Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani on Historic Pace at the Plate Entering July

Shohei Ohtani has 102 hits, 26 home runs and 16 stolen bases halfway through the 2024 regular season, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar a historic stat line at the plate.

Jun 29, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) slides into home plate during the eleventh inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. | Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Shohei Ohtani was expected to be beyond dominant with the Los Angeles Dodgers this season, and he has somehow managed to exceed those expectations midway through 2024.

The designated hitter is batting .316 with 102 hits, 26 home runs, 62 RBI, 16 stolen bases, a 1.034 OPS and a 4.8 WAR. He is leading the National League in home runs, batting average, OPS and WAR while ranking second in hits, third in RBI and eighth in stolen bases.

According to OptaSTATS, Ohtani has joined Larry Walker and Alex Rodriguez as one of the only three players in MLB history to have at least 100 hits, 25 home runs and 15 stolen bases before July 1. Walker and Rodriguez achieved the feat in 1997 and 1998, respectively, meaning it hadn't been accomplished in 26 years.

Ohtani also becomes the first player in Dodgers history to reach those marks at this point in the season.

Shohei Ohtani of the @Dodgers is the third major leaguer to have at least 100 hits, 25 home runs and 15 stolen bases entering July.
The others were Alex Rodriguez (1998) and Larry Walker (1997). pic.twitter.com/r0nz2JnWSn

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) July 1, 2024

Ohtani is one of the leaders in the clubhouse to win NL MVP, which would be quite the accomplishment for the soon-to-be 30-year-old. He was named AL MVP as a member of the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and 2023, but he also boasted elite stats on the mound those years.

While Ohtani is progressing from the elbow injury he suffered last fall, he is still unlikely to take the mound in 2024. As a result, he would need to use his bat, and his bat alone, to reach those same heights in 2024.

The Dodgers signed Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract in December. He has already given them historic and potentially award-worthy production at the plate, and that alone may have justified the high price tag.

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