Shohei Ohtani’s 2026 season had the kind of arc only he can produce: electric at the start, frustrating at the finish, and still impossible to ignore.
The Dodgers star opened the year looking like he was trying to author the greatest regular-season run in history. He was back on a once-a-week pitching schedule while serving as the designated hitter every day, and for two months, the numbers backed up the hype. Over his first 55 innings, Ohtani gave up just five runs, made nine starts, and piled up 61 strikeouts against 17 walks.
The bat was rolling too. In that same opening stretch, he launched 10 home runs and drove in 31 runs, giving the Dodgers the kind of two-way impact that makes him unlike anyone else in the sport.
Then the season began to lose its edge. The power dried up, the swings got rougher, and he didn’t pitch again after July. What had looked like a historic push settled into a disappointing finish.
Even so, Ohtani still found one more jolt when his team needed it most. With his back against the wall, he crushed an electric three-run homer in Game 4 to put the Dodgers in front. It didn’t save the outcome, but it was another reminder of how overwhelming he can be when everything clicks.
The larger questions now sit ahead of him: how sustainable his two-way workload really is, and whether surgery will be part of the conversation.
After the Dodgers’ failed three-peat bid and an NLCS sweep, Ohtani still made sure to send a message to fans on Instagram.
“Thank you,” Ohtani’s post read.
The post also included a still shot of Decoy, Ohtani’s dog. The season didn’t end the way the Dodgers wanted, but Ohtani still gave the baseball world plenty to watch along the way. Now, he gets time to recover.
In Other News...
Dodgers Fans Will Have Strong Feelings About This Massive Trade Idea
Jim Bowdens latest trade proposal is the kind of idea that gets Dodgers fans talking for all the right and wrong reasons. In his scenario, Los Angeles would send prized prospect Josue De Paula and additional pieces to Washington in exchange for outfielder James Wood and shortstop CJ Abrams, a swap built around two young Nationals stars who both earned All-Star nods last season and still come with multiple years of team control.
It is easy to see why the concept has some appeal on paper, especially with Los Angeles always looking for ways to strengthen a roster already built to contend. But it also feels like the sort of package the Dodgers would be reluctant to part with, and the articles larger point is hard to miss: even if the Nationals would be getting a significant return, this is the kind of blockbuster idea that seems more useful as debate material than as a realistic path for either side. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Could Lose Another Familiar Front Office Voice Soon
The Mariners search for a new manager has taken them well beyond their own dugout, and it could soon reach into the Dodgers front office. Seattle is casting a wide net after Dan Wilsons departure, with former big-league skipper Rocco Baldelli among the names drawing interest while he serves as a special assistant in Los Angeles. Baldellis background makes him a natural fit for a club looking for a manager with experience, especially after spending several seasons running the Twins.
Joe Espada has already interviewed for the opening, and the Mariners had previously looked into Carlos Mendoza before he landed with the Phillies. For the Dodgers, the larger issue is familiar: Baldelli has already been linked to other managerial vacancies since arriving in Los Angeles in 2025, and another successful search elsewhere would only add to the list of voices the organization could lose from its staff. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Will Have Mixed Feelings About This World Series
Even with the World Series now featuring teams far from Chavez Ravine, there is still a familiar Dodgers thread running through it. Jonny DeLuca is with the Rays, Dustin May is on the Brewers, and former Dodgers such as Ryan Pepiot, Gavin Lux and Michael Grove are part of the wider picture too, which means this matchup carries a little extra intrigue for fans who have watched so many of those names come through Los Angeles.
For Dodgers supporters, it is the kind of postseason that can prompt a split reaction. There is obvious pride in seeing former players in the Fall Classic and the possibility that some of them could end up with championship rings, but there is also the strange reality of tracking ex-Dodgers on clubs that stand between Los Angeles and another title run. Mays season with Milwaukee has been uneven across the regular season and into October, adding another layer to a World Series that already feels unusually tied to the Dodgers recent past. [Read more 🡒]