The Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way superstar, Shohei Ohtani, has been voted the top starting pitcher in MLB by MLB.com's voting panel, climbing from seventh place to claim the No. 1 spot in their latest power rankings. This leap comes after Tarik Skubal was placed on the injured list due to loose bodies in his elbow, opening the door for Ohtani's ascent.

Ohtani's dominance on the mound has been nothing short of historic. Through six starts, he boasts an MLB-best 0.97 ERA, allowing no more than two earned runs or five hits in any outing. Opponents are batting just .160 with a .489 OPS against him. MLB.com's Andrew Simon noted, "He might have a pedestrian (for him) .814 OPS at the plate, but on the mound? He's never been better." Despite his brilliance, the Dodgers are only 2-4 in his starts, with the team scoring just five runs in the losses.

This season marks a career peak for Ohtani, who has pitched in seven of his nine MLB seasons. His 0.97 ERA leads the league, and he has lasted six innings or longer in all six starts. His previous career-best ERA was 2.33 in 2022, when he finished fourth in Cy Young voting. While his strikeout rate of 29% is slightly down from his 33.4% mark in 2022, it still ranks in the top 13% of MLB pitchers.

Ohtani's stellar start has already earned him his first Pitcher of the Month award for April, and he's firmly in the Cy Young race. FanGraphs ranks him third in Cy Young points (20.7), trailing Chris Sale (21.9) and Bryce Elder (21.0). When adjusted for FIP, Ohtani ranks second only to Philadelphia Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez. With his unprecedented two-way talent and this year's performance, Ohtani is right in the thick of the hunt for his first Cy Young Award—one of the few honors that has so far eluded him.