Shohei Ohtani is done pitching for the 2026 season. That’s the cold, hard truth coming out of Dodger-land, and it pretty much slams the door shut on his shot at a fourth straight MVP award. It feels wild to even type that out, but Ohtani himself just dropped the news, and it changes everything for the National League MVP race.
Ohtani’s Pitching Plan: Focus on Hitting, Period.
We’ve all been wondering when we’d see Ohtani back on the mound, but now we have our answer, straight from the man himself. Through his interpreter, Will Ireton, Ohtani told reporters, “Most likely, no. I’m going to be focusing on hitting moving forward.” Yep, you read that right. Seven words that put an end to all the speculation. This guy was easily the MVP favorite back in July, but that left knee soreness sidelined his pitching work and threw a huge wrench into his two-way dominance. Now, with this announcement, it looks like the Dodgers are prioritizing his health at the plate as they gear up for a serious run. You can bet they want him as healthy as possible to contribute to that third-straight World Series title chase, not pushing it on the mound.
Pete Crow-Armstrong Is Running Away With This Thing
So, why does Ohtani’s pitching news basically end his MVP hopes? Because Pete Crow-Armstrong has been absolutely tearing it up, and he’s got a commanding lead now. This dude is putting together an insane season. We’re talking over 40 homers already, and he’s closing in on 40 stolen bases, which is just ridiculous power-speed combo stuff. Plus, he’s playing some of the best center field in all of baseball. Think about that for a second: 40/40 threat and a Gold Glove caliber defender. To even think about catching Crow-Armstrong in the NL MVP race this summer, Ohtani would’ve absolutely needed to get back on the mound and show off that two-way magic. With that off the table, the path just isn’t there anymore.
What This Means for the MVP Race
The writing is on the wall, friends. Ohtani could, in theory, still return to the mound before the season ends, but it’s incredibly unlikely. Combine that with his offensive numbers slumping a bit lately, and then factor in Crow-Armstrong’s monster August and powerful start to September, and this MVP race is pretty much sealed up. It’s a bummer for anyone who loves watching Ohtani do it all, but the focus for the Dodgers is clearly on getting him ready to smash dingers and help them in their quest for another championship. It’s gonna be interesting to see how the Dodgers close out the regular season and what Ohtani can do at the plate as they push for that third ring.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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