Shohei Ohtani DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (elbow, shoulder) will face live pitching -- either off a Trajekt machine or a pitcher -- for the first time in camp on Friday. Ohtani didn't pitch at all in his first season in L.A. in 2024 due to Tommy John surgery, and he also had surgery to fix the labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder last November. His elbow injury clearly didn't slow him down at all as a hitter, as he set a new MLB record as the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season. We don't think the 30-year-old three-time MVP will have any trouble coming back from his shoulder injury this year as a hitter. He'll be delayed from making his pitching debut in 2025 until May, but Ohtani will continue to serve as the team's regular DH and leadoff hitter and is the consensus No. 1 overall fantasy pick after his monstrous campaign a year ago.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (elbow, shoulder) has thrown mostly out of the full windup in his first two bullpen sessions this spring after pitching almost exclusively out of the stretch in his time with the Los Angeles Angels. "As part of being a baseball player, I do want to explore different options ...different avenues, to see if I could grow as a player. I do that on the pitching side as well as a hitter," Ohtani said. The 30-year-old three-time MVP plans to continue using the windup once he begins pitching in games to see how his body responds. The change probably won't make much of an impact on Ohtani's fantasy value as he returns to pitching in 2025 after not pitching at all in his first year with the Dodgers while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Dodgers are slow-playing him as a pitcher, and he's unlikely to make his pitching debut for the Blue until sometime in May.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani will remain in the leadoff spot heading into his second season with the team, according to manager Dave Roberts. Roberts said a lineup that starts with Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman "makes the most sense." Ohtani won his third MVP award and first in the National League in 2024 in his first year with the Dodgers by becoming the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases. The four-time All-Star finished with league-highs in WAR (9.2), plate appearances (731), runs (134), homers (54), RBI (130), on-base percentage (.390), slugging percentage (.646), OPS (1.036) and total bases (411) while also helping the Dodgers win the World Series. It's no surprise that he'll be the first player off the board in most fantasy drafts as a hitter in 2025.

The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya reports that Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (elbow, shoulder) threw another bullpen session in camp on Tuesday. It's the second bullpen session at spring training for Ohtani, who also threw a 14-pitch session of two- and four-seam fastballs last Saturday. The 30-year-old Japanese hurler didn't pitch at all in his first year in L.A. after recovering from right-elbow surgery. He also had surgery last fall to fix a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder. Despite his elbow injury, the superstar became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in a single season in 2024. It's good to see Ohtani throwing again, but he's not expected to pitch in Cactus League games and isn't expected to make his 2025 debut as a pitcher until sometime in May. Ohtani will once again be much more valuable in fantasy as a hitter this year.

According to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter/starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (elbow, shoulder) threw his first bullpen of the spring on Saturday. Ohtani tossed 14 pitches and only threw four- and two-seamers. His velocity reached 92-94 mph. Manager Dave Roberts noted that this was a "great" first bullpen. Ohtani was unable to pitch during the 2024 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September of 2023. However, this did not inhibit his performance in the batter's box, as he established the 50/50 club with a stellar .310/.391/.646 slash line. He generated an elite .442 xwOBA, .314 xBA, and a .660 xSLG. Earlier in the offseason, it was reported that the 30-year-old was hoping to return to the bump sometime in May. During the first month of the season, fantasy managers should expect Ohtani to continue to serve as the designated hitter. He's viewed as the top pick in all formats as a hitter.