The Los Angeles Dodgers will get their first taste of their expensive two-way star on Monday night against the San Diego Padres. Shohei Ohtani has redefined what’s possible in Major League Baseball, becoming the sport’s first true two-way superstar of the modern designated hitter era. Since debuting with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018, Ohtani’s pitching career has been a study in both dominance and resilience.
Ohtani’s initial foray onto the mound came in his rookie season, where he immediately showed promise. Over 10 starts, he posted a 4–2 record with a 3.31 ERA, striking out 63 batters in 51.2 innings. Unfortunately, his rise was quickly interrupted—he missed the entire 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. In 2020, his return to the mound was brief and shaky, limited to just 1.2 innings over two starts as he worked his way back from injury.
Shohei Ohtani Makes Dodgers Pitching Debut
It wasn’t until 2021 that Ohtani resumed full-time pitching duties—and he did so with authority. Over the next three seasons, he made at least 23 starts each year and surpassed 130 innings annually, establishing himself as one of the most electric pitchers in the game. His 2022 campaign was particularly exceptional: 15 wins, 219 strikeouts, and a 2.33 ERA across 166 innings earned him a fourth-place finish in American League Cy Young voting.
In total, Ohtani has made 86 starts in his MLB career, compiling a 38–19 record with a 3.01 ERA. He’s struck out 608 batters in 481.2 innings, while walking 173. His career WHIP of 1.08 and a cumulative WAR of 15.0 show his consistent effectiveness and impact on the mound.
Shohei Ohtani’s Pitching Stats
Here’s a year-by-year breakdown of Ohtani’s pitching stats, all with the Angels:
| Year | W | L | ERA | G | IP | SO | BB | WHIP | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 4 | 2 | 3.31 | 10 | 51.2 | 63 | 22 | 1.16 | 1.3 |
| 2020 | 0 | 1 | 37.80 | 2 | 1.2 | 3 | 8 | 6.60 | -0.4 |
| 2021 | 9 | 2 | 3.18 | 23 | 130.1 | 156 | 44 | 1.09 | 4.1 |
| 2022 | 15 | 9 | 2.33 | 28 | 166.0 | 219 | 44 | 1.01 | 6.2 |
| 2023 | 10 | 5 | 3.14 | 23 | 132.0 | 167 | 55 | 1.06 | 3.9 |
| Total | 38 | 19 | 3.01 | 86 | 481.2 | 608 | 173 | 1.08 | 15.0 |
Ohtani’s journey to the mound has been anything but linear, but the numbers prove what fans already know: when healthy, he’s one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball.