Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Just Reminded MLB Why He's the Best

The Los Angeles Dodgers are certainly fortunate to have Shohei Ohtani with the organization.

That's an understatement, but it is something that needs to be said every time he does something special. Frankly, that does end up being a lot. There isn't a guy out there in big league history who has been able to do what Ohtani is doing for the Dodgers. Sure, Babe Ruth was an ace early in his career and then became one of the most prolific sluggers in the history of the game. But no one has had the success that Ohtani has had as a pitcher and as a hitter at the same time.

Wednesday was a perfect example of this. The 31-year-old got the ball for his eighth start of the season. On top of that, he was the lead-off hitter for the Dodgers on the road. He gave himself some insurance early on as well. On the very first pitch of the game, Ohtani smacked his eighth homer of the season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers Star Had Another Big Night

May 20, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) delivers during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Shohei Ohtani hits the first pitch of the game out of the park ☄️ pic.twitter.com/opPe7iogy4
— MLB (@MLB) May 21, 2026

Overall, Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a homer, one walk, and two runs scored. That would be enough to call it a good day. But it's not even close to all. Ohtani pitched five shutout innings against one of the best teams in baseball in the San Diego Padres and allowed just three base hits. In the process, Ohtani lowered his ridiculous season ERA down to 0.73. Now, he's 4-2 on the season with a 0.73 ERA and a 54-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 49 innings pitched.

If he keeps pitching like this, we're talking about a potential National League Cy Young award in his future. He's an obvious option for the National League Most Valuable Player award but he doesn't have a Cy Young under his belt yet. But this could be the year.

The Dodgers are lucky to have him and baseball in general is fortunate. Eventually, Ohtani is going to be the guy you tell your kids and grandkids about when you talk about Major League Baseball.

He's going to be the guy that people will look back on and remember as one of the greats, like Ruth or Hank Aaron or Willie Mays, or Sandy Koufax, or the many other legends of the game. Ohtani is already a legend in his own right and yet he continues to find more and more ways to impress.

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