Starting pitcher José Soriano of the Los Angeles Angels has been voted the American League Pitcher of the Month for March/April, and two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers has been named the National League Pitcher of the Month for March/April. The announcements were made earlier today on MLB Network.
Soriano earned his first career award and is the first Angels pitcher to earn the honor since Matt Shoemaker in August 2014. He is the fourth Angels pitcher to win the first award of the season, joining Jered Weaver (2011); Chuck Finley (1998); and Geoff Zahn (1982). It is the first time a Dominican-born pitcher earned the season’s first award since Cincinnati’s Luis Castillo was honored in April 2019. Ohtani also earned his first career Pitcher of the Month Award, becoming the first Dodger to be named Pitcher of the Month since his rotationmate Yoshinobu Yamamoto won the final award of 2025. The Dodgers are the first club to win the final award of the previous season and the first award of the following season since the Tampa Bay Rays in September 2018/April 2019, and the first NL club to accomplish the feat since the Washington Nationals in September 2017/April 2018. A native of Oshu, Japan, Ohtani became the sixth Japanese-born pitcher to win the award (10 times total), joining fellow countrymen Yu Darvish (2x: July/August 2020 & September/October 2022); Hideki Irabu (2x: May 1998 & July 1999); Hideo Nomo (2x: June 1995 and September 1996); Masahiro Tanaka (May 2014); and Yamamoto (2x: March/April 2025 & September 2025). Overall, this is the seventh time in the history of Pitcher of the Month that both winners have been born outside of the United States, joining July 2003 (Liván Hernández and José Lima); September 2004 (Johan Santana and Carlos Zambrano); July 2007 (Erik Bedard and Zambrano); September 2009 (Jair Jurrjens and Félix Hernández); April 2010 (Ubaldo Jiménez and Francisco Liriano); and March/April 2024 (Ranger Suarez/José Berríos). It is the first time the Dodgers and Angels each had a player win Pitcher of the Month for their respective league in the same month.
José Soriano, Los Angeles Angels (@soriano_24_rd)
Across seven starts, the 27-year-old went 5-1 with a 0.84 ERA (4 ER/42.2 IP) while allowing 24 hits with 16 walks, 49 strikeouts, a 0.94 WHIP, a .164 opponents’ batting average and 10.34 strikeouts per 9.0 innings.
The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native led the Majors in ERA; tied for the Major League lead in wins; tied for fourth in strikeouts; ranked fifth in opponents’ batting average; ranked eighth in innings pitched; and ranked fourth among AL pitchers in WHIP.
The right-hander became the third pitcher all-time to finish April with at least five wins, 49 strikeouts and an ERA under 1.00, joining Hall of Famer Randy Johnson (2000) and Jered Weaver (2011). He became the first Angels starter with at least 49 strikeouts across his first seven appearances of the season since Ohtani had 59 strikeouts in his first seven starts with the Angels in 2023.
Soriano was named the AL Pitcher of the Week on April 13th, registering 10 strikeouts in consecutive starts on April 6th against Atlanta and April 12th at Cincinnati. He became the first Angels starter to record at least 10 strikeouts in back-to-back starts since Ohtani in June 2023. Overall, he is just the eighth Angels pitcher (16th occurrence) to register two consecutive starts of at least 10 strikeouts and one-or-zero runs allowed. He is just the third Angels pitcher (sixth occurrence), and the first since Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan in 1978, to record back-to-back starts of at least 10 strikeouts, three-or-fewer hits and one-or-zero runs. Ryan turned the trick four times with the Halos, while the first to accomplish the feat was Dean Chance in his AL Cy Young Award-winning 1964 season.
The Angels’ Opening Day starter joined Bartolo Colon as the only Dominican-born pitchers to start Opening Day for Los Angeles, with Soriano becoming the first Angels starter to earn a winning decision on Opening Day since Weaver in 2012. Soriano became the first Angels starter to win each of his first five starts of a season since Weaver won each of his first six in 2011.
