Shohei Ohtani Accomplishing Dodgers Feat Not Seen Since Fernando Valenzuela

The Los Angeles Dodgers have featured some of the best pitchers in baseball throughout the history of the franchise.

From Sandy Koufax to Clayton Kershaw, there has been no shortage of talent on the mound for the Dodgers. One particular pitcher who is revered for his performance on the hill but also his influence off the field is Fernando Valenzuela.

Valenzuela, dubbed "El Toro", became a key catalyst for the Latino portion of the Dodgers fanbase. Prior to the left-hander's emergence as a star in LA, there was a disconnection between the organization and its Latino fans because of the Chavez Ravine evictions.

It wasn't until Valenzuela emerged as a bona fide superstar in 1981 for the Dodgers that Latino fans returned to Dodger Stadium to witness the southpaw in action. This became known as "Fernandomania," when a rookie Valenzuela captured the hearts of Latino fans after an 8-0 start to the season at just 20 years old.

Valenzuela was simply electric throughout the 1981 season, winning both the National League Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards. The lefty also helped lead the Dodgers to a World Series title as the team saw ticket sales increase throughout the year and Spanish broadcast ratings boom.

Flash forward to 2026 where Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani is the team's next global phenomenon.

The right-hander is coming off an incredible start where he tossed seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts while allowing four hits against the San Francisco Giants. Ohtani has produced a sub-1.00 ERA for the entire 2026 season thus far, as his latest start on Wednesday lowered his mark to a microscopic 0.82 ERA.

It is the second-lowest ERA by a Dodgers pitcher in his first seven starts of a season since earned runs became official in the NL in 1912. Ohtani's historic start to the season ranks behind only Valenzuela's 0.29 ERA in 1981 in Dodgers franchise history.

Shohei Ohtani has a 0.82 ERA

That’s the second-lowest by a Dodgers pitcher in his first seven starts of a season since ER official in the NL (1912), behind only:

1981 Fernando Valenzuela: 0.29 https://t.co/FfZ10rjUU1
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) May 14, 2026

Like Valenzuela, Ohtani has become quite the Dodgers legend early in his tenure with the organization. Since signing a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers ahead of the 2024 season, Ohtani has earned back-to-back World Series titles and MVP awards.

In 2026, Ohtani appears fixated on winning a Cy Young in his first full season as a two-way star in LA. That has come at a slight cost as his offensive production hasn't been the same.

Ohtani is hitting .258 with an OPS of .839 through 46 games this season.

The raging discourse surrounding Ohtani's pitching workload has been prompted in light of his offensive slump.

“It’s interesting because last year, there was a lot of conversations that he shouldn’t pitch and just be a hitter,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Now, it’s kind of flipped on its head. I can’t imagine what goes through his mind, but I do feel clarity on how we’re managing him. There’s no one way to go about it. You’re just trying to be fluid, and react and respond to how he’s feeling.”

It remains to be seen what's the best decision for Ohtani moving forward, but it's evident the right-hander wants the Cy Young — and right now, he's firmly in the mix.

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