\u00a0he said he knew he would have to advance as a player to reach his latest round of goals. Pitching and hitting in the postseason, he acknowledged, was extremely demanding.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo years ago, I played as a DH, but it was a different feeling from last year,\u201d he said. \u201cIt felt like a different task.\u201d<\/p>\n So he continues to build up his pitching arm. He said he wants to pitch to batters next week.<\/p>\n Because after the WBC, he wants to be in position to do more. And more. And more.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t
California Post Sports Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, X<\/a>
California Post Opinion<\/a>
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!<\/a>
California Post App: Download here!<\/a>
Home delivery: Sign up here!<\/a>
<\/a>Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!<\/a><\/p>\n