Ohtani ranked No. 1 across batting average, hits, and home runs

A two-way baseball player, Shohei Ohtani, is an MVP-level player just at bat. Ohtani's prowess was on full display in a home game against the Atlanta Braves on Monday. His stellar performance, including four hits, two walks, three runs with two home runs, and one score out of four batting attempts, helped his team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, secure a 5-1 victory. Post-game, he was crowned the leader across home runs with 10 season home runs, a batting average of 0.364, and the number hits with 52 hits in two MLB leagues. His record of 1.111 OPS also stands as the highest in MLB.

Ohtani, who has been playing only as a hitter this year after elbow surgery last year, hit a total of 25 long hits, including 14 doubles and one triple, until his 35th season game on Monday. He is the first Dodgers player to record 25 or more long hits in 35 season games.

His second home run, a pivotal moment in the match against the Braves, came at the bottom of the eighth inning, with the Dodgers leading the game 4-1. He launched the ball 141 meters overall to the middle wall, marking this season's second-longest home run distance. The highest record was set by Mike Trout, who hit a 144-meter homerun during a match on Thursday.

“The first home run in the bottom of the first inning hit slightly in the back. I was hoping that it would go over the wall,” shared Ohtani. "The second homer had a great timing and the ball came right in the middle. I feel more confident after hitting home runs like this.”


Bo-Mi Im bom@donga.com