Shohei Ohtani: 11 strikeouts yesterday

Last night, for the second time during spring training, Shohei Ohtani took the mound.

Obviously, the goal was to see him pitch a bit more, in an ideal world. But his participation in the World Baseball Classic as a hitter only changed the game.

He obviously practiced pitching anyway during the Japanese team's workouts, so he wouldn't fall too far behind the others. And yesterday, his efforts paid off.

After four innings of work at Dodger Stadium against the Angels, the pitcher struck out no fewer than 11 batters. He was truly dominant against his former team.

Shohei Ohtani has ELEVEN strikeouts through four innings.

(Via: @SportsNetLA) pic.twitter.com/jOp5zW5stI

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 25, 2026

He also recorded a hit as a batter… but he gave up three runs in the fifth inning. The game ended 3-0 in favor of the Angels.

So he was still charged with the loss. But the important thing in spring training is to make progress, which he did yesterday.

Expectations are high for Ohtani, who will need to dominate in 2026, once again. He'll theoretically spend the entire season as a pitcher, unlike last year… and the Dodgers need him to.

Roki Sasaki's struggles and Blake Snell's injury mean there's more uncertainty in the rotation than before. Ohtani is therefore becoming a necessary pillar for the team.

We know he's capable of delivering.

The Dodgers are the favorites to win the World Series, and Ohtani is a guy who collects MVP titles. And once again, his team will need him in 2026, his third year in blue.

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