Why Dave Roberts Expects Shohei Ohtani To Be 'in The Cy Young Conversation'

PHOENIX — Dodgers head Dave Roberts expects a batch from Shohei Ohtani this season. But moreover pinch those precocious expectations, a taxable of speech Friday arsenic pitchers and catchers went done their first charismatic workouts astatine Camelback Ranch, nan superstar two-way subordinate already recovered a measurement to transcend them.

“I came into campy astatine nan opening of February,” Ohtani said done expert Will Ireton pursuing a bullpen session. “This is my 3rd bullpen pinch beautiful bully intensity. … I’m not really judge really I’ll beryllium capable to believe successful nan WBC setting, truthful I’m going to effort to ramp up arsenic overmuch arsenic I tin to a constituent wherever I’m throwing a unrecorded BP, which should beryllium adjacent week.”

The 2026 play will beryllium Ohtani’s 3rd twelvemonth pinch nan Dodgers, and his first pitching without restrictions. Fully recovered from his 2nd Tommy John surgery, Ohtani was capable to bask a regular, albeit short, offseason. With Ohtani successful afloat bloom, Roberts has moreover higher hopes for nan four-time MVP successful nan coming season.

“I deliberation there’s surely a batch much successful there, and sloppy of my expectations for him, his are going to transcend those,” Roberts said Friday. “I deliberation it’s adjacent to say, he expects to beryllium successful nan Cy Young conversation, but we conscionable want to beryllium patient and make starts and each nan numbers and statistic will return attraction of themselves, but man, this feline is specified a disciplined worker, and expects nan astir from himself.”

Ohtani’s highest placement successful Cy Young Award voting came successful 2022, when, still a personnel of nan Angels, he vanished 4th aft logging 15 wins, a 2.33 ERA and a 1.012 WHIP crossed 166 innings pitched. Ohtani suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament nan pursuing season, requiring Tommy John surgery.

“If nan extremity consequence is getting a Cy Young, that’s great,” Ohtani said. “Getting a Cy Young intends being capable to propulsion much innings and transportation passim nan full season, truthful if that’s nan extremity result, that’s a bully motion for me. I’m conscionable focused connected being patient nan full year.”

Ohtani appeared successful 14 games past season, logging 47 innings pitched. Roberts liked what he saw successful nan mini sample size.

“I deliberation nan point that was astir astonishing from past twelvemonth was his command,” Roberts said. “And I’ll opportunity that he still feels his bid wasn’t up to par, but fixed nan Tommy John and what typically bid looks for illustration nan twelvemonth after, it was supra that. So, I deliberation that was impressive. Just his expertise to bid nan mates different breaking balls, to alteration nan style of his breaking balls was beautiful impressive, and everything he does is pinch a purpose. So, I’m really excited to spot pinch nan afloat offseason and to conscionable hole and not rehab, what he tin do this year.”

Physically, Roberts believes Ohtani is successful nan correct spot entering nan ninth twelvemonth of his career.

“I deliberation he conscionable looks strong,” Roberts said. “He looks strong, but there’s not excessively overmuch mass. Just watching him throw, watching him run, his body’s moving well. I deliberation he’s successful a saccharine spot. Just watching him, nan musculus mass, it conscionable seems that he’s successful a saccharine spot.”

Ohtani and Roberts said that they don’t yet cognize erstwhile Ohtani and immoderate of his teammates will beryllium departing for nan World Baseball Classic, but Ohtani will proceed to ramp up successful nan clip starring up to adjacent month’s event. Last period astatine DodgerFest, Roberts announced Ohtani will not transportation successful nan WBC successful bid to attraction connected pitching successful nan regular season.

“As overmuch arsenic group deliberation that he’s not human, he’s still a quality being who’s had 2 surgeries,” Roberts said Friday. “He’s sewage a agelong profession up of him.”

Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws unrecorded BP

Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw a unrecorded batting believe Friday arsenic nan World Series MVP took nan mound for nan first clip since he recorded nan last retired of past year’s Fall Classic. Yamamoto threw 20 pitches to a brace of his teammates, pinch right-handed hitting catcher Will Smith and left-handed hitting infielder Hyeseong Kim alternated at-bats.

Kim turned connected a brace of fastballs from Yamamoto, ripping a brace of guidelines hits into correct field.

A small complete an hr earlier Yamamoto pitched, Roberts was asked by reporters astir Yamamoto’s durability, coming disconnected a postseason wherever nan 27-year-old totaled 526 pitches, capped disconnected by a Herculean effort successful Game 7 that powered nan Dodgers to their 2nd consecutive World Series championship.

“I conscionable judge that he knows his limitations and he’s prepared, truthful I’m not excessively concerned astir it,” Roberts said.

Yamamoto wasn’t nan only pitcher to spot immoderate tally connected nan Dodgers’ first time of camp. Among those to propulsion a bullpen convention Friday: seasoned Tyler Glasnow, promising sophomore Roki Sasaki, playoff leader Will Klein, newcomer Edwin Díaz, and Ohtani.

Staff writer Anthony Solorzano contributed to this report.