The greatness of Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Shohei Ohtani of Oshu, Japan is continuing. Two days after setting the record for the most home runs hit by a Japanese baseball player of all-time, Ohtani hit a home run of significance in a 4-1 Dodgers win over the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington, District of Columbia. Ohtani’s ninth inning home run off of Nationals relief pitcher Matt Barnes not only went 450 feet, but travelled 118.7 miles per hour. That, according to Dayn Perry of CBS Sports, was the hardest hit of the season, and the hardest hit home run of Ohtani’s career.
What were the previous hardest hits in 2024?
Two hits have travelled 116.7 miles per hour. Remarkably, San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic hit a 116.7 mile per hour single on March 21 in the Padres’s 15-11 win over the Dodgers in Seoul, South Korea. Then, New York Yankees right fielder Giancarlo Stanton also hit a 116.7 mile per hour single on April 6 in a 9-8 Yankees win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium.
Only hit for Ohtani in the game
Ohtani waited for his fifth plate appearance, and fourth at bat, before collecting his first and only hit of the game. In his previous four plate appearances, he had a ground out to second base, two flyball outs, and a walk. For those like me who chose Ohtani in Major League Baseball’s Beat the Streak, I felt your stress level last night.
Ohtani in 2024
This season, Ohtani leads MLB with a .364 batting average, 36 hits, 11 doubles, 67 total bases, and a .677 slugging percentage. Ohtani also has scored 20 runs, and had one triple, six home runs, 14 runs batted in, five stolen bases, 13 walks, two sacrifice flies, and an on base percentage of .430. The Dodgers meanwhile lead the National League West with a record of 13 wins and 11 losses. They lead the San Diego Padres by a game and a half.
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