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Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani dropped out of first place in MLB.com’s latest pitcher power rankings, and now sits fourth.
The pitchers who passed Ohtani in the rankings are the Philadelphia Phillies’ Cristopher Sanchez, who was fourth in the last rankings, the Milwaukee Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski, who was ranked seventh previously, and the New York Yankees’ Cam Schlittler, who last placed seventh.
The reason Ohtani dropped is less about his own performance, though, and focuses more on the exceptional performances from the pitchers who passed him.
“Ohtani’s fall from the top spot has little to do with his own performance on the mound,” MLB.com’s Jared Greenspan wrote. “He carries a 0.82 ERA into his eighth start of the season on Wednesday against the Padres. That’s the lowest mark among all pitchers to throw at least 40 innings this season.
“Opponents are hitting just .159 against Ohtani — only Skenes has a lower batting average against — thanks in part due to a lethal fastball/sweeper combo. He’s throwing those two pitches 71.4% of the time this season, up from 61.4% a year ago.”
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Apr 28, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after a pitch in the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
What Have Ohtani’s Results Been Since the Last Ranking?
The last power rankings came out May 7, and Ohtani has made two appearances since then. In his two starts, which spanned 12 innings pitched, Ohtani didn’t allow a run, striking out 12 batters while allowing seven hits and four walks.
He also added two wins to his total after finally receiving run support, some of which came from himself in his most recent outing against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday.
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May 20, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Why Did Ohtani Drop to Fourth?
Ohtani dropped to fourth in the latest rankings, largely because he has pitched fewer innings than his competitors in the top four. Sanchez is the only other pitcher of the group to make two appearances, but he has thrown four more innings than Ohtani. He pitched a complete game with 13 strikeouts against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.
The other two pitchers, Misiorowski and Schlittler, both made three starts since the last ranking.
Misiorowski has thrown 19 innings during that stretch, and has held opponents scoreless—striking out 29 batters. Schlittler pitched 18.2 innings, but gave up three runs in the process.
These pitchers all have a much higher innings pitched total than Ohtani, which is the most likely reason MLB.com dropped him in the rankings. If Ohtani is to maintain his position or return to the top spot, he will—somehow—have to perform even better than he has so far to get a leg up on the players who are pitching more often than he is.
Where do you think Shohei Ohtani belongs on the list?
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