Shohei Ohtani Ties Hall Of Fame Slugger For MLB All-Star Game Record

Shohei Ohtani is still in the prime of his career, but he has already tied a Hall of Fame slugger for an All-Star game record.

Ohtani received the most All-Star votes among National League players, so on Thursday he earned an automatic starting spot as the designated hitter. He also joined David Ortiz as the only two players in MLB history to start five All-Star games at designated hitter, per MLB.com's Sarah Langs.

This will be Shohei Ohtani’s 5th All-Star start at DH, tying David Ortiz for most ASG starts at DH https://t.co/1DCOajexsQ
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 26, 2025

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this achievement for Ohtani is how quickly it's happened. Ohtani will have started five All-Star game at designated hitter in just eight seasons, compared to Ortiz, who played 20 seasons in MLB.

However, Ortiz didn't get quite as many opportunities to do so. From 1989-2009, the designated hitter was only used in All-Star games played at American League stadiums. In 2010, the rule changed to allow both the AL and NL to have designated hitters every year, no matter where the game was played.

Ortiz made his first All-Star game as a reserve in 2004, when the game was played at a National League stadium without a designated hitter. He was the starting designated hitter in 2005, then started at first base in the 2006 and 2007 All-Star games, one of which was played without a designated hitter.

It's still an impressive accomplishment for Ohtani, whose on a similar career trajectory to Ortiz. A Hall of Famer, Ortiz finished his career with 541 home runs, three World Series titles and 10 All-Star game appearances.

In 2025, Ohtani is slashing .291/.391/.626/1.018 with 27 home runs, 51 RBIs and 11 stolen bases, making him the frontrunner for a third straight NL MVP award and a fourth in the last five years. He already has 252 career home runs, putting 500 for his career in play.

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