“Shohei Who?” Shohei Ohtani Playfully Teased by Kike Hernandez Amid Another Historic Dodgers Record

Just around a month ago, Shohei Ohtani achieved a historic feat. He scored his 200th homer against the Detroit Tigers in Comerica Park and became the first Japanese player to accomplish such a milestone. Indeed, the staggering number of homers reflects his 2024 stats. In the current MLB season, ‘Shotime’ is scoring at an average of .309 with 33 homers and an impressive OPS of 1.027. Yet again, facing the Oakland Athletics game on Saturday, Ohtani stole his 29th, 30th, and 31st bases of the 2024 major league baseball season. 

Eventually, the Dodgers crushed the Athletics by a score of 10-0, whereas significant contributions came from the Dodgers star hitter Shohei Ohtani and his beloved LAD’s friend, Kike Hernandez. However, aside from just winning on Saturday, the two-way phenom clinched yet another historical record, the first one of his MLB career. Nevertheless, resonating with Shohei Ohtani’s historical achievement, his Dodgers teammate Kike Hernandez had a short but funny conversation with a reporter on the field. 

Shohei Ohtani’s historical Dodgers record & Kike Hernandez’s banter

Dealing with an elbow injury and being unable to pitch in the 2024 season didn’t stop Ohtani as a hitter. He became the first Dodgers player to have a 30-30 career season since Matt Kemp in 2011. After the Athletics match, Ohtani now has 31 steals and 33 staggering home runs in the 2024 MLB season. Ultimately, as fans and players were praising Shohei Ohtani, his teammate Kike Hernandez took a friendly dig at the two-way maestro. After the game, when asked whether he was turning into Ohtani with his two-way abilities, Hernandez jokingly replied, “Shohei who?” and then ran straight into the dugout. 

Indeed, it was only the 108th game for ‘Shotime’ when the Dodgers star achieved the historical feat. With a 30-30 record, Shohei Ohtani became the third-fastest player in NL/AL history to clinch the record in 108 games. He just fell one short of breaking the New York Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez’s record against the Seattle Mariners when he achieved the 30-30 feat in 107 games. Eventually, after etching his name on the 30-30 MLB record, Shohei Ohtani has plenty of time to reach the golden 40-40 one.

Only five MLB members have achieved the 40-40 feat, namely Canseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996), A-Rod (1998), Alfonso Soriano (2006), and latest Ronald Acuna Jr (2023). The Dodgers player still has two months left to stick another astonishing record to his name. Also, aside from achieving the historical feat, the 30-year-old Blue Crew star is slowly gearing up for the 2024 AL MVP race. 

Is Shohei Ohtani on the run for a third-time MVP title?

Recently, after winning the AL MVP title in 2023, Ohtani’s form depicts he might win another one. Entering the 2024 MLB season, Ohtani made his stance quite clear. He was suffering from an elbow injury and was unable to pitch. However, he showcased all the efforts in his batting. Also, aside from stealing 31 bases and having 204 career home runs, the lad has been on top of his running game. 

Despite being 6-foot-four and weighing 210 pounds, his sprint speed of 28.2 has been above the league average of 27 feet per second. Further, comparing Ohtani in home runs, he leads the NL in total homers. In the overall MLB list, Aaron Judge stands tall with 41 homers, followed by Ohtani with 33. Regarding the stolen base numbers, Shohei ranks third and is hitting well above the league average at .309/.400/.627, along with a massive 84 runs scored. 

Although, seeing recent MVP titles, winning the title as a designated hitter has been challenging. But, with Ohtani’s hitting numbers going past .600 in batting average, he could be among the strongest MVP contenders in the 2024 season. Ultimately, if Shohei Ohtani wins the 2024 MVP award, he will join the legend Frank Robinson as the only two MLB players to win the illustrious title in both leagues. 

Will Ohtani win the 2024 AL MVP award? Let us know your answers in the comments below.