Shohei Ohtani: The MLB’s First Dual Threat Named Pitcher of the Month – What Does This Mean for His Legacy?

Shohei Ohtani added another iconic milestone, this time on the mound rather than at the plate. Nine years after his debut, MLB named him National League Pitcher of the Month for March–April — his first monthly pitching honor — reaffirming the value of his two-way game.

The MLB office announced Ohtani as the National League Pitcher of the Month for March–April, while José Soriano took the same honor in the American League. Since his 2018 debut, Ohtani has collected Rookie of the Year and four MVP awards, but this marks his first monthly award as a pitcher.

The numbers were overwhelming. Ohtani made five starts in March–April, going 2–1 with a 0.60 ERA. In 30 innings he struck out 34 hitters, posted a 0.87 WHIP, held opponents to a .160 batting average and averaged 10.20 strikeouts per nine innings. Hitters found him nearly impossible to solve.

Those figures carry extra weight. No Dodgers pitcher had posted a monthly ERA of 0.60 or lower since Hyun-Jin Ryu’s 0.55 in July 2019 — a seven-year span. Ohtani also ran off a streak of 32 2/3 scoreless innings from Aug. 28 last year through April 16 this year, further underscoring his dominance on the hill.

At the plate he’s cooled off a bit recently, but on the mound the story is completely different. His overpowering stuff and sharp command have erased any talk of a batting slump and allowed him to control games.

AL winner Soriano also opened the season in dominant fashion. In seven appearances he went 5–1 with a 0.84 ERA, 49 strikeouts and a 10.34 K/9. He’s the Angels’ first Pitcher of the Month in 12 years.

In the end, the most striking name remains Ohtani. He’s in the home run chase as a hitter while carrying a sub-1.00 ERA and earning Pitcher of the Month honors as a pitcher. The numbers make it clear: Ohtani is still the most extraordinary player in Major League Baseball.

Photo = MLB Instagram capture / Yonhap News