Shohei Ohtani Hits an Epic Home Run

It travels 473 feet, comes within a whisker of leaving Dodger Stadium
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 22, 2024 10:05 AM CDT

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani became the first National League player to hit 30 home runs this season on Sunday, and he did so in a way that had teammates and sportscasters searching for superlatives. The designated hitter's solo homer in the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox traveled 473 feet and nearly cleared Dodger Stadium, reports MLB.com. Watch it here, or see the entire at-bat here. The ball cleared the seats in right-center, "traveled below the roof that sits beyond them, bounced past the concourse below and wound up in the neighboring walkway of Dodger Stadium's Centerfield Plaza," per ESPN.

Or as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts puts it, Ohtani hit the ball "where people don't go," adding, "He just never ceases to amaze," per MLB. It's the third-longest home run in the majors this season, but it may be the most impressive because the top two (including, yes, one by Ohtani) were hit in the "mile-high air" of Coors Field in Denver, per Yahoo Sports. Ohtani also is a star pitcher, though he isn't throwing this year after elbow surgery. Instead, he's serving solely as a DH—and doing so well it's possible he could be the first DH in baseball history to win the MVP award, notes CBS Sports. (Ohtani was recently embroiled in a gambling scandal involving his Japanese interpreter.)

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