Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s Shohei Ohtani (29) continued his peak hitting form and pushed his season home run pace to 60.
Ohtani started in the No. 2 spot in the lineup against the New York Yankees at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, USA, on April 18 and went 4-for-3 with a home run, two doubles, one RBI, one run scored and one walk. The Angels went on to win 4-3.
According to MLB.com, “Ohtani knew it was a home run as soon as he hit it. He took a moment to admire the pitch and then executed the biggest bat flip of his major league career,” according to MLB.com.
Angels manager Phil Nevin said, “That was one of the most emotional moments I’ve ever seen him on the field. It’s an unbelievable play. When a superstar creates a moment like that, it’s not just for the people in the stands, it’s for his teammates in the dugout. It was a great moment for our team, and we didn’t let it go to waste by winning,” he said, emphasizing that Ohtani’s spectacular display lifted the team’s spirits.
According to MLB.com, “Ohtani homered for the third straight game, giving him 35 homers on the year, surpassing the 34 he hit last season. He has 35 homers through the team’s first 95 games, which is exactly what Aaron Judge (Yankees) did last season. Jersey went on to set the American League home run record with 62 homers and win the American League MVP award over Ohtani,” explaining Ohtani’s home run pace.
In 93 games this season, Ohtani is 3-for-6 (359-for-110) with 35 homers, 75 RBIs and a 1.068 OPS, and in 18 starts (105⅓ innings), he is 7-5 with a 3.50 ERA. If he continues to hit at his current pace of 60 home runs per season, he could surpass the 50-homer mark for the first time in his career and reach 60. Ohtani’s previous best single-season home run total was 46 in 2021.
Only six players in Major League Baseball history have ever hit 60 home runs: Babe Ruth (1927), Roger Maris (1961), Sammy Sosa (1998, 1999, 2001), Mark McGwire (1998, 1999), Barry Bonds (2001), and Aaron Judge (2022). Ruth is the only other player to also play as a double-header, as he was a two-hitter early in his career. Even he didn’t pitch a single game in 1927, the year he hit 60 home runs.아톰카지노
If Ohtani reaches 60 homers, it will be one of the greatest seasons in Major League Baseball history.