Shohei Ohtani Fell Just Shy of Los Angeles Dodgers History in First Half of Season

The Los Angeles Dodgers will kick off the second half of the season on Friday night when they host the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium.

Los Angeles, at 58-39, has the best record in the National League and is trying to win the National League West again. Beyond that, they have goals of winning the World Series for a second consecutive season.

If they are to do that, Shohei Ohtani will clearly be at the center of it, both at the plate and on the mound. The reigning National League MVP, Ohtani put himself in some historic conversations with a first half of the season that saw him hit .276 with 32 home runs and 12 stolen bases.

Per @StatsCentre on social media:

Once again on track to receive a league MVP award in 2025, Shohei Ohtani has racked up 224 total bases so far this season- the 2nd most in all of MLB only to Aaron Judge. Since the @Dodgers franchise's 1958 move to Los Angeles, that mark has him tied for 5th on this list of names

Only Gary Sheffield (231 in 2000), Mike Piazza (233 in 1995), Ohtani (237 in 2024) and Cody Bellinger (240 in 2019) have had more than Ohtani this year. Bellinger and Ohtani both MVP Awards in those seasons.