Shohei Ohtani’s Dominance Now Reaching Prime Jacob deGrom Levels

When it comes to Shohei Ohtani, it doesn't matter which team you root for, you should be paying attention and tuning in as often as possible.

The Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar is a unicorn and very well may be the most talented player in Major League Baseball history. Ohtani has dealt with an uncharacteristic slump to kick off the 2026 season offensively. Right now, he's slashing .240/.370/.427 with a .796 OPS, seven homers, 17 RBIs and 28 walks in 39 games. That's solid, but not up to his standards. While this is the case, it doesn't hurt that he's pitching like prime Jacob deGrom right now.

That's not an exaggeration by any means as well. After yet another scoreless outing on Wednesday night, Ohtani now has a league-leading 0.82 ERA through seven starts and 44 innings of work. He's the first pitcher since deGrom in 2021 with a Sub-0.85 ERA and 50 or more strikeouts in their first seven outings of a season, per MLB's Sarah Langs.

The Dodgers Superstar Is On Another Planet

May 13, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) delivers in the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

"Sub-0.85 ERA & 50+ strikeouts in first seven outings of season, since ER official in AL+NL (1913): 2026 Shohei Ohtani, 2021 Jacob deGrom, 2009 Johan Santana, 2009 Zack Greinke, 1981 Fernando Valenzuela, 1914 Dutch Leonard," Langs wrote.

MLB analyst Ben Verlander pointed out that Ohtani's 0.82 ERA is the lowest by any starter through seven starts in general, since deGrom had a 0.80 ERA in 2021 in his first seven starts.

Overall, Ohtani has made seven starts and has a 3-2 record, 0.82 ERA, and a 50-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 44 innings of work. In 2021, deGrom had a 3-2 record, 0.80 ERA, and a 74-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 45 innings of work across his first seven starts. Unfortunately, he made just 15 starts that season or else he would've won the Cy Young Award.

Of the guys who recorded a sub-0.50 ERA and 50 or more strikeouts in their first seven starts of a season, Greinke and Valenzuela both won the Cy Young Award the year they were able to reach this threshold. The award didn't exist when Leonard reached the mark, but he did lead the league with a 0.96 ERA that year, but finished 16th in the league's MVP voting despite racking up 9.7 wins above replacement. Old school stats are wild.

Regardless, what Ohtani is doing right now is special and fans should know about it.

Add us as a preferred source on Google