Shohei Ohtani ‘Frustrated’ By Difficult 2026 Season

By nearly all standards, Shohei Ohtani had another excellent season for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The only issue is that Ohtani has set his standard to a new level never seen by any other player.

Ohtani dealt with injuries to his left knee and right biceps throughout the year and was never able to fully recover, even after time off during the All-Star break and an eventual stint on the 15-day injured list.

It limited the two-way superstar to just 14 pitching starts with 85.2 innings thrown and 139 games as the Dodgers’ designated hitter after appearing in at least 158 games in each of the previous two years.

“Honestly, I thought it was a very frustrating season, to be quite honest,” Ohtani said through interpreter Matt Hidaka on MLB Network.

“Obviously, we did not do that well in the playoffs. Personally, like I said, I was a little bit frustrated with my performance throughout the season. So in a nutshell, it wasn’t a great season personally for me.”

The Dodgers were swept in the National League Championship Series by the Milwaukee Brewers, and Ohtani’s issues at the plate played a big part in that. He was nearly benched before Game 4 and felt “exposed” by Brewers pitching.

Ohtani’s season was essentially split into two parts, separated by his injuries and their regression as the season went on. In the first half of the year, he was pitching at a Cy Young caliber level while hitting .293/.403/.549 with a 157 wRC+. In the second half, his hitting dropped to .245/.325/.447 with a 106 wRC+ while not pitching.

Ohtani now has a full offseason to recover — and potentially longer due to the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations that threaten to delay the season or even force the cancellation of some games.

The good news is Ohtani will not need to undergo surgery, and the expectation is he should be fully recovered by the time Spring Training begins, whenever that may be.

The Dodgers will need to adjust their plans as they attempt to keep Ohtani’s health in a better place during the 2027 season and beyond, and that comes with their plans to resume his two-way role.

Shohei Ohtani saw award streaks end

Ohtani had multiple streaks snapped by failing to win the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award, Hank Aaron Award, or Most Valuable Player honor for the 2026 season.

Ohtani had won the Hank Aaron Award three years in a row, which dated back to his final season with the Los Angeles Angels. He also won the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award every season since 2021.

Ohtani’s streak of MVP wins was snapped at three years. It was part of a stretch in which Ohtani won the MVP in four of five seasons, dating back to 2021. He still managed to finish in the top two each year, including 2026.