Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, Tarik Skubal Pairing Makes Wild MLB History

As the Los Angeles Dodgers finalize a trade with the Detroit Tigers to acquire pitcher Tarik Skubal, they are not merely looking to establish themselves as favorites to win the World Series.

They're closing in on history.

The Dodgers are set to become the first MLB team ever to employ a player who won MVP each of the previous two seasons (Shohei Ohtani) and a player who won the Cy Young each of the previous two seasons (Skubal).

For the first time in MLB history, a player who won MVP each of the previous 2 seasons (Shohei Ohtani) and a player who won the Cy Young each of the previous 2 seasons (Tarik Skubal) will play together on the same team. pic.twitter.com/IfYGkJDKS2
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) August 2, 2026

It took a special confluence of circumstances to make this fun hypothetical a fun fact for Dodgers fans — and a scary proposition for 29 other teams.

Ohtani won the National League MVP Award in each of his first two seasons with the Dodgers, in 2024 and 2025. He still has a chance to win a third in 2026, with two months remaining in the regular season.

Skubal, 29, led the American League in ERA in 2024 and 2025 en route to winning the award for the league's best pitcher. In 2024, he won the AL "Triple Crown," pacing the league in wins (18), ERA (2.39) and strikeouts (228).

Ohtani was a unanimous selections for the MVP award each year. Skubal was a unanimous winner in 2024, and only four first-place votes for Garrett Crochet in the AL Cy Young Award race last year separated him from a clean sweep.

Now, Skubal goes from Detroit to Los Angeles at a time when the Dodgers might need a replacement for Ohtani in their starting rotation.

Ohtani hasn't pitched since July 3. He's continued to serve as the team's designated hitter, giving him a shot at a third consecutive MVP award. But the trade for Skubal only raises the possibility that the Dodgers needed another top-of-the-rotation ace to pair with Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Enter Skubal, who was 7-5 with a 2.79 ERA after making his final start for the Tigers earlier this week. He was limited to 16 starts by an elbow injury that required the removal of a loose body.

If anything, the Dodgers might take solace in the idea that Skubal's time off the mound might put him in better position to lead the team deep into October than Ohtani.

The Dodgers have Ohtani under contract for seven more years. Skubal, a free agent after this season, takes the pressure off Ohtani (more specifically, his knee and biceps) to return to pitching sooner than his body allows.

He also gives the Dodgers another claim at baseball history.

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