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Shohei Ohtani's dominant start shakes up early NL Cy Young race

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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Shohei Ohtani's dominant start shakes up early NL Cy Young race

By Clark Dalton | Last updated May 28, 2026 1:18 PM ET

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Award voters should have no shortage of options when they cast their ballots for National League Cy Young later this season.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani pitched six innings in a 4-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night, allowing no hits and striking out seven batters. The sensational performance has him off to a historic start.

Shohei Ohtani is in elite company entering June

Entering Thursday, Ohtani has a 0.82 ERA in 55 innings pitched. Per ESPN Insights, his ERA is the ninth lowest entering June since the stat became official in the National and American Leagues in 1913 (min. 50 innings pitched).

Ohtani recording absurd numbers is nothing new for fans, but it's even more remarkable when considering that he's on pace to shatter his career best in ERA. The two-way star's best mark came with the Los Angeles Angels in 2022, when he posted a 2.33 ERA in 166 innings pitched.

Shohei Ohtani is heading into June with a 0.82 ERA

That’s the 9th-lowest ERA entering June since earned runs became official in both leagues in 1913 (min. 50 IP) pic.twitter.com/Sgbo3PZMKW
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) May 28, 2026

Does that make him a clear favorite to win NL Cy Young? Surprisingly, no. Ohtani faces elite competition in what may be the best early award race in baseball.

Shohei Ohtani's historic start only deepens NL Cy Young race

After Ohtani dismantled the Rockies, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan applauded the elite pitching in the NL, calling it "utterly ridiculous." That's a great way to describe it.

The best pitching in the NL this season has been utterly ridiculous:

Shohei Ohtani: 0.82 ERA, .447 OPS against

Cristopher Sánchez: 1.47 ERA, 44.2 IP scoreless streak

Jacob Misiorowski: 1.83 ERA, 100 K in 64 IP

Chris Sale: 1.89 ERA, 38% chase

Chase Burns: 1.96 ERA, 34% whiff
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 28, 2026

When these arms are overshadowing Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes — 2025 NL Cy Young winner — that's a testament to how outstanding the pitching has been. Skenes remains dominant, by the way. Entering Thursday, he's tied for the eighth-best starting record in baseball (6-4) and ranks 21st in ERA (3.00 in 60 innings pitched) and first in WHIP (0.82). However, he may not repeat as Cy Young.

As of Thursday, FanDuel Sportsbook gives Skenes the third-best odds to win it (+500) behind Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski (+300) and Philadelphia Phillies ace Cristopher Sanchez (+150). Sanchez pitched another gem in a 3-0 win over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night, extending his scoreless streak to 44.2 innings and breaking Pete Alexander's 115-year team record (41 innings).

Ohtani, who has +700 NL Cy Young odds, may have the lowest ERA of the crop, but the fact that he also hits may hurt his chances of winning the award. The dual responsibilities cap the number of innings he can pitch.

Ohtani has never pitched more than 166 innings in a season. Skenes threw 187.2 in 2025. That said, if he keeps posting historic numbers, that would give voters something to consider in what's shaping up to be one of the tightest award races in baseball.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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