This season, Shohei Ohtani has been a Dodgers star, shattering numerous Dodgers and MLB records. Ohtani has made a name for himself by launching baseballs far beyond stadiums. His home run against the Rockies on June 18 was 476 feet, making him one of the top five longest home runs of the 2024 MLB season.
The record for the most career home runs hit by a player born in Japan, held by Hideki Matsui, has already been surpassed by the two-way standout. With his April record-breaking blast, Ohtani now has 210 career home runs.
Ohtani has guaranteed his place in the Baseball Hall of Fame in the future. However, there is one thing he still needs to do. The 500 home run club currently has just 28 Major League players as members; Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers became the most recent member in 2021. Cabrera finished the 2017 season with 511 home runs.
Deesha Thosar, an MLB journalist for FOX Sports, calculated the probability that the 18 active power hitters in the Major Leagues would someday smash 500 home runs. There were two Dodgers on the list, representing varying degrees of hope.
At 34 years old, Freddie Freeman has hit 338 home runs in his career, making him an unusual selection for the 500-club. Thosar asserted, however, that Ohtani has the ability to join the team if his health permits.
Ohtani has averaged 30 home runs a season over the course of seven MLB seasons. He will remain a Dodger until the 2034 season according to his contract. If Ohtani maintains this rate, he should reach the 500-home run mark in the next ten years, given that he needs 290 more to join the club.
In terms of statistics, Thosar ought to have categorized Ohtani as “Likely.” However, several were concerned about his past injury history and future duties as a two-way player.
Hopefully, Ohtani’s health has held up throughout the season. The intense workload of both pitching and hitting may hinder his ability to perform at the plate when he pitches again. The New York Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton and the Angels’ Mike Trout are two additional sluggers in a similar scenario due to their propensity for injuries.
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