LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani has done much to raise the bar during his career, changing what we even think is possible in baseball. Today, he has set the new standard of excellence for Japanese hitting in MLB.
Facing Mets right-hander Adrian Houser in the third inning of the Dodgers’ 10-0 victory Sunday, Ohtani connected with an 0-1 slider over the heart of home plate for his 176th career home run, breaking the tied with Hideki Matsui for most by a Major League player of Japanese descent. The explosion was unmistakable, a liner with an exit velocity of 110 mph that traveled a Statcast-projected distance of 423 feet into the right-field pavilion of Dodger Stadium.
“I’m relieved and happy,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “It took me a while to get this point since my last circuit, so honestly, happy, relieved.”
It took Ohtani seven games to tie Matsui on April 13 and the moment he broke the record. He was very productive during that span, however, going 11-for-29 with three doubles and six walks. Ohtani scored twice more after Sunday’s homer, adding a single that deflected off Houser’s left foot in the fifth, then drew a walk in the sixth before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth.
“His presence, his ability as a player, he’s just a great player,” Matsui said of Ohtani through a translator. “The numbers on my side just don’t compare. … I’m sure a lot of fans have their expectations of what he can do, what he can accomplish. As far as myself, I just hope he stays healthy.”
Now that Ohtani alone owns the Japanese-born MLB home run mark, the question is how many more home runs he will add. The 29-year-old is in the first year of his record $700 million, 10-year contract, and his 2024 is off to a hot start.
He leads the MLB with 35 hits and 11 doubles, and his .368/.431/.663 slash line would put him on track for one of the best offensive seasons of his career. These numbers exceed his unanimous AL MVP campaign ’23 (although unlike last year, Ohtani will not pitch in ’24 as he recovers from right elbow surgery).
But for now, Ohtani will experience a stage that is particularly close to his heart on a personal level.
“Hideki Matsui was a great baseball player, a great home run hitter and a world champion,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And I know Shohei admired him. … So for him to eclipse that mark is a big deal. And I know that whatever type of mark is in store for Shohei, he’s trying to eliminate them all.
One of those brands actually belongs to Roberts. Ohtani’s fifth home run of the season also passed Hideo Nomo for the second-most home runs by a player of Japanese descent in Dodgers history, and he now trails only two points behind Roberts.
“I want to beat my manager’s record,” Ohtani said with a smile.
Ohtani’s home run proved to be the catalyst for a much-needed offensive explosion, helping Los Angeles avoid its first sweep of the season and end a difficult trip on a high note.
Beyond Ohtani, five of the Dodgers’ nine starters had at least one hit, and all but James Outman reached base at least once. Freddie Freeman and No. 3 prospect Andy Pages had multi-hit games, with Pages launching his first career home run to cap an eight-run rally in the fifth.
It also gave a boost to right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who had his best start as a Dodger with eight scoreless innings.
“It’s awesome,” Glasnow said of Ohtani’s record. “I’m sure he’ll have a lot more records while I’m playing here. He’s a very good player.
News Source : www.mlb.com
Gn sports
