Shohei Ohtani continued his remarkable 2024 season with a jaw-dropping 473-foot home run, his 30th of the year, propelling the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 9-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night. This mammoth blast, which nearly exited Dodger Stadium, is now the second-longest home run in the ballpark’s history, trailing only Giancarlo Stanton’s 475-foot shot in 2015.Ohtani’s homer, which came in the fifth inning off Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford, had an exit velocity of 116.7 mph and put the Dodgers ahead 6-2. The two-way superstar’s teammates, including Clayton Kershaw, were left in awe. Kershaw remarked, “I’ve never seen that before… That’s not even pulled. That’s right-center!” This home run marks several milestones for Ohtani. He became the first National League player to reach 30 home runs this season, and it’s his fourth consecutive season with 30 or more homers. Ohtani has now hit seven home runs of 450-plus feet this season, the most by any player in the Majors.The Dodgers’ offensive explosion wasn’t limited to Ohtani. The team hit six home runs in total, with Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández, Gavin Lux, Austin Barnes, and Jason Heyward also going deep. This power display led to a three-game sweep of the Red Sox.Ohtani’s stellar performance has him as the odds-on favorite to win his third MVP trophy. Despite not pitching this season due to right elbow surgery, he leads the National League with a.638 slugging percentage and a 1.038 OPS. If he maintains this pace, he could become the first designated hitter to win the NL MVP award, a historic achievement in baseball.
Key points
- Shohei Ohtani hit a 473-foot home run, his 30th of the season, in the Dodgers’ 9-6 win over the Red Sox.
- The Dodgers hit six home runs total, completing a three-game sweep of the Red Sox.
- Ohtani is the first National League player to reach 30 home runs this season and is the favorite for the NL MVP award.
