Muncy said he expects the reigning MVP to be among the NL\u2019s best pitchers this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI expect nothing short of almost a Cy Young out of him,\u201d Muncy said<\/a>.<\/p>\n Muncy also contributed to the Dodgers\u2019 win<\/a> on Tuesday, hitting his first home run of the season and recording a two-hit performance.<\/p>\n Ohtani has been in the \u201calmost\u201d category for a Cy Young before, placing fourth in the American League\u2019s Cy Young vote in 2022. He had a 2.33 ERA through 166 innings pitched that season.<\/p>\n If you ask his teammates, Ohtani want\u2019s more than \u201calmost\u201d a Cy Young, though.<\/p>\n \u201cHe wants a Cy Young,\u201d Dodgers catcher\u00a0Dalton Rushing\u00a0said in spring training<\/a>. \u201cHe wants a Cy Young, and you can tell with the way he\u2019s carrying himself here recently.\u201d<\/p>\n Ohtani made his first appearance as a pitcher for the Dodgers against the San Diego Padres on June 16, 2025, returning after more than a year of recovery from Tommy John surgery.<\/p>\n He pitched a single inning in that outing, allowing one run, and began building on the appearance throughout the year.<\/p>\n The right-hander made 14 pitching appearances for the Dodgers in 2025, logging 47 innings and striking out 62 batters. He had a 2.87 ERA\u2014the second-best mark of any year in his career.<\/p>\n He also made four appearances for the Dodgers in the postseason, and while he wasn\u2019t quite as successful in October, he still put together one of his best pitching performances of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. In that game, Ohtani struck out 10 batters through six scoreless innings while also hitting three home runs on the other side of the ball to power himself to his first NLCS MVP award<\/a>.<\/p>\n What are Shohei Ohtani\u2019s Odds to Win the Cy Young?<\/p>\n![\"Mar](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Dodgers-Shohei-Ohtani-Cy-Young-Candidate.jpg\")
Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) looks out at the scoreboard during a challenge of a ball\/strike call in the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesWhen Did Shohei Ohtani Return to the Mound?<\/p>\n
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