Fastball

Shohei Ohtani Makes History Out of Los Angeles Dodgers' Leadoff Spot

By blasting yet another home run in Sunday's win over the Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani continued his hot start to the season.

Sam Connon

Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a two-run home run during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a two-run home run during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
In this story:

While Shohei Ohtani has been making headlines for his return to the mound this month, the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar hasn't stopped slugging.

Ohtani had already tossed a perfect first inning, drawn a walk and notched a three-RBI triple by the time he stepped into the batter's box in the bottom of the eighth on Sunday. In his final plate appearance of the showdown with the Washington Nationals, Ohtani added a two-run home run to left-center.

It marked the 26th home run of the season for Ohtani, who has served as the Dodgers' leadoff hitter in every one of his 77 appearances this season.

According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, Ohtani is tied for the most home runs out of the leadoff spot through a team's first 79 games in MLB history. Baltimore Orioles star Brady Anderson also had 26 at this point in the 1996 season, while George Springer and Gunnar Henderson each reached 24 in 2017 and 2024, respectively.

Ohtani is now batting .291 with a 1.014 OPS and a 3.6 WAR so far in 2025, on top of his two strikeouts and 4.50 ERA through 2.0 innings as a pitcher. The three-time MVP is well on his way towards a fifth All-Star appearance, all while spearheading a Los Angeles lineup that leads MLB with 442 runs.

The 48-31 Dodgers will take Monday off, then hit the road to face the Colorado Rockies at 8:40 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Related MLB Stories

  • OHTANI MAKES 2-WAY HISTORY: After tossing a scoreless first inning against the Washington Nationals, Shohei Ohtani delivered a home run and a triple in the Los Angeles Dodgers' latest win. CLICK HERE
  • DEVERS PLAYING HURT: Manager Bob Melvin told reporters Sunday that Rafael Devers has been dealing with a groin issue ever since the Boston Red Sox traded him to the San Francisco Giants. CLICK HERE
  • JAZZ TRUCKS HANDLEY: Baltimore Orioles catcher Maverick Handley has had to step up with Adley Rutschman on the injured list, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. knocked him out of Sunday's game against the New York Yankees. CLICK HERE

Follow Fastball On SI on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.

Published
Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer covering baseball for “Fastball on SI.’’ He previously covered UCLA Athletics for On SI’s All Bruins site, and is a UCLA graduate, with his work there as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for On SI’s New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Sam lives in Boston.

Home/History