Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has described his 2026 season as a frustrating experience despite securing another top-three finish in the National League MVP race.
Ohtani finished as the runner-up to Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who won the award unanimously, according to “reporting by Yahoo Sports.”
The result ended Ohtani’s streak of three consecutive MVP awards but extended his run of top-three finishes to six straight seasons.
During a post-announcement interview, the designated hitter expressed his dissatisfaction with his overall performance throughout the year.
Ohtani told MLB Network, “No, honestly, I thought it was a very frustrating season, to be quite honest.”
His season was heavily impacted by physical setbacks, as detailed in an “injury timeline report by MLB.”
While Ohtani excelled early, recording a 1.79 ERA over 14 starts, recurring left knee and right biceps issues eventually forced him off the mound in July.
He remained in the lineup as a designated hitter but struggled during the postseason, batting .192 with one home run and three RBIs over eight games.
Reflecting on his postseason struggles, Ohtani remarked, “obviously we did not do that well in the playoffs, personally, I think again, like I said, it was a little bit, frustrated with my overall performance throughout the season.”
Looking toward the future, the star athlete emphasized that he does not dwell on past statistics or comparisons to historical greats.
Instead, he intends to focus on maximizing his output for the upcoming season to help the Dodgers compete for a World Series title.
He noted that his primary goal is to ensure he performs to the best of his abilities in the year ahead.
Ohtani concluded his remarks by stating that he feels truly honored to be considered in the same class as other top players in the league.