Shohei Ohtani continues to break records and add stats with the Los Angeles Dodgers, as the defending champions lead the National League West.
The 6’3, 210 pounds slugger has 39 home runs, 75 RBIs and is keeping a .276 batting average, which has helped the Dodgers get a 66-49 record.
Ohtani has also pitched 19 innings, good enough for a 2.37 ERA with 16 hits, five runs and one home run allowed. There’s no doubt that the Japanese All-Star is the closest thing to legendary slugger Babe Ruth this generation has seen.
Ohtani switches from pitcher to hitter with ease
In a span of less than three minutes, Shohei Ohtani struck out a St. Louis Cardinals batter, left the mound, threw on his batting gear without heading to the dugout, and stepped to the plate for a hit on a fielding error. Talk about an impressive feast.
Ohtani blasted his 39th homer of the season-a two-run shot that also marked his 1,000th career MLB hit, making him just the third Japanese-born player to reach that milestone. He’s on track to be one of the best Los Angeles Dodgers players ever.
Joining legends Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui in the 1,000-hit club, Ohtani also struck out eight on the mound in the same game. Few players in baseball history have showcased such dominance on both sides of the ball, and he’s barely hitting his prime, which is scary for the rest of the MLB.
The Dodgers find their rhtym
The Los Angeles Dodgers were struggling at the beginning of the season, but the defending champions have been able to find their rhytm and improve, especially at the rotation, with pitching being a constant issue. Currently they have six solid starters: Blake Snell,Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw,Emmet Sheehan and Ohtani.
It also helps that Shohei has an .865 OPS since July 1, which counts as a slump by his lofty standards. He still leads the National League in slugging (.601), OPS (.981), total bases (264). He also leads the Majors with 105 runs scored.
That’s great news for Los Angeles due to the fact that slugger Mookie Betts has struggled with his batting performance over the last few months. Manager Dave Roberts has been firm that he’s not planning on hitting Betts lower than second. Agree or disagree, this appears to be how things are going to be.
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