Shohei Ohtani has been nothing short of stellar in his second season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and put together a prolific showing in May that earned him a place in franchise history.
Ohtani’s 15 home runs hit during May tied Duke Snider and Pedro Guerrero for the most in Dodgers history in any calendar month.
Just behind Snider, Guerrero and Ohtani are Adrián Beltré (August 2004) and Cody Bellinger (June 2017), who each hit 13 long balls during their respective months. Bellinger did so en route to winning National League Rookie of the Year honors.
Snider achieved the feat with the Brooklyn Dodgers in August 1953, hitting his 15 home runs while playing in 31 games. Snider finished that season with 42 homers, the second-highest total of his career.
Guerrero hit 15 home runs across 25 games in June 1985. Guerrero slugged a career-best 33 homers that year, which was his third of what would be five All-Star seasons.
Ohtani’s 15 home runs hit in May are tied for fifth in MLB history. He became the first player to hit that many during the month of May since Edwin Encarnacion in 2014.
Barry Bonds holds the MLB record for most home runs hit during May month with 17. He set the benchmark in 2001, the same season Bonds established the MLB record of most home runs in a single season with 73.
Shohei Ohtani breaks Dodgers home run record
Ohtani went 2-for-4 on Saturday but was kept inside the ballpark in his final chance of becoming the sole Dodgers record holder for most home runs hit during one month. However, he still has made another bit of franchise history.
By reaching 22 home runs in the Dodgers’ 55th game of the season, Ohtani has the most in the team’s first 57 games in any given year. The record previously belonged to Gil Hodges, who hit 21 home runs in 57 games to begin the 1951 season.
Part of Ohtani setting a new Dodgers record was combining with Aaron Judge to make MLB history as reigning MVP winners to both hit a home run in the first inning of the same game.
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