There are comebacks, and then there's what Shohei Ohtani accomplished in 2025. The two-way superstar's return to the pitcher's mound after his second major elbow surgery wasn't just successful—it was absolutely breathtaking, defying every expectation and rewriting what we thought was possible in baseball.

Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of Ohtani's return was his velocity. Most athletes recovering from such serious surgery would be thrilled just to maintain their previous performance levels. Ohtani? He came back throwing harder than ever before in his career. His fastball averaged an incredible 98.4 mph, over one and a half miles per hour faster than before his injury. He even touched 101.7 mph at his peak, reaching triple digits on nearly one out of every ten pitches. It wasn't just his fastball either—every single pitch in his arsenal came back sharper and more powerful than before.

The numbers tell a story of remarkable refinement and control. Ohtani posted a sensational 6.89 strikeout-to-walk ratio, second-best among all qualified starting pitchers. His 33% strikeout rate remained elite while his walk rate dropped to a career-low 4.3%. This combination of power and precision suggests that when Ohtani pitches a full season in 2026, he'll be virtually unstoppable.

What makes Ohtani truly special is his constant evolution as a pitcher. During his 2025 comeback, he introduced a devastating new slider that immediately became one of his most effective weapons, generating a 44% whiff rate and holding batters to just a .154 average. He didn't stop there—Ohtani also revived his legendary splitter, the pitch that made him famous when he first came to Major League Baseball. After shelving it for several seasons, he brought it back during the playoffs at exactly the right moment, using it to strike out some of baseball's most feared hitters.

The culmination of all this brilliance came during the playoffs, where Ohtani delivered what experts are calling possibly the greatest single-game performance in baseball history. His electric gem against the Brewers in the NLCS sent the Los Angeles Dodgers to the World Series and showcased everything that makes him extraordinary—blazing fastballs, sharp breaking balls, and that revitalized splitter working in perfect harmony.

Looking ahead to 2026, when Ohtani will pitch his first full season in a Dodgers uniform, the baseball world waits with eager anticipation. If his 2025 comeback is any indication, we're about to witness something truly special. Ohtani has proven that not only can he overcome adversity, but he can emerge from it even stronger than before. His story isn't just about athletic achievement—it's about determination, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. MLB Network is celebrating with an entire "Shohei Day" dedicated to this remarkable athlete, and fans everywhere have every reason to be excited about what comes next.