Ohtani's Pitcher Ranking Drops as MLB Notes 'Human Side'

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has seen a notable slide in Major League Baseball's latest pitcher power rankings, falling three spots from 5th to 8th place. MLB.com attributed this decline primarily to his limited innings pitched and a recent uptick in his earned run average (ERA).

Ohtani, who has been a consistent presence near the top of these rankings, now sits outside the top tier. The report acknowledges that his current innings count places him 8th in MLB, a figure that falls short of the minimum required for official pitching leaderboards. This cautious approach to managing his workload is a deliberate strategy by the Dodgers to protect their unique superstar.

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The only thing limiting Shohei Ohtani on the mound is his innings count, which is understandable given the Dodgers' cautious approach with their unique superstar.

While his overall ERA stands at a respectable 1.79 – which would rank him second in the league if he met the innings qualification – his performance has shown a slight dip. After an exceptional start with an ERA of 0.74 over his first 10 starts, his ERA has risen to 1.79 over his last four outings. MLB.com noted that the pitcher, who seemed almost untouchable earlier in the season, is "finally showing some human side."

The updated pitcher power list features Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski at the top, followed by Zack Wheeler and Dylan Cease. Other pitchers in the top 10 include Cam Schlittler, Cristopher Sánchez, Chris Sale, Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, and Jesús Luzardo.

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This ace, who was almost untouchable at the start of the season, is finally showing some human side.