Shohei Ohtani has been rewriting the record books since stepping onto a Major League mound, and now he's added another historic accolade to his growing collection. The Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way superstar was named National League Pitcher of the Month for March and April on Monday, marking the first time in his illustrious career that he's earned this specific honor.
Ohtani's dominance on the mound was nothing short of spectacular during the season's opening weeks. Across five starts and 30 innings pitched, he surrendered just four total runs—only two of which were earned—posting a microscopic 0.60 ERA. His 2.24 expected ERA (xERA) and 1.98 FIP both led all National League pitchers with at least 30 innings. The right-hander also racked up 34 strikeouts against nine walks, ranking sixth in strikeout rate (28.6%) and ninth in strikeout-minus-walk rate (21%).
To put Ohtani's start in historical context, his 0.60 ERA through the end of April is the third-best mark in Dodgers history during the live-ball era (since 1920) among pitchers with at least five starts. Only the legendary Fernando Valenzuela has been better, posting a 0.20 ERA in 1981 and a 0.21 ERA in 1985 during the same timeframe.
Ohtani has led the NL in ERA after each of his five starts, though his innings total has occasionally lagged behind the Dodgers' game schedule. He's completed exactly six innings in every outing so far, and he'll need to do so again on Tuesday in Houston—the Dodgers' 36th game—to remain qualified for the league leaderboard.
This latest honor adds to Ohtani's already impressive collection of monthly awards. He's now won Player of the Month six times in his career: June 2021, July 2021, June 2023, and July 2023 with the Angels, followed by September 2024 and May 2025 with the Dodgers.
Tyler Glasnow was among the other NL pitchers receiving votes for the monthly honor, posting a 2.56 ERA with 47 strikeouts and 13 walks across 38 2/3 innings over six starts. The Dodgers have now won Pitcher of the Month three times in the last two seasons, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto taking home the award in March/April and September of last year.
For Dodgers fans, watching Ohtani's evolution as a pitcher has been a privilege. And with his historic start to the season, he's showing no signs of slowing down.