Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani has already shattered multiple records in his historic campaign this season. With mere weeks until the MLB regular season comes to a close, he could soon break yet another impressive record.
In the Angels' key 4-1 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday, the 2021 American League MVP Award favorite slugged the 43rd home run of his season. This three-run dinger wound up being the game-winner for the Angels in this contest.
YepâŠI think he got it. đ±đ±
HR 43 for Ohtani and it. was. CRUSHED!!#WeBelieve | @Angels pic.twitter.com/0UR08SgfjM
â Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) September 5, 2021
Ohtani's 43 home runs lead all of baseball this season. Barring a late-season charge from the likes of Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez, Ohtani will finish the campaign as the leader in home runs by quite a distance.
More so, Ohtani is seven home runs away from breaking the record for the most home runs hit by a designated hitter in a season. Out of Ohtani's 43 dingers this season, 41 of them have come as a designated hitter, which currently ties him with Nelson Cruz in 2019 (41) for fourth on this all-time leaderboard.
Former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz slugged 47 home runs as a designated hitter during the 2006 season, which is the record in this noteworthy stat.
Adding to his MLB lead by socking home run #43 of 2021 in a 4-1 @Angels win vs the Rangers on Saturday, Shohei Ohtani has hit all but 2 of those as his team's designated hitter. That has put the two-way phenom into a tie for 4th on this list of remarkable slugging seasons by a DH pic.twitter.com/I400DSnHlS
â StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) September 5, 2021
Ohtani should well break this record over the coming weeks, which would then bolster his candidacy for the AL MVP Award.
The prowess from Ohtani at the plate has garnered much attention, while his dominance on the mound has simply continued to impress. The Angels ace has notched a 2.97 ERA and 135 strikeouts over 112.0 innings pitched so far this season. This might not be enough to push him to a top-three finish in the AL Cy Young Award voting later this year, but his performances as a starting pitcher have been worth marveling at.
For now, Ohtani will have key challenges ahead over the remainder of the year. The Angels are set for key series matchups against the likes of the Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros and San Diego Padres.
Follow Us
Subscribe