Shohei Ohtani has consistently elevated the standards of baseball, continually reshaping our understanding of what’s achievable on the diamond. On Sunday, in the Dodgers' 10-0 rout of the Mets, the Japanese superstar further cemented his legacy by setting a new benchmark for MLB home runs by a Japanese player.

In the third inning, Ohtani faced Mets right-hander Adrian Houser and demolished a 0-1 slider that hung over the center of the plate. With a powerful swing, he notched his 176th career home run, surpassing Hideki Matsui’s record for the most home runs by a Major Leaguer of Japanese descent. The home run, which soared with an exit velocity of 110 mph and a projected distance of 423 feet into Dodger Stadium’s Right Field Pavilion, was unequivocally a no-doubt blast.

It took Ohtani just seven games from April 13—when he tied Matsui’s record—to break it, during which he maintained a robust performance, hitting .379 with three doubles and six walks over 29 at-bats. On Sunday, in addition to his record-setting home run, he reached base twice more: with a single in the fifth inning that came off Houser’s left foot and a walk in the sixth. He was replaced by a pinch hitter in the eighth inning.

Now standing alone as the Major League Baseball home run leader among Japanese-born players, the focus shifts to how many more home runs Ohtani will add to his tally. The 29-year-old is having a stellar 2024 season, the first year of his record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract. 

Leading the Majors with 35 hits and 11 doubles, his slash line of .368/.431/.663 positions him for one of his most impressive offensive seasons yet, surpassing even his unanimous 2023 AL MVP campaign. However, unlike the previous season, Ohtani will not be pitching in 2024 due to recovery from right elbow surgery.

For now, Ohtani relishes a historic achievement that holds deep personal significance, adding another remarkable chapter to an already extraordinary career.