Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Accomplishes Feat Not Done Since 1932

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) in the dugout in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Tuesday. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Another day, another first for Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani's latest feat came on Tuesday, when the Dodgers star became the first National Leaguer to score 120 runs in 124 games since Chuck Klein of the 1932 Philadelphia Phillies. The Hall of Fame outfielder scored his 120th run of the season in his 109th game.

Shohei Ohtani has scored 120 runs in 124 games this season. It is the fewest games into a season in the modern era for 120 runs in the NL since Chuck Klein with 109 games in 1932. pic.twitter.com/lIPrVSHthk

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) August 20, 2025

Klein would go on to score 152 runs in 154 games and win the National League MVP award that season. Ohtani is looking to repeat as MVP in back-to-back seasons this year.

So far, so good.

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Ohtani is leading the National League in OPS (1.018) and slugging (.625) in addition to his league-leading 120 runs scored. No player in either league has taken more plate appearances than Ohtani, who's also thrown 27.1 innings in his return to pitching.

Klein never pitched, but he does hold the modern (post-1900) National League record for single-season runs scored, with 158 in 1930. Ohtani, who has played in all but two games this season, is on pace to finish just under that mark.

That leaves him within striking distance of a prestigious 95-year-old record. Even if he maintains his current pace, Ohtani will finish the season having scored more runs than all but three National League players — Klein, Rogers Hornsby in 1929 and Kiki Cuyler in 1930 — in the last 125 seasons.

Only one player in either league has scored even 150 runs in a season since 1949. Future Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell scored 152 in 2000 for the Houston Astros. Barring an injury — and Ohtani had a scare on Wednesday but appears to be OK — Ohtani will likely finish the season in elite company even if he doesn't break Klein's record.

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Ohtani has accounted for 120 of the Dodgers' MLB-leading 657 runs through Wednesday, or roughly one in every 5.5 runs scored by the team.

Ohtani's march toward a possible scoring record is even more remarkable considering the Dodgers' most frequent number-2 hitter, Mookie Betts, only recently emerged from a season-long slump. The shortstop has batted first or second in every game he's started this year. Betts has 55 RBIs and a .702 OPS when batting behind Ohtani.

Betts enters Thursday's game against the Rockies with a .333 batting average and nine RBIs in his last 13 games, but was hitting .231 with 48 RBIs in 103 games through Aug. 4.

Ohtani, meanwhile, just keeps on scoring — possibly on his way to another entry in baseball's record books.