Shohei Ohtani for Cy Young? Why it's a long shot for Dodgers superstar in 2026
CBS Sports
by
Matt Snyder
February 14, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers' two-way superstar, has already accumulated an impressive array of baseball honors, including four MVP awards and multiple World Series titles. However, one major accolade remains elusive: the Cy Young Award. While Ohtani expressed hope for a strong 2026 season during spring training, he emphasized focusing on staying healthy rather than chasing the award. His comments reflect a realistic approach given his recent elbow injury recovery, which limited him to just 47 regular-season innings last year.
Ohtani's path to winning the Cy Young is complicated by the Dodgers' cautious handling of his workload. In 2025, he pitched only 67⅓ innings due to injury recovery, far below the 150-180 innings typically required for Cy Young consideration. Even if he were to reach 150 innings in 2026, experts doubt he would surpass his own performance from 2022, when he logged 166 innings with a stellar 2.33 ERA and 219 strikeouts. Comparing Ohtani's potential numbers to those of other Cy Young contenders like Paul Skenes, who posted impressive stats in 2025, it seems unlikely Ohtani would edge out the competition this year.
The article highlights the challenges of balancing Ohtani's dual roles as a pitcher and designated hitter while managing his innings. While his unique skill set might earn him "bonus points" with voters, the Cy Young award tends to favor pitchers who consistently log high inning totals and demonstrate dominance over the course of the season. Given these factors, Ohtani's focus on health and gradual workload increase makes sense for both himself and the Dodgers' long-term success.
Ultimately, while Ohtani remains a sports phenomenon with an unparalleled career, winning the Cy Young in 2026 seems like a long shot. His journey reflects the delicate balance of talent, injury prevention, and strategic planning required to maintain peak performance at the highest level of baseball. For fans and analysts alike, tracking Ohtani's progress this season
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Originally published on CBS Sports on 2/14/2026