Shohei Ohtani returned to the mound in 2025 after not pitching in 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and suffering a torn labrum in his left shoulder. However, he is expected to begin the new campaign in the starting rotation once again, and pitching coach Mark Prior believes Ohtani is in for a big season for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In a guest appearance on “Dodgers Territory,” Prior claims that the 31-year-old two-way star will be his regular “full version” self in 2026. From the sounds of it, we could be in for a full season of Ohtani pitching on the mound for the first time since 2023.
“This year, yeah, the full version,” said Prior about Ohtani. “He's so flexible with what he does. His ability to when he can pitch, and how he goes about keeping himself sharp. So, it's gonna be fun to watch him.”
Mark Prior says a "full version" of Shohei Ohtani will be seen this year on the mound.
"It's going to be fun to watch him." pic.twitter.com/H5HS8Rc64a
— Dodgers Territory (@LADTerritory) February 6, 2026
Shohei Ohtani pitched 14 games for the Dodgers in the 2025 regular season. In those contests, the five-time All-Star owned a 2.87 ERA and 1.04 WHIP while recording 62 strikeouts and a 50.0% winning percentage. Those are solid numbers for any pitcher in the league.
As for his hitting totals, the eight-year veteran remained as efficient as ever. Despite dealing with injuries, Ohtani still managed to end the regular season with a .282 batting average and .392 WHIP, along with 172 hits, 55 home runs, and 102 RBIs. His efforts were good enough to name him the 2025 NL MVP, which was the fourth total MVP Award in his career.
The Dodgers star will pitch in spring training before participating in the World Baseball Classic. Shohei Ohtani does not plan to pitch for Team Japan and instead will solely play as the designated hitter.
