Baseball

Shohei Ohtani Becomes 1st Japanese Major Leaguer to Win Home Run Title (Update 1)

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 23, 2023; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a two-run home run against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at Angel Stadium.

Jiji Press

10:35 JST, October 2, 2023 (updated at 13:00 JST)

Anaheim, California (Jiji Press)—Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani became the first-ever Japanese major leaguer to win a home run title on Sunday, finishing his sixth season in MLB with 44, the most in the American League.

The 29-year-old Ohtani said in a statement that when he thinks about the great Japanese players who have played in MLB, he feels very honored and grateful. He said he thanks his teammates, coaching staff and fans for helping him achieve the goal.

The achievement came after Ohtani notched up his 150th home run in MLB and the 200th in his professional career, including in Japan, in June. The following month, he blasted home runs in three consecutive games and hit home runs in three straight at-bats.

He hit his 44th homer of the season on Aug. 23 before missing the season’s last 25 games of the season due to ligament surgery in his right elbow.

Before the season started, Ohtani played for Japan in the World Baseball Classic in March to contribute to the country’s victory.

This season, Ohtani logged his career-best batting average of .304 with 95 RBIs. As a pitcher, he scored 10 wins and five losses, with an ERA of 3.14 and 167 strikeouts.

Becoming the first pitcher in MLB history to achieve double-digit wins and double-digit home runs for the second consecutive season, Ohtani is anticipated to earn the MVP award for the second time since 2021, when he racked up 46 home runs and nine wins.

On Sept. 19 this year, Ohtani underwent his second right elbow surgery. He is expected to focus on batting next season and make his return to the mound in 2025.

Ohtani became the second Japanese MLB player to win a batting, home run or RBI title since Ichiro was a batting champion in 2001 and 2004 when he played for the Seattle Mariners.