Shohei Ohtani Is Entering Rare Ichiro Suzuki Territory

Ohtani blasted 55 homers in 2025 and while it took him a bit to get his first of the 2026 season, he looks like he's starting to find his form. One thing that is important to mention is that while he hasn't been tearing the cover off the ball, Ohtani has still been getting on base. In fact, he has gotten on base at least once each game this season. His on-base streak extends to the end of the 2025 season and he's approaching legendary status.

Francys Romero of Beisbolfr.com shared on X on Sunday night that Ohtani is approaching some Major League Baseball history. He extended his on-base streak to 40 games and tied Ichiro Suzuki for the second-longest on-base streak for a Japanese-born player in MLB history. The record is actually held by Suzuki, who went 43 games straight getting on base in 2009.

"Shohei Ohtani extended his on-base streak to 40 consecutive games," Romero wrote. "Japanese-born players with the longest on-base streaks in MLB history: Ichiro Suzuki: 43 (2009), Ichiro Suzuki: 40 (2004), Shohei Ohtani: 40 (2025-2026)."

So, even in a season in which Ohtani has seemingly started slowly offensively, he has still been playing at a level that is historic. It's just another example of why Ohtani is at a different level than most players who have ever touched a Major League Baseball field. Sure, Ohtani is a two-way player. That idea in itself has gotten plenty of buzz over the years. But it's more than just that. He's historically good in both ways. Offensively, he's one of the best players in the game. When he's healthy, he's among the best pitchers in the game as well. Blend both together and we're talking about someone who is doing things that have never been done before.

Who else can seemingly struggle offensively and yet approach a record held by a Hall of Famer? There isn't anyone else. Ohtani is starting to get hot as well offensively. The Dodgers need him with Mookie Betts going down and he's looking the part now.