MLB Announces Shohei Ohtani Career-First Honor

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio G Losada | Last updated May 4, 2026 12:12 PM ET

The Los Angeles Dodgers have opened the 2026 MLB season with the fifth-best record entering play on Monday, thanks in big part to having one of the strongest pitching performances through the first 34 games of their season.

The Dodgers are allowing the fewest runs per game (3.3) while posting the third-best ERA (3.01) league-wide through Sunday.

Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow, Emmet Sheehan, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Justin Wrobleski have all pitched at least 28 innings each for the Dodgers.

Regarding Ohtani, his return to a full-time two-way role this season has been central to that early success, as he made five starts during March and April. The right-hander posted a 2–1 record with a 0.60 ERA across 30 innings, striking out 34 batters while issuing nine walks.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) during an MLB game.© John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

On Monday, Major League Baseball announced that Ohtani's performance through his first five starts was enough to earn him the National League Pitcher of the Month honors for March and April, marking the first time in his career he has received that award.

Ohtani led National League starters in ERA during that stretch among pitchers with at least 30 innings. Opponents hit .157 against him, the third-lowest mark in the league, while his 28.6 percent strikeout rate ranked sixth among qualified starters.

His early stretch also included a season-high 10 strikeouts against the New York Mets on April 15, marking the first time Ohtani reached double-digit strikeouts in a game since June 27, 2023.

José Soriano: 42.2 IP, 49 Ks, 0.84 ERA
Shohei Ohtani: 30 IP, 34 Ks, 0.60 ERA

Your AL and NL Pitchers of the Month for March/April! pic.twitter.com/tNExGInexk
— MLB (@MLB) May 4, 2026

Ohtani entered the season on a scoreless streak that extended to 32 2/3 innings before allowing a run in that Mets outing. His previous earned run came in the third inning of a start against the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 27 last year.

The award marks the first Pitcher of the Month honor for a Dodgers pitcher since Yoshinobu Yamamoto received the recognition last September.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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