Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has already checked off many boxes in his quest to become an all-time great, but there is still one major accomplishment he has yet to attain. Now more than two years removed from his second significant elbow surgery, and more than a year removed from shoulder surgery, the four-time MVP could be poised to contend for his first career Cy Young Award. Though, his window will extend beyond the 2026 season.
Actually, if all goes as both he and the organization plan, Ohtani will have several more cracks at MLB's top-pitching prize. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman revealed the long-term expectations for the two-time World Series champion.
“The idea {is} that he wants to pitch for the next 8 years, we want him to pitch for the next 8 years,” the lauded exec told reporters at the team's spring training facility in Arizona, per SportsNet La. “Just trying to be really mindful of all that.”
“The idea that [Ohtani] wants to pitch for the next 8 years, we want him to pitch for the next 8 years.” – Andrew Friedman on having Shohei ready for a deep October run. pic.twitter.com/sWiZV2jFTt
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) February 17, 2026
Will Dodgers fully unleash Shohei Ohtani the pitcher?
Banking on Ohtani to pitch through the remainder of his record-breaking contract seems overly ambitious, but until the Dodgers have a firm reason to keep the 31-year-old off the bump, they will continue to trust him. Despite posting a 7.56 ERA across two World Series starts, he still pitched well overall in 2025.
Shohei Ohtani recorded a 2.87 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 47 innings during the regular season. He then notched a quality start in the National League Division Series versus the Philadelphia Phillies and blanked the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Championship Series, allowing three runs and totaling 19 Ks across those two playoff outings.
While it remains to be seen how much his workload will increase, the left-handed slugger and right-handed hurler clearly intends to showcase more of his two-way superpowers this year. Ohtani finished fourth in the American League Cy Young race in 2022. Can he win it in 2026? Doing so would send the sports world into a complete frenzy, but both No. 17 and the Dodgers are primarily focused on completing the three-peat and growing their empire.
An eight-year pitching timeline could help both player and franchise achieve enough greatness to make the baseball-watching public numb.
