When Shohei Ohtani launched 54 home runs in his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he did more than set a franchise record.

He redefined durability and dominance while quietly playing through a torn labrum sustained during the 2024 World Series.

The injury, caused by a subluxation of his left shoulder, would have sidelined many players for months.

Instead, Ohtani delivered one of the most remarkable offensive campaigns in franchise history.

Yet as extraordinary as that feat was, his second season in Los Angeles somehow elevated expectations even further.

The most compelling development was not at the plate.

It was on the mound.

After undergoing his second career Tommy John surgery, Ohtani embarked on a deliberate and disciplined rehabilitation process designed to reestablish him as a two way force.

Rather than utilizing a traditional Minor League rehab assignment, the Dodgers opted for a controlled buildup at the Major League level.

The right hander gradually increased his workload, blending competitive intensity with measured restraint.

There were occasional moments of rust.

But overall, Ohtani’s return to pitching exceeded projections.

Across 14 starts, he posted a 1-1 record with a 2.87 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP.

Those numbers alone reflect frontline efficiency.

Given the surgical context, they become even more impressive.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged that Ohtani’s command stood out as the most surprising element of his comeback season.

“I think the thing that was most surprising from last year was his command,” Roberts said over the weekend.

“And he still feels his command wasn’t up to par. But given the Tommy John and what typically command looks like the year after, it was above that.”

Roberts highlighted Ohtani’s ability to manipulate pitch shapes, particularly his breaking balls.

“Just his ability to command the different breaking balls, to change the shape of his breaking balls was pretty impressive,” Roberts added.

The comment underscores a nuance often overlooked in Ohtani’s narrative.

His greatness is not merely physical.

It is calculated.

“Everything he does is with a purpose,” Roberts emphasized.

That intentionality fuels anticipation for what a fully healthy offseason might unlock.

For the first time since surgery, Ohtani enters a campaign without rehabilitation dictating his schedule.

Gone is the incremental inning buildup.

In its place stands a complete preparation cycle focused solely on performance.

Roberts has made it clear, however, that workload management will remain central to the Dodgers’ strategy.

Even as Ohtani resumes full two way duties, the organization intends to provide ample rest between pitching assignments.

The objective is sustainability rather than spectacle.

Ohtani’s early arrival at Camelback Ranch reinforced his commitment.

He reported ahead of official pitcher and catcher workouts and completed his third bullpen session of the month last Friday.

The symbolism was unmistakable.

Preparation has replaced recovery.

With a healthy arm and an established offensive rhythm, Ohtani now stands poised to reclaim his identity as baseball’s most unique asset.

Naturally, discussion has turned toward awards.

Roberts openly suggested that Ohtani could enter the National League Cy Young conversation this season.

Despite an already decorated résumé, Ohtani has yet to secure that particular honor.

No Japanese pitcher has ever won the Cy Young Award.

The historical dimension adds intrigue.

But Ohtani’s priorities remain grounded.

“If the end result is getting a Cy Young, that’s great,” he said through interpreter Will Ireton.

“Getting a Cy Young means being able to throw more innings and pitch throughout the whole season, so if that’s the end result, that’s a good sign for me.”

His perspective reframes the accolade as a byproduct rather than a pursuit.

“What I’m more focused on is just being healthy the whole year,” Ohtani added.

Health, in his calculus, equals opportunity.

Opportunity, in turn, allows performance to speak.

For the Dodgers, that equation carries championship implications.

A fully operational Ohtani as both lineup anchor and rotation pillar reshapes roster calculus across the league.

Opponents must prepare for a player capable of dictating tempo in two distinct dimensions.

Last season proved that even compromised physically, Ohtani could dominate offensively.

This season offers the possibility of complete equilibrium.

If his command continues trending upward and his workload expands responsibly, the statistical ceiling becomes difficult to quantify.

The Cy Young conversation may materialize organically.

But Ohtani’s singular focus remains durability and impact.

In a sport that increasingly specializes, he continues to defy convention.

And as he enters a full season free from rehabilitation constraints, the baseball world braces for what purpose driven excellence might produce next.