"I'm looking forward to hitting tens and hundreds more for Dodgers fans" - Shohei Ohtani reflects on his milestone home run against the Mets
Shohei Ohtani is coming off a night to remember with the boys in blue after smashing his 176th home run. Ohtani broke Hideki Matsui's record for most home runs by a Japanese-born player in the MLB, as the Los Angeles Dodgers thrashed the New York Mets 10-0 on Sunday.
With a swing of his bat, Ohtani put the Dodgers on the board and became the leader with the most home runs in the MLB for a Japanese-born player. The Dodgers star continues to keep his numbers high, and his performance intact for the team.
Shohei Ohtani is not ready to stop anytime soon as he believes he has only hit a few for the Dodgers. Ohtani's 176th homer was his fifth for the team. The 29-year-old said he is looking forward to contributing more to his team for the Dodgers fans.
"There were a lot of people in the stands and I only hit a few in front of Dodgers fans, so I'm looking forward to hitting tens and hundreds more for Dodgers fans," Ohtani said.
Shohei Ohtani gains momentum after slow start
The two-way star has settled in and is picking up the pace after his slow start. Since his debut with the team, Shohei Ohtani has been dealing with several issues. However, he managed to put the pieces together and continued his hitting streak. Dodgers fans are thrilled to have Ohtani record milestones with the team.
It takes time to adapt to a new team for any player but several fans expected Ohtani to shine immediately. Manager Dave Roberts has been supportive of Ohtani despite his shaky start. Roberts also praised the direct hitter for breaking the record.
"Whatever kind of mark is ahead of Shohei, he's trying to take them all down," Roberts said (via Washington Post).
Ohtani is holding a batting clip of .368 with a 1.094 OPS. The slugger has recorded 13 RBIs, 35 hits, and drove in 19 runs in 95 appearances at the plate. He is also throwing and is expected to pitch for the Dodgers in 2025.
Ohtani has enough time to set the bar high and break barriers. However, his goal is to win the World Series with his new team. The Dodgers will open a three-game series against the Washington Nationals on the road.