Shohei Ohtani Sits One Homer Away From 300 Career Home Runs After Blast in Dodgers' Win Over Rockies on Monday

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani moved to the doorstep of another career milestone Monday night, blasting his 19th home run of the season, and the 299th of his career, to help power the Los Angeles Dodgers to an 8-7 win over the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium.

Ohtani's two-run shot in the third inning put the Dodgers ahead in a back-and-forth contest that ultimately went their way. The home run came off Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland, with Ohtani jumping on a first-pitch cutter and driving it out to left-center field at 105.9 mph off the bat. The blast followed an earlier at-bat in the game in which Ohtani laced a 111.8 mph lineout to center field in the first inning, a sign that his timing at the plate remained sharp even before he connected for the milestone-adjacent home run two innings later.

The performance also offered reassurance for the Dodgers regarding Ohtani's health. The two-way superstar had sat out Saturday's game due to right biceps tightness, a development that had drawn attention given his dual role as both a starting pitcher and one of the game's most dangerous hitters. Ohtani's authoritative swing against Freeland went a long way toward easing any lingering concern about the injury, at least for the time being.

Of Ohtani's 299 career home runs, 128 have come during his three seasons with the Dodgers since signing with the club, a stretch that has included an MVP-caliber run of production at the plate alongside his continued development as a frontline starting pitcher. Ohtani has built his career total across stints with the Los Angeles Angels, where he broke into the majors and established himself as one of the sport's most unique two-way talents, and now with the Dodgers, where he has continued to add to his home run tally while also contributing on the mound.

Ohtani's home run total this season now stands at 19, keeping him on a productive pace at the plate as the Dodgers navigate the middle stretch of their schedule. According to Baseball Savant data, Ohtani has posted an average exit velocity of 93.6 mph this season, along with a hard-hit rate of 52.4 percent, a weighted on-base average of .394, and a barrel rate of 15.9 percent, numbers that reflect the kind of consistent offensive production that has made him one of the sport's most feared hitters in recent years.

Ohtani's push toward 300 career home runs adds to an already extensive list of milestones and records he has accumulated throughout his career. He became the first player in Major League Baseball history to qualify for the league leaders as both a hitter and a pitcher in the same season, and he remains the only player in the sport's history to post a season with at least 10 pitching wins and at least 30 home runs, a feat previously matched only by Babe Ruth in 1918 under different statistical benchmarks. Ohtani has also won multiple American League Most Valuable Player awards, including a unanimous selection in 2023, cementing his status as one of the most decorated two-way players the sport has ever produced.

Monday's game also featured contributions from other Dodgers hitters as the team worked to hold off a persistent Rockies offense. The 8-7 final score reflected a competitive contest between the two clubs, with Colorado continuing to push the Dodgers throughout the game before Los Angeles ultimately secured the win at Dodger Stadium.

Ohtani's recent form on both sides of the ball has continued to draw attention throughout the season. In a start earlier this year against the Rockies, Ohtani turned in a dominant pitching performance, tossing six hitless innings while also hitting a leadoff home run, extending a rare feat in which he became the only pitcher in Major League history to hit a leadoff home run in a game he also started on the mound, a feat he has now accomplished on multiple occasions, including during a two-way masterpiece in Game 4 of the 2025 National League Championship Series. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has previously praised Ohtani's rare blend of pitching dominance and offensive production, noting the exceptionally high standards to which the two-way star holds himself even after strong outings on the mound.

With Ohtani sitting at 299 career home runs, attention now turns to when he will connect for the 300th of his career, a milestone that would place him among a relatively small group of players in franchise and league history to reach that career total. Given his current home run pace of 19 through the portion of the season completed so far, Ohtani appears well positioned to continue climbing the sport's career home run leaderboards in the years ahead, particularly as he continues to split his workload between hitting and pitching for a Dodgers team built around his unique two-way talents.

Ohtani was also named to the National League All-Star roster for this year's All-Star Game, scheduled for July 14 in Philadelphia, continuing his streak of All-Star selections as both a pitcher and position player, a distinction that remains unique to his career among modern Major League players. His continued excellence at the plate and on the mound has kept him at the center of MLB's national conversation throughout the season, with Monday's home run against the Rockies serving as the latest example of the sustained production that has defined his time with the Dodgers.

As the Dodgers continue their pursuit of another deep postseason run, Ohtani's steady march toward 300 career home runs adds another storyline to a season already defined by his continued dominance as one of the sport's most singular talents, with fans and teammates alike now watching closely for the moment he reaches the milestone in the games ahead.