Shohei Ohtani Tops Ichiro With Record-Breaking 44-Game Streak

It was an intriguing day for Ichiro Suzuki on Friday.

First and foremost, Suzuki had a statue unveiled on Friday outside of T-Mobile Park for all that he did as a member of the Seattle Mariners. The Hall of Famer's statue had a bat that broke in the process of being unveiled, though.

Later on in the day, the former Mariners superstar had his record for the longest on-base streak for a Japanese-born player snapped by Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani. The Dodgers star extended his active streak to 44 games on Friday, and broke Suzuki's former record of 43 games in the process, per MLB's Sarah Langs.

"Longest on-base streaks, Japanese-born players in MLB history: 2025-26 Shohei Ohtani: 44 games *active, 2009 Ichiro Suzuki: 43, 2004 Ichiro Suzuki: 40," Langs wrote.

Longest on-base streaks, Japanese-born players in MLB history:

2025-26 Shohei Ohtani: 44 games *active
2009 Ichiro Suzuki: 43
2004 Ichiro Suzuki: 40
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) April 11, 2026

What's next for Shohei Ohtani?

Apr 10, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a foul ball while at bat during the third inning against the Texas Rangers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

It's not every day you make Major League Baseball history over Suzuki. That just goes to show the type of run that Ohtani is on. He pretty much can't do anything wrong. Ohtani has made two starts so far this season and hasn't allowed an earned run yet this season across 12 innings pitched. On top of that, Ohtani has struck out eight batters.

Ohtani entered play on Friday with three homers and eight RBIs, on top of his elite pitching performance. He also had a .407 on-base percentage entering play on Friday, which would be the second-highest mark of his career if the season ended today. His career high right now in on-base percentage is .412, which he set in 2023. That just goes to show that what he's been doing so far this season is actually sustainable.

Now, Ohtani can turn his attention to the all-time record in Major League Baseball. It's going to be pretty difficult for him to come close to it. Right now, the record is held by Boston Red Sox great Ted Williams, who got on base in 84 games straight back in 1949.

Right now, Ohtani is 40 games away from tying the Red Sox legend. It shouldn't be very possible. It should be a record that isn't touched. But if there is anyone out there who could come close to taking the record, it would be Ohtani. He has already gotten this far, dating back to last season. If anyone is going to come close to Williams' lofty record, Ohtani may be the only one possible.