Shohei Ohtani wants a Cy Young Award. That much is not a secret. The guy has already won three MVPs, hit 50 home runs in a season as a pitcher, and basically rewritten what anyone thought was possible in baseball. But a Cy Young? That one’s still missing.
And now, with his left knee acting up, the timing is getting tricky.
Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez weighed in on X this week, and he basically told everyone what the Dodgers are already thinking: slow down. Let the man rest. Don’t rush this.
“For Ohtani, it’s personal to go after a Cy Young Award, and he’s in a good position to win it,” Martinez wrote. “But he also needs to stay healthy and get enough rest, so I think the Dodgers are pacing him.”
That’s the kind of take that lands differently when it comes from a Hall of Fame pitcher who won three Cy Youngs himself. Martinez knows what it takes to get there. He also knows what happens when you push too hard.
The Dodgers Are Playing the Long Game
Ohtani is off the mound for now. Strictly a designated hitter. The team says he’ll throw off a mound in the next few days, but nobody is putting a date on when he actually returns to the rotation. And honestly, that might be smart.
Los Angeles is chasing a third straight World Series title. That’s the big picture. A Cy Young for Ohtani would be nice, but the Dodgers have bigger goals. They need him healthy in October, not just sharp in August.
According to multiple reports, the Dodgers are seriously considering a run at Tigers ace Tarik Skubal before the trade deadline. If that deal happens, it gives LA even more reason to take it slow with Ohtani. Why rush him back if Skubal can eat innings and anchor the rotation while Ohtani gets right?
What’s at Stake
Ohtani has never won a Cy Young. That feels weird to type, but it’s true. He’s finished fourth, second, and fourth in voting across his six seasons in MLB. The closest he came was 2022, when he lost to Justin Verlander.
This season he’s been good, not dominant. Seven wins, a 3.15 ERA, 98 strikeouts in 94 innings. Those are solid numbers. But the knee issue popped up at a bad time, and now the Dodgers are in a spot where they have to decide what matters more.
The smart money says they pick the threepeat. And honestly, Ohtani probably knows that too. He’s not the type to fight the team’s plan. But you can bet he wants that trophy. Every competitive pitcher does.
Martinez basically summed it up: let Ohtani chase the Cy Young, but let him do it on the Dodgers’ timeline. Because if he’s healthy in October, he might win both things at once.
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