Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers) hit home runs in three consecutive games, pulling away in the home run king race. He reached the 20-home run mark for the season.
Ohtani started as the designated hitter in the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on the 28th (Korean time). In the 4th inning with two outs and a runner on first leading 2-0, Ohtani stepped up to the plate for his third at-bat, showcasing his incredible power.
He hit Cleveland's starting pitcher Tanner Bibee's first pitch, an 83.9 mph outside cutter. Although it was a high fly ball with an angle of 39 degrees, Ohtani powered it over the 6-meter fence at Progressive Field. The ball traveled 362 feet (110 meters) and had a speed of 104.5 mph (168.2 km/h).
With this, Ohtani has hit home runs in three consecutive games, reaching the 20-home run mark in his 53rd game. He became the first player in Major League Baseball this season to hit 20 home runs, extending his lead over Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees and Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies (both with 18 home runs).
He achieved 20 home runs at a much earlier point compared to last year. In a season where he showcased incredible power with 54 home runs, Ohtani reached the 20-home run mark in the team's 75th game and in the 72 games he played, while this year he achieved it in the team's 55th and his 53rd game. He is hitting home runs at a much faster pace than last year.
There is growing interest in how many more home runs Ohtani can hit.
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