Soriano opened the season on a 12.0-scoreless inning streak, and after a home run to Drake Baldwin on April 6th, he dealt another 25.2 consecutive scoreless innings before allowing three runs in his start on April 28th at Chicago (AL). The 25.2 scoreless innings mark the longest streak in the Majors this year and was the longest streak by an Angels starting pitcher since Joe Saunders from September 12, 2008-April 11, 2009 (25.2 IP). It was the longest single-season streak by a Halos starter since John Lackey threw 30.2 consecutive scoreless frames in 2006.
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers (@shoheiohtani)
Across five starts, the 31-year-old went 2-1 with a 0.60 ERA (2 ER/30.0 IP) while allowing 17 hits with nine walks, 34 strikeouts, a 0.87 WHIP, a .160 opponents’ batting average and 10.20 strikeouts per 9.0 innings.
Among pitchers with at least five starts, he led the Majors in ERA; tied for the Major League lead in fewest runs allowed; ranked sixth in fewest hits allowed; and ranked seventh in WHIP.
The five-time All-Star became the first Dodgers starter to make at least five starts in a month and maintain an ERA of 0.60-or-lower since Hyun Jin Ryu had a 0.55 ERA in five starts in July 2019. Ohtani is just the second Dodgers pitcher to make five starts in a month with an ERA of 0.60-or-lower while also permitting fewer than 20 total hits, joining Derek Lowe, who had a 0.59 ERA and also permitted 17 hits in September 2008. Since earned runs became official in 1913, Ohtani is the first pitcher to throw at least 6.0 innings in his first five starts of a season while permitting no home runs, fewer than six hits and one earned run-or-fewer.
The 2018 AL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award winner was one of three starters this season to deal at least 6.0 innings in each of his first five starts, joined by rotationmates Tyler Glasnow and Yamamoto. The Dodgers are the first club to have three pitchers accomplish the feat in the same season since Cleveland in 2020.
The four-time unanimous MVP did not allow an earned run until the fifth inning of his start on April 15th, opening the season with 16.0 consecutive innings in which he did not allow an earned run. Dating back to August 27th of last year, Ohtani dealt 32.2 consecutive scoreless innings without allowing an earned run, which was the longest active streak among starting pitchers.
The two-time World Series Champion struck out 10 batters on April 15th, marking his 23rd career 10-strikeout game and his first since June 27, 2023. Ohtani’s 23 career games with at least 10 strikeouts are third-most among Japanese-born pitchers, trailing only Yu Darvish (50 G) and Hideo Nomo (31 G).
New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler (4-1, 1.51 ERA, 0.74 ERA, 7 GS, 41.2 IP, 25 H, 1 HR , 6 BB, 49 SO) was the only other player to receive votes for AL Pitcher of the Month.
Others receiving votes for NL Pitcher of the Month included NL Reliever of the Month, All-Star closer Mason Miller (1-0, 1.17 ERA, 0.59 WHIP, 15 G, 10 SV, 15.1 IP, 6 H, 0 HR, 3 BB, 29 SO) of the San Diego Padres; Chris Sale (5-1, 2.31 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 6 GS, 35.0 IP, 23 H, 5 HR, 9 BB, 38 SO) and Bryce Elder (3-1, 1.88 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 7 GS, 43.0 IP, 32 H, 2 HR, 13 BB, 36 SO) of the Atlanta Braves; Ohtani’s rotatationmate, Tyler Glasnow (3-0, 2.56 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 6 GS, 38.2 IP, 19 H, 4 HR, 13 BB, 47 SO) of the Dodgers; Nolan McLean (1-2, 2.55 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 6 GS, 35.1 IP 20 H, 2 HR, 10 BB, 45 SO) and Clay Holmes (3-2, 1.75 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 6 GS, 36.0 IP, 24 H, 3 HR, 11 BB, 25 SO) of the New York Mets; Chase Dollander (3-2, 2.25 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 7 G, 1 GS, 32.0 IP, 23 H, 3 HR, 9 BB, 39 SO) of the Colorado Rockies; Landen Roupp (5-1, 2.55 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 6 GS, 35.1 IP, 18 H, 1 HR, 14 BB, 37 SO) of the San Francisco Giants; and Sandy Alcantara (3-2, 3.04 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 7 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 47.1 IP, 40 H, 4 HR, 15 BB, 31 SO) of the Miami Marlins.