Shohei Ohtani Shatters History: What’s Fueling His Unstoppable 3rd Straight 40-Homer Season?

As the National League MVP chase heats up, Shohei Ohtani continues to remind us why he’s the player who keeps rewriting the playbook year after year. Saturday’s showdown against the Toronto Blue Jays saw the Los Angeles Dodgers’ powerhouse belt his 40th homer of the season, a mammoth blast that slammed the door open at 3-0 in a fierce division face-off—talk about timing. This victory, a dominant 9-1 win, marked the Dodgers’ first pair of consecutive wins at home since sweeping the White Sox last July.

What truly separates Ohtani is not just the sheer power—not many can send a ball 417 feet dead center like that—but his uniqueness: hitting 40 homers three years running, a milestone unmatched since Khris Davis dominated in the mid-2010s. And he’s doing this while gradually reclaiming his spot on the mound. Since June, he’s escalated from brief outings to pitching four innings in his latest start, boasting an impressive 2.37 ERA and tallying 25 strikeouts over 19 innings across eight appearances. Babe Ruth himself never combined those blistering batting numbers with such strikeout totals on the hill in a single campaign.

With stiff competition from the likes of Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong, who’s showing his all-around skill, and Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber, who leads the NL with 41 homers, the MVP race is razor close. Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ Blake Snell delivered exactly what the team hoped for in his return from injury—shutting down the Blue Jays with five scoreless innings, piling up 10 strikeouts and only surrendering three hits. Both Ohtani and Snell were pivotal in the Dodgers’ strong finish last season, and if they want to maintain their lead in the crowded NL West, they’ll need to bring that heat once again. It’s an electrifying battle unfolding right before our eyes, and I, for one, can hardly wait to see who pulls ahead.LEARN MORE

With the National League MVP race in full swing, Shohei Ohtani is doing what he usually does this time of year.

The Los Angeles Dodgers star clubbed his 40th homer of the year on Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays, putting his team up 3-0 in a clash of first-place teams (and Ohtani suitors a couple years ago). The Dodgers won the game 9-1, their first time winning back-to-back games at Dodger Stadium since a sweep of the Chicago White Sox on July 1-3.

There aren’t many players who can hit a home run like this one, 417 feet to dead center field:

It’s Ohtani’s third straight 40-homer season, making him the first player to accomplish that kind of streak since Khris Davis did it with the Oakland Athletics in 2016-18. It’s become a rare feat, with even mashers like Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber falling just short.

Ohtani is doing this while coming back as a pitcher. He’s been slowly ramping up on an MLB mound since June, progressing from single-inning starts to four innings in his most recent appearance. He’s been highly effective in that abbