Shohei Ohtani's 2025 postseason as a pitcher has been full of ups and downs. While there have been some incredible highs, the Los Angeles Dodgers star has also faced some struggles on the mound. Game 4 of the World Series, in particular, was a rough outing for Ohtani the pitcher.
After giving up four runs to the Toronto Blue Jays, fans were wondering if the Dodgers would still call up Ohtani's name to start in the World Series. As it turns out, Ohtani has already made his last start this postseason, per Aiden Gonzales' report. That isn't a guarantee that Ohtani the pitcher won't make an appearance, though.
“Ohtani's first postseason as a starting pitcher is officially over now, ending with a 2-1 record, a 3.50 ERA and 25 strikeouts against five walks in 18 innings,” Gonzales wrote for ESPN. “If he pitches again, it would be out of the bullpen in Game 6 or a potential Game 7, something he told Japanese reporters he was willing to do.”
Ohtani perhaps had the greatest single-game postseason performance in the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Dodgers star was on fire, striking out ten batters without allowing a single run. He supplemented that performance with three home runs in three at-bats, eliminating Milwaukee and sending Los Angeles back to the World Series.
His two other starts have not been inspiring, though. Against the Phillies in the NLDS, Ohtani struck out nine hitters but allowed three runs to score. The Dodgers were still able to clean up behind Ohtani, winning 5-3 in Game 1. In the World Series, though, the Japanese star looked mortal. The Blue Jays scored four runs on six hits off Ohtani, including a two-run blast courtesy of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Ohtani struck out only six batters in the process.
As Gonzales wrote, the door isn't closed for Ohtani to still make an appearance on the mound. If Yoshinobu Yamamoto can start warming up to pitch one game after pitching a complete game, Ohtani can do that on a few days' rest. There's already precedent for the Dodgers star coming in as a reliever, too. In the last World Baseball Classic, Ohtani came in to close for Team Japan against Team USA in the finals.
Will Ohtani go that far? Roki Sasaki has been a reliable closer so far for the Dodgers. Still, having one of the best arms in the MLB available to pitch for you in a pinch is still a great tool to have in your back pocket.
