Story by
Shohei Ohtani pulls off historic MLB feat last done in 1954 by Willie Mays
- Story by
- Shohei Ohtani pulls off historic MLB feat last done in 1954 by Willie Mays
The post Shohei Ohtani pulls off historic MLB feat last done in 1954 by Willie Mays appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Shohei Ohtani is putting together yet another MVP-caliber season in 2025 after winning the award three times in the last four years. Ohtani broke the record for home runs by a leadoff hitter over the first 80 games of a season on Tuesday, surpassing Brady Anderson's mark of 26 set in 1996. On Thursday, the Los Angeles Dodgers star made more MLB history.
Advertisement
Ohtani became the first player in 71 years to have 28 home runs and six triples through the first 80 games of a season. Willie Mays was the last player to reach those heights, accomplishing the feat in 1954, per OptaSTATS.
Shohei Ohtani joins exclusive company in first 80 games
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Ohtani now has 28 home runs and six triples along with 52 RBI and an MLB-high 80 runs scored. He's slashing .291/.391/.626 in 80 games with the Dodgers this season.
Mays had 30 home runs and six triples with 71 RBI and 68 runs scored while slashing .333/.402/.724 over his first 80 games in 1954. He finished the season with 41 homers, 13 triples, 110 RBI and 119 runs, winning the first of two career MVP Awards.
Advertisement
Ohtani has already claimed three MVPs in his career, winning his first National League MVP in his Dodgers debut last season. However, he'll have a tough time surpassing Mays' 24 All-Star Game appearances.
Fun fact, the Hall of Famer made 24 All-Star Games despite only playing 23 seasons in the majors. He was able to accomplish this seemingly impossible feat because MLB featured two All-Star Games per season from 1959-1962. So Mays doubled up on appearances over those four years. But even if you take away the extra four All-Star nods he'd still have 20, which is a bunch.
Ohtani was selected to the Midsummer Classic for the fifth time this season. He's now tied with David Ortiz for the most All-Star Game starts at DH . And the eighth-year veteran also made his long-awaited return to the mound on June 16. It was his Dodgers pitching debut as he last started a game in September 2023.
Just about the only thing Ohtani isn't doing at the moment is stealing bases. In 2024, Shohei became the first player to join the 50/50 club as he swiped 59 bags on the season. He has 11 steals so far in 2025 but his last stolen base came on May 20 – a span of 33 games. Ohtani had 10 steals over his first 33 games of the season. He now has one stolen base in his last 46 games.
Related: Giants fans rip Bob Melvin over claim after getting swept by Marlins
Related: Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani cruises to All-Star Game without any trouble
