Dave Roberts: Shohei Ohtani’s 2025 Season Has Been Better Than First NL MVP Year

Shohei Ohtani has set a number of new team and league records since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, and he added another last Tuesday with his 50th home run of the year.

Combined with the 54 he hit over the fence last season, Ohtani became the first player in Dodgers franchise history to slug 50 or more homers in consecutive seasons.

He also became the seventh player in MLB history with back-to-back 50-homer seasons, placing Ohtani in elite company.

While 2024 was historic in its own right, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said there is a different feel to what Ohtani has been able to accomplish this season.

“Last year was extraordinary because it was new, it was the first year with us, the 50-50 club,” Roberts said. “This year is certainly different, because it’s something he’s always dreamt about as far as being a pitcher in the big leagues and hitting in the big leagues.

“So he’s going to get a chance to realize his dream of pitching in the postseason and do both, so that’s different. Also, I think he’s just much more comfortable around the guys and everyone. Versus last year, it was still kind of a feeling-out process.”

Entering this season, there was plenty of speculation about how Ohtani would be affected by his added workload as a pitcher. But he has managed to emphatically put those worries to bed in his return to the mound.

Despite being unable to replicate establishing the 50-50 club, Roberts said Ohtani has been better in 2025 when looking at the season as a whole.

“I think if you can go back to February or March, we talked about he’s going to have less stolen bases because of just trying to manage the legs. And we’ve seen that,” he said.

“But in totality, this is a better year when you bake in the less stolen bases but you’re taking on the pitching. And he’s still close to 50 homers. So I think in totality, it’s a better season.

“It’s just not new. But the drop-off, I don’t know his OPS, but where he’s at right now and where I expect him to finish off, I don’t think there’s been a drop off at all, to be quite frank with you.”

To Roberts’ point, on a night where Ohtani hit his 50th home run of the season, he also contributed five no-hit innings on the mound with five strikeouts and one walk before he was taken out of the game.

If Ohtani can maintain his 1.015 on-base plus slugging percentage, it would mark three straight seasons with a mark above 1.000.

Shohei Ohtani’s innings limit might change in playoffs

Ohtani only required 68 pitches to get through his five no-hit innings against the Philadelphia Phillies. He seemingly could have pitched another inning or two under normal circumstances, but the Dodgers did not want to stray from their plan.

Although Ohtani has been limited to five innings as a pitcher in the regular season, he could potentially be extended during the playoffs.