Shohei Ohtani Chases History With the Dodgers in 2026

Shohei Ohtani opened his 2026 season in Tokyo on Friday, suiting up for Team Japan in the WBC opener against Chinese Taipei, per Bleacher Report. The two-way superstar enters this year as the top pick for a National League MVP award, even as he and the Los Angeles Dodgers pursue something only two franchises in MLB history have ever done.

How Did Ohtani and the Dodgers Get Here?

Ohtani arrived at this point on the back of two straight World Series titles with Los Angeles. The Dodgers now stand within reach of a third consecutive crown — a feat only two clubs in major league history have managed. Ohtani logged spring training reps with the club before heading to Tokyo, keeping his preparation on track even as the WBC pulled him away.

The 2023 WBC served as a reminder of how dominant Ohtani can be on the mound. Japan claimed that tournament largely on the strength of his right arm. For 2026, Ohtani will not pitch in the WBC. His full pitching workload will be saved for the Dodgers’ regular season push — a decision with clear strategic logic for a Los Angeles club chasing another title.

The Dodgers have built their roster around Ohtani as the central piece across three seasons, and the returns have been remarkable. The franchise enters 2026 as the sport’s top title contender, per Bleacher Report. That kind of sustained organizational excellence gives Ohtani the supporting cast and the competitive setting that push elite performers toward historic output.

What Are Shohei Ohtani’s Key Stats and Goals for 2026?

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Ohtani enters 2026 targeting a .400 on-base percentage, 40 home runs, and 40 stolen bases. Those three marks, if reached at the same time, would represent one of the most complete offensive seasons in the modern era. The combination of plate discipline, raw power, and elite speed has no clean historical parallel.

A .400 OBP in today’s pitching climate — where spin rates are up and chase rates are closely tracked — signals elite contact quality and pitch recognition. Forty home runs demand a consistent barrel rate and exit velocity that only a handful of hitters sustain across a full year. Forty stolen bases at Ohtani’s size and with his power profile would be genuinely rare in the analytics era. Per available data, no player has combined all three at those thresholds in a single campaign.

Bleacher Report named Ohtani the runaway NL MVP favorite heading into the season. That label carries real weight. MVP voting reflects not just raw production but also how much a player separates himself from the field. Ohtani’s two-way value — even in seasons where his pitching is limited — gives him a WAR floor that most pure hitters cannot match. No NL hitter has come close to his overall output in recent campaigns.

Key Developments Surrounding Ohtani’s 2026 Campaign

• Ohtani’s 2026 season began in Tokyo with Team Japan’s WBC opener against Chinese Taipei on Friday, March 6.
• Ohtani will not pitch in the 2026 WBC, a departure from his mound role in the 2023 tournament, which Japan won.
• The Dodgers are chasing their third straight title, a run that only two other franchises in MLB history have achieved.
• Ohtani enters the year as the runaway NL MVP pick, per Bleacher Report’s pre-season breakdown.
• Los Angeles is listed as the sport’s top title contender for 2026, per Bleacher Report, reflecting the club’s dominant stretch.

Can Anyone Stop Shohei Ohtani From Winning Another MVP?

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The NL MVP race is real, even if Ohtani leads by a wide margin. One rival, identified by Bleacher Report as a triple-threat targeting a .400 OBP, 40 home runs, and 40 stolen bases, said he knows it falls on him to “find a way” to beat Ohtani for the award. That framing — a competitor openly citing Ohtani as the benchmark — shows how fully the Dodgers star has defined offensive excellence in the National League.

The counterargument is straightforward. Ohtani’s MVP case in years without pitching rests on his bat alone. Without two-way output, his WAR ceiling drops. A rival who posts a historically complete offensive year could close the gap. Ohtani’s OBP-plus-power-plus-speed profile gives him the highest floor of any NL hitter, but a competitor delivering a .400 OBP, 40 home runs, and 40 steals would force voters into a genuinely hard call. No NL hitter has come that close to Ohtani’s overall totals in recent years, but 2026 may shift that.

What Is at Stake for the Dodgers Beyond Ohtani’s MVP Race?

Los Angeles enters 2026 chasing its third straight title, and the franchise’s place in baseball history turns on the outcome. Only two MLB clubs have ever won three consecutive championships in the modern era. If the Dodgers complete that run, they join an extraordinarily short list. Ohtani’s role as the offensive engine of that dynasty would cement his legacy in ways that individual awards alone cannot.

The Dodgers’ title pursuit also carries payroll implications worth tracking. Building a roster capable of sustaining this level of winning demands careful contract management across multiple offseasons. Ohtani’s deferred contract structure, which drew wide notice when signed, gives Los Angeles financial flexibility that most clubs cannot copy. That flexibility has let the front office surround him with the depth needed to compete deep into October.

Bleacher Report confirms Ohtani was active with the Dodgers in spring training before departing for WBC duty in Tokyo. His conditioning appears on schedule, which matters for a player whose workload — even without WBC pitching — places unique physical demands across a 162-game slate and a potential postseason run. The Dodgers’ performance staff will manage that load carefully, as they have done in prior championship years.