Dodgers' Dave Roberts Believes Shohei Ohtani's Goal in 2026 is 'Absurd'

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani made his debut on the mound against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday, and he didn't disappoint. Ohtani threw six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out six batters.

Shohei Ohtani is through six shutout innings on Tuesday night in his 2026 pitching debut for the Dodgers:

6 IP
1 H
0 ER
3 BB
6 K

He said he wanted a Cy Young season. He couldn’t have asked for a better start.
pic.twitter.com/ZL2YO0fLX3
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) April 1, 2026

His season on the mound is off to an excellent start, and this is exactly what the star envisioned heading into the season. Before the year started, Ohtani said that his goal was to go after the Cy Young award in the National League, which is a tough quest for anyone, especially a full-time designated hitter.

The Dodgers have been very supportive of the goals that Ohtani has placed on himself, and he is now fully back with no restrictions on the mound. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts discussed this goal from his two-way star, calling it "absurd" — but also believing in Ohtani to get it done.

“It does seem absurd, but I think if anyone can manage the designated hitter role and be as productive as he’s been and still chase that elusive Cy Young for a Japanese pitcher, I think that he can do it,” Roberts said.

Ohtani has never ceased to amaze anyone during his MLB career so far, doing things that most thought were impossible. If he were to go after the Cy Young award this season, nobody would be surprised, but just amazed at the generational talent that he is.

For Ohtani, health will be the key in his journey to capture the Cy Young award — and Roberts knows that.

“No. 1 is obviously health and if he’s healthy and making his starts – however many there will be – then I think it’s feasible,” Roberts said. “I do think that we’ve got some pitchers in our rotation that are going to be a part of that conversation all year long. But I think it’s attainable for him for sure.”

If the ace can stay on the field and perform up to par, the award could be his. Ohtani has been outstanding as a pitcher for the Dodgers in his limited time.

Last season, Ohtani returned to the mound following his second Tommy John surgery, and he was excellent for Los Angeles. Overall, Ohtani made 14 regular season starts, putting up an ERA of 2.87 over 47 innings of work. He then made four postseason starts, allowing 10 runs over 20.1 innings with 28 strikeouts.

Only time will tell whether Ohtani can capture the Cy Young, but team accomplishments are the ultimate goal. And for Ohtani, winning another World Series title trumps anything individual on the field.

“For him, first and foremost he’s shown that he’s team-driven," Roberts said. "But also there’s some individual things that he certainly wants to achieve, which is a good thing."

Ohtani has already won four MVP awards, four Silver Sluggers, two World Series and a NLCS MVP award. A Cy Young award would seem to complete an overflowing trophy cabinet.