The monumental occasion of Game 4 of the World Series will mark the highly anticipated Fall Classic pitching debut of two-way megastar Shohei Ohtani for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani's start comes on the heels of arguably the greatest single-game performance in baseball history, when he hit three home runs and pitched six shutout innings to clinch the NL Pennant.
Despite his limited innings coming off Tommy John surgery, Ohtani has been lights-out on the mound this postseason, and he carries a formidable 2-0 record with a 2.25 ERA into the contest against the Blue Jays.
Opposing Ohtani for the Blue Jays will be fellow Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber. The Blue Jays manager John Schneider is opting for the experienced hand of Bieber, who was a mid-season trade acquisition and is still ramping up his workload following his own Tommy John surgery last season.
Here's more on the Game 4 starting pitchers.
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Dodgers-Blue Jays Game 4 starting pitchers
The World Series Game 4 start for Shohei Ohtani will mark a monumental event in his career, as he takes the mound for the first time in the Fall Classic.
His 2025 pitching campaign has been a carefully managed ramp-up following Tommy John surgery, yet his performance has been stellar: Ohtani posted a 2.87 ERA over 47 regular season innings and has been even better in October. Most notably, his last outing was a combined offensive and pitching masterclass in the NLCS, where he threw six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts while simultaneously hitting three home runs to eliminate the Brewers. He enters Game 4 with a dominant 2-0 postseason record and a remarkable ability to elevate his game under pressure.
Facing Ohtani is Bieber, who is still working back to his former Cy Young form after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024. Bieber was acquired by the Blue Jays at the trade deadline and made only seven starts in the regular season, posting a 3.57 ERA over 40.1 innings. His postseason has been volatile: he was hit hard in one start but was sharp in Game 4 of the ALCS, helping to save the series with a strong 5 2/3-inning outing. Toronto manager John Schneider is counting on Bieber's veteran experience to deliver in the hostile environment of Dodger Stadium, but his performance will be closely scrutinized as the Blue Jays try to avoid falling into a deficit against the two-way superstar.
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Shane Bieber stats
Starts: 10
Record: 5-3
Innings Pitched: 52.2
ERA: 3.93
Strikeouts: 52
Walks: 15
Hits: 50
Earned Runs: 23
Bieber returned in the middle of the season, and while his numbers have been pedestrian overall, he has come up clutch this postseason.
In three starts, the former Cy Young winner holds a 1-0 record but carries a 4.38 ERA over 12.1 innings, reflecting periods of strong pitching mixed with bouts of wildness and hard contact. However, his veteran mental fortitude shone through in Game 3 of the ALCS, where he stabilized the Blue Jays' staff with a crucial five-plus inning start; Toronto won its first game in Seattle after trailing 2-0. The Blue Jays are banking on his ability to provide a deep, high-leverage start in Game 4 despite his inconsistent command.
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Shohei Ohtani pitching stats
Starts: 16
Record: 3-1
Innings Pitched: 59.0
ERA: 2.75
Strikeouts: 81
Walks: 12
Hits: 49
Earned Runs: 18
Ohtani has used the 2025 postseason to deliver one of the most remarkable two-way runs in baseball history. In his two pitching starts, he is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA over 12 innings, striking out 19 batters. His signature performance came in the NLCS clincher, where he threw six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts while simultaneously hitting three home runs.
His unparalleled pitching and hitting contributions have cemented his status as the sport's biggest star, even though he is still ramping up his innings count after recovering from elbow surgery.
Shane Bieber stats vs. Shohei Ohtani
Games Faced: 4
At-Bats: 13
Hits: 2
Home Runs: 0
Batting Average:.154
On-Base Percentage:.154
Slugging Percentage:.231
Strikeouts: 6
Walks: 0
Bieber will have to face his opposing pitcher, who is arguably the Dodgers biggest threat.
Shohei Ohtani stats vs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Games Faced: 3
At-Bats: 8
Hits: 3
Home Runs: 1
Batting Average:.375
On-Base Percentage:.444
Slugging Percentage:.875
Strikeouts: 2
Walks: 1
With Ohtani on the mound in Game 4, we will see one of the highly-anticipated matchups of the Fall Classic: superstar vs. Superstar.
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