Shohei Ohtani has made history as Major League Baseball’s all-time home run leader among Asian-born players. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels star slugged his 48th home run of the season on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins, bringing his career total to 219 homers. This feat eclipsed the previous record of 218 held by Shin Soo-Choo, who was born in Busan, South Korea.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani congratulates his dog Decoy after Decoy delivered the ceremonial first pitch prior to a baseball game between the Dodgers and the Baltimore Orioles, in Los Angeles, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ohtani, a native of Ōshū, Iwate, Japan, had already surpassed Hideki Matsui’s 175 career home runs earlier this season, marking him as the top Japanese-born player in MLB history. Ohtani expressed pride in this achievement, citing Matsui as one of his idols. Ichiro Suzuki is the only other Japanese-born player to have surpassed 100 career home runs, finishing with 117.
Currently, Ohtani is one home run away from tying Shawn Green’s single-season Dodgers franchise record of 49 and just two away from claiming the record for himself. With 48 stolen bases to complement his 48 home runs, he is on track to become the first player in MLB history to achieve a 50-50 season.