Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani’s two-run home run against the New York Mets on Sunday was the 176th of his career, giving him the most home runs ever by a Japanese-born player, passing former New York Yankees slugger Hideki Matsui.
Shohei Ohtani now stands alone ahead of Hideki Matsui on the list, and third place is held by Ichiro Suzuki. Matsui had a successful career with the Yankees, helping them win the World Series in 2009, while Ichiro Suzuki is a no-doubt hall of fame player. Matsui is not on that level, but he obviously brought more power than Suzuki did. Ohtani is on track to be the best Japanese-born baseball player to ever live, and he might already have a claim for that title.
Obviously, Ohtani is not pitching this year for the Dodgers, but he has been a two-way player for the majority of his career. He is set to pitch and hit for the Dodgers in 2025 and beyond, and he already has won two MVP awards in the American League with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and 2023. He narrowly missed on a third in 2022 due to Aaron Judge’s monster season. Ohtani will have the opportunity to add a lot more MVP awards in the National League in 2025 and beyond when is back to pitching and hitting.
The home run gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead over the Mets in a game they eventually won 10-0. It was the last of a three-game set, in which the Mets won the first two games, so the Dodgers salvaged the last game.
Shohei Ohtani looking to add to legacy with Dodgers
Ohtani did a lot from an individual standpoint with the Angels, but he did not have much team success at all. He has yet to play in the MLB postseason. Ohtani is trying to add to his legacy by being on winnings teams and adding championships.
It would be a shock if the Dodgers missed the postseason this year, as they have been a consistent contender for the last decade or so. We will likely see Ohtani play in his first postseason this year.
The Dodgers are not off to the greatest start, as they are just 13-11. That is not necessarily bad, but given the expectations and the talent on the roster, it is a bit of a disappointing start.
As for Ohtani, he is off to a strong start with the bat. He is hitting .359 with a .419 on-base percentage and four home runs, according to FanGraphs. He has lived up to expectations with the Dodgers.
The Dodgers will now travel across the country to play the Washington Nationals this week, and hope to play a bit better than they have to start the season.
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