Dodgers’ Miguel Rojas shares eye-opening claim on Shohei Ohtani’s pitching

Coming off of three-straight MVPs and becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season, there isn’t much left Shohei Ohtani has to prove. However, the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar does have one clear goal in mind.

When Ohtani has been on the mound in 2026, he hasn’t served as designated hitter as often as he has in year’s past. He focus has gone solely to the mound on those days. Dodgers teammate Miguel Rojas has taken notice of Ohtani’s new approach, via TNT Sports.

“He’s been taking it really seriously, personally,” Rojas said. “Obviously, we’re going to miss him every time he’s not on the play, because he’s a game changer. He can change a game with a swing. But at the end of the day, we are way more than just a team that is going to count on Shohei to hit a homer every single day. We got to be able to score some runs without him.”

Miguel Rojas speaks on Shohei Ohtani's progression as a pitcher within just the last couple seasons pic.twitter.com/B6KtLQpXoO

— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) May 5, 2026

Over his first five starts of the season, Ohtani owns a miniscule 0.60 ERA and a 34/9 K/BB ratio. His renewed focus has paid off early in the season, as the right-hander has led Los Angeles’ pitching rotation. If he continues this run, Ohtani will find himself in NL Cy Young consideration.

As his performance on the mound improves, the three-time MVP hasn’t lost his spark at the dish. Ohtani is hitting .240 with six home runs, 14 RBIs and four stolen bases over 33 games. While his numbers may be a little low by his standards, Ohtani has remained a key contributor in Los Angeles’ lineup.

Whenever he is on the mound, all eyes will be on Ohtani, including Rojas’. If he keeps pitching like this, they won’t be leaving anytime soon.

The post Dodgers’ Miguel Rojas shares eye-opening claim on Shohei Ohtani’s pitching appeared first on ClutchPoints.