Shohei Ohtani's Cy Young pursuit: How to overcome the innings deficit? US media points out the only solution

The Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani has delivered outstanding pitching performances this season, making him a top contender for the National League Cy Young Award. Yet, insufficient innings may be his greatest liability. In response, Jake Mintz, a senior columnist for Yahoo Sports, analyzed that if Ohtani wants to win the Cy Young, the only way is to "post a significantly lower ERA than his rivals."

Ohtani has started 14 games this season, boasting an 8-2 record with a stellar 1.79 ERA. Over 85.2 innings, he has struck out 95 batters, displaying dominant pitching that fully qualifies him for the National League Cy Young Award.

However, the innings total is indeed a major drawback for Ohtani in this award race. Compared to the current top Cy Young favorite in the NL, Milwaukee Brewers' flamethrowing ace Jacob Misiorowski, Ohtani trails significantly in cumulative stats. Mintz noted in his article that if Ohtani wants to capture the Cy Young, the only path is to achieve an overwhelming advantage in the core metric of "ERA," making it impossible for voters to ignore.