In the Los Angeles Dodgers' lengthy, bicoastal history, designated hitter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani stands alone.
On an 0–2 count Tuesday against Milwaukee Brewers fireballer Jacob Misiorowski, Ohtani turned an 88 mph curveball into a 431-foot home run—his 31st home run of the season. That gave him the Dodgers' all-time record for home runs before the All-Star break.
The mark was previously held by first baseman and outfielder Cody Bellinger, who smashed 30 in the first half of 2019 on his way to a career year and the National League's MVP award.
Ohtani, who has played in 91 of his team's 93 contests so far, is on pace for 54 home runs on the dot—his exact total from 2024, which broke right fielder Shawn Green's 2001 franchise record of 49.
Los Angeles currently sits in first place in the National League West division—six games clear of the second-place San Francisco Giants.
So far, the Dodgers' $700 million investment is paying off handsomely.
