When Shohei Ohtani made his return from Tommy John elbow surgery, there was anticipation in the air. Although he wouldn’t pitch, there was talk of a technique he used to make his batting better. He was using a cricket bat! The flat barrel design let him hit longer in the hitting zone, and it was clearly having results! Three homers in five games. It was clear Ohtani had a trick up his sleeve. Just a little over a year later, as he made his return to pitching, Ohtani unleashed a secret weapon he had been hiding.

It began quietly enough on a backfield mound at Camelback Ranch. No scoreboard, no roaring crowd—just Shohei Ohtani, a catcher, and a lineup of Dodgers teammates cycling through the batter’s box. From a distance, it looked like routine live BP. But anyone paying attention knew better. What unfolded wasn’t a warmup. It was a warning shot, one that looked like a wiffle ball.

Ohtani, fresh off surgery and months of behind-the-scenes work, wasn’t just throwing again; he was experimenting. And what came out of his hand stunned not just the batters, but everyone watching. Pitches didn’t just move, they danced, bent, and vanished. Social media lit up with disbelief. MLB Network analysts leaned forward, squinting at the replays, trying to make sense of the sorcery. Something was different. Something big.

“This is what I found interesting,” said one MLB Tonight analyst during the segment. “Watch the movement. That’s a breaking pitch. Watch that fastball—holy smokes. He’s been working on something. That looks like a wiffle ball.” Another analyst added, “He’s throwing with more movement than when he was a starter. I saw movement I hadn’t seen from him, ever.” The stunned expressions on their faces said it all; this wasn’t just Ohtani returning. This was Ohtani 2.0, and it had everyone on notice.

Let’s be real for a second. Ohtani having two years to “just play catch,” as they described it, isn’t your average rehab stint. Most guys are trying to get back to who they were. Ohtani? He used that time to evolve. To study. To manipulate the ball in new ways. And now he’s starting to unveil the results.

One pitch, a splitter, dropped like it fell off a ledge. The next—a riding fastball—screamed in before darting like it had GPS. The hitters weren’t just missing; they were confused. And that confusion is spreading across the league. If Ohtani unleashes this new arsenal in live MLB games, we might be looking at a version of him even better than the MVP-level monster we’ve seen before.

So here’s the hook: Shohei Ohtani isn’t back just to prove he can still pitch. He’s back to dominate in a new, terrifying way. And if the early footage is any clue, he’s about to remind the league that greatness, when paired with innovation, can be absolutely lethal.

However, it might not be anytime soon. Dodgers’ pitching coach Mark Prior said, “He has taken a very methodical approach to this. We’ve tried to take a very methodical approach to this, understanding the uniqueness of the situation. I will never, and I don’t think anybody in that room would ever, doubt what he can do. But, you know, still got a long way to go. We’ll see where it comes out at the end of this year.” 

History at 55: Shohei Ohtani Joins Elite Dodgers Club

At this point, it’s not a matter of if Shohei Ohtani will do something historic, it’s when. And Tuesday night in Cleveland, that moment came again. With one smooth swing in the fourth inning, Ohtani went opposite field and deposited a Tanner Bibee cutter just over the short porch in left. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t flashy. In fact, it didn’t even look like a home run. But when it cleared the wall, Ohtani had become the first player in the majors to reach 20 home runs this season. Silent? Maybe. Historic? Absolutely.

Now here’s the kicker, Ohtani did it in only 55 games, making him just the third player in Dodgers history to reach 20 homers that quickly. The only others? Gil Hodges in 1951 (21) and Cody Bellinger in 2019 (20). That’s elite company for someone who didn’t even look certain the ball was gone. “I think a lot of people thought it was a pop-up.” Bibee admitted, “I mean, I did too. I thought I was out of the inning.” Shohei? He was already rounding first before slowing into a trot.

What’s wild is that this wasn’t even the peak of Shohei Ohtani. Usually, his homers are towering upper-deck shots with enough hang time for a commercial break. Not this one. It was more of a surgical strike, smart, efficient, and devastating. “He has a lot more margin for error,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said with a grin. And that’s the scary part. Even his misses are turning into milestones. With that one swing, Ohtani also tied for the third-most homers by a Dodger in any calendar month (13), just two behind franchise legends Pedro Guerrero and Duke Snider.

Blink, and you’ll miss him making history, again.