From 50/50 to Cy Young? Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani on a mission - ESPN

Editor's note: This story originally published on March 3, 2026. Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to pitch against the New York Mets on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET on April 15.

PHOENIX — As Shohei Ohtani progressed through rehab, increased his stamina and began to resemble a traditional starting pitcher down the stretch last year, Los Angeles Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior assumed their work together would be compromised. Hitting always beckoned, time was often limited and the between-innings conversations Prior often engages in with the rest of his staff, he thought, would be unrealistic with a two-way player. But Prior was quickly proven wrong. Ohtani's aspirations transcended his bandwidth.

«Every inning he'd come in,» Prior said, «and it was a review.»

Unless he was preparing to lead off the next half-inning, Ohtani would march into the dugout, find an empty spot near the bench and convene with his catcher and Prior to dissect what happened and plan what would follow. Ohtani wanted to know how his stuff was playing and how hitters were responding, whether the game plan was working or whether adjustments were needed. Often, those talks took place while Ohtani raced to put on his batting equipment and scurry into the on-deck circle. On several occasions, he'd leave a question in the air and expect an answer upon return.

«Most guys will take a breather,» Prior said. «He'll start rattling off and start talking about what's going on because he knows obviously, his time's limited. I didn't have an appreciation that that's how it was going to be. I thought it was going to be more pregame, and then he goes and plays, and maybe there's some more post-evaluation. But he was like every other pitcher — present in the moment.»

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