Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani came into Friday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with 14 home runs in the month of June. He hit his 15th in the game. It just so happened to be the longest home run of his already illustrious career.
The Diamondbacks had pitcher Tommy Henry on the mound. He was in the midst of a scoreless outing. That changed when Ohtani came up to bat in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Ohtani would end Henry’s scoreless outing with an absolute moonshot, a 493-foot home run that marked the 30th of the season for the two-way superstar.
Shohei Ohtani hits his 30th home run of the season and it's…impressive, traveling 493 feet. pic.twitter.com/t1akKbul4m
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) July 1, 2023
It marks the fourth home run in as many games for Ohtani, and the longest home run of the season by any player. Fans took to social media to sing his praises following this last incredible feat.
This went an estimated 493 feet.
Every day we think Shohei Ohtani can’t get any better. And every day he does. pic.twitter.com/tiSW9sCTOw
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 1, 2023
FIRST TO 3️⃣0️⃣ HR 🚀
Shohei Ohtani’s 493-ft homer is the longest by any player this season and a career-best 💪
(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/7mJDuRk19v
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 1, 2023
SHOHEI OHTANI HAS 30 HOME RUNS BEFORE JULY AND THIS ONE WENT FOURRRR HUNDREDDDD AND NINETY-THREE FEET!!! pic.twitter.com/eq9fQdRJu7
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) July 1, 2023
SHOHEI OHTANI JUST HIT A BASEBALL 493 FEET FOR HOME RUN #30 OH MY GOD
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) July 1, 2023
SHOHEI OHTANI TO OUTER SPACE! 4️⃣9️⃣3️⃣🚀 pic.twitter.com/VPL6xAgSWz
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 1, 2023
Shohei Ohtani doesn’t get the coverage he deserves. He is doing things that shouldn’t be possible in 2023’s #MLB. Why is that? I know the Angels haven’t been great, and play second fiddle to the Dodgers and all… but… He’s a true unicorn.
pic.twitter.com/ZfiQXTeRoL— Jacob Hester (@JacobHester18) July 1, 2023
With this home run, Ohtani enters some rare company that speaks to just how hot he truly is at the plate at the moment. He is now just the third player in American League history to hit 15 home runs in the month of June, joining Babe Ruth, Bob Johnson, and Roger Maris in that exclusive list.
Here's Shohei Ohtani's 30th homer of the year and his 15th in June. He's the fourth player in AL history with 15 homers in June, joining Babe Ruth (1930 Yankees) Bob Johnson (1934 A's) and Roger Maris (1961 Yankees). pic.twitter.com/QZPRJmIKTE
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) July 1, 2023
He also joins just Sammy Sosa as the only players to hit 30 home runs and steal 10 bases in a season before July.
Shohei Ohtani joins Sammy Sosa in 1998 as the only players with 30 HR & 10 stolen bases before July. pic.twitter.com/tACCBqhXsW
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 1, 2023
Ohtani seems to be distancing himself from any other player in baseball in terms of the conversation of being the best player in the sport.
His latest home run actually puts him on the exact same pace at this point in the season as Aaron Judge was last season for the Yankees, with 30 home runs in 84 games played.
Shohei Ohtani has 30 home runs in 84 Angels games this season. Aaron Judge had 30 home runs through 84 Yankees games last season pic.twitter.com/5Dyogh20Zb
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 1, 2023
What separates the two, however, is the fact that Ohtani is also an elite pitcher while putting up these insane offensive stats, sporting a 3.02 ERA in 95.1 innings pitched this year.
