Shohei Ohtani Hits Career 300th Homer, To Appear as Designated Hitter in All-Star Game

Los Angeles, July 7 (CNA) -- Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hit his 300th career home run today. Transitioning from star to legend, this marks a significant milestone in Ohtani's Major League Baseball career, and he is set to appear as a designated hitter in next week's All-Star Game.

Jake Mintz, a senior writer for Yahoo Sports, noted in a lengthy article today that Ohtani's 300th homer is the latest milestone in his continuous rewriting of baseball's limits, further representing his ascent from star to legend.

This two-way superstar, serving as the Dodgers' leadoff hitter today, swung his powerful bat and sent a sinker from Colorado Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen into the center field stands.

This is another record in Ohtani's already illustrious career. However, the vast majority of Ohtani's achievements to date have been measured in the context of 'his very existence' or 'single-game, single-season greatness.'

Ohtani's ability to be a producer of interesting statistics is primarily because no one else in MLB can pitch and hit simultaneously. Regardless of the degree, his two-way ability itself is astonishing; this combination of skills seems like a legend rather than something expected in modern baseball.

Today's 300th homer carries a slightly different meaning. While 300 home runs are not particularly rare, it represents the first significant statistical milestone in Ohtani's brilliant MLB career to date.

There is a subtle yet crucial difference between 'the greatest of all time' and 'the best performer ever.' Ohtani is undoubtedly in the latter category. His performance in Game 4 of the 2025 NLCS, where he pitched 6 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and went 3-for-3 with 3 home runs, was a peak of baseball, with no one else achieving such statistics in this sport.

Without delving into the simplified and meaningless 'greatest of all time' discussion, the key differentiator between a star and a Hall of Famer is often 'longevity.' This means performing magic day after day, and more importantly, year after year. Players and fans often respect nothing more than consistent, steady performance, even if it's considered mundane and old-fashioned.

In other words, legends are measured in decades. Ohtani's 300th homer serves as a reminder that he, who just turned 32 on Sunday, is on his way to becoming a legend before our eyes. This milestone allows people not only to appreciate his current performance but also to look back at his existing achievements.

Don't forget that Ohtani's hitting prowess was not always highly regarded. When he came to MLB from Japan in the 2018 season, scouting reports cited opinions from eight scouts who had watched him in person, seriously doubting his ability to become a competent MLB hitter.

During Ohtani's first spring training with the Angels, he had only 4 hits in 36 at-bats, with none of them being extra-base hits. He struck out 10 times, and his overall performance seemed lackluster. However, in the regular season that began in April, this hitter already had his first 3 MLB home runs in the first 4 games.

Now, with his 20th homer of the season, Ohtani has reached 300 career MLB home runs. Ohtani, on his way to becoming a legend, was also the top vote-getter in this year's All-Star fan balloting.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who will manage the National League All-Star team, stated that Ohtani will not participate in the Home Run Derby held the day before the All-Star Game and will not pitch in the All-Star Game, but he will still appear as the starting designated hitter, and everyone will still see him at the plate. (Compiled by Qu Xiangping) 1150708)