Shohei Ohtani aiming for the Cy Young Award this year? Odds at 30 to 1, US media analysis: Being a two-way player actually works against him.

Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani’s chances to compete for the Cy Young Award this season? He stays modest: "It would be wonderful if I won. The Cy Young means I threw many innings and maintained health throughout the season, which is certainly positive. Currently, I’m concentrating on staying healthy and playing the entire year."

Ohtani’s primary focus has always been his physical condition and contributing to the team. Any starting pitcher eligible to compete for the Cy Young requires a substantial workload. Although Ohtani has already won a unanimous MVP and set numerous unprecedented records, CBS sports analysts believe that winning this top pitching honor remains a tough challenge for him.

As Ohtani himself mentioned, the Cy Young Award demands a solid number of innings pitched. The fewest innings pitched by a recent winner was Corbin Burnes, who threw 167 innings, while Ohtani’s career high is 166 innings in 2022. That year, he ranked fourth in the AL Cy Young voting and also made the MVP shortlist.

Regular starting pitchers can have days off, but Ohtani has to play every game, not only pitching but also continuing as a designated hitter after his pitching duties. The Dodgers’ goal is a World Series championship, making their season longer than other teams’. Having undergone two ligament surgeries, it’s hard to imagine the team pushing him to overwork just for an individual award.

In other words, being a two-way player is a huge advantage for MVP contention but actually a disadvantage for pitching-specific awards. Hitting home runs while pitching does not earn extra points in Cy Young voting. If Ohtani were solely a pitcher, he would definitely be one of the strongest contenders.

The problem is that both the National and American Leagues are currently rich with elite pitchers. Even if Ohtani replicated his best pitching form from 2022, he would still fall short against NL’s Paul Skenes and AL’s Tarik Skubal, who dominated last year, not to mention his Japanese teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto among the contenders.

This year’s National League Cy Young odds confirm this: Pirates’ Skenes leads at 2.25 to 1, Dodgers’ Yamamoto follows at 5 to 1, while Shohei Ohtani’s odds stand at 30 to 1, currently placing him as a long shot.