Shohei Ohtani has taken to life as a Los Angeles Dodger like a duck to water, helping the team to first place in the National League (NL) West standings – and hitting even more milestones along the way.
On Tuesday, the 29-year-old hit a leadoff home run in the team’s 4-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox to become the first Dodger since Roy Campanella in 1955 to have nine straight games with a run batted in (RBI).
His trip around the bases wasn’t the smoothest of his career, however. When Ohtani was midway between first and second base, the Japanese superstar ran back to first base to touch it again because he wasn’t sure if he had done so on his initial way around. He said afterwards it was “just to be safe.”
He also carried his bat with him well past first base – something out of the ordinary in baseball. “I was just kind of looking at the ball, hoping that it was gonna go out,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton, per the MLB.
“I didn’t realize I had the bat with me, so I dropped it. That’s where (first-base coach) Clayton (McCullough) came in. And so that’s why I dropped the bat and just wasn’t quite sure if I stepped on the bag.”
His nine consecutive games with an RBI ties the Dodgers franchise record with Campanella, Augie Galan and Eddie Brown, who also reached the mark in 1944 and 1924 respectively.
Ohtani would later add an RBI single in the fourth inning, going 2-for-4 with two runs total in the game, as the Dodgers won their 50th of the season.
“I don’t know what more we can really say about him,” Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman said of Ohtani, per the MLB. “I think we’ve said everything we can since he’s entered this league about what an amazing player he is.
“Sometimes, you’ve just got to step back and just appreciate a player like this.”
Ohtani’s excellent debut season with the Dodgers really kicked into gear in June, as he’s averaged .306 batting with 10 home runs, 22 RBIs and 15 walks compared to 20 strikeouts in 22 games.
As a result, he’s already the favorite to win NL MVP midway through his first season with the franchise.
Ohtani’s output as a batter has improved in the absence of having to display his two-way skills. He is serving as a designated hitter in 2024 after undergoing elbow surgery and will not pitch until 2025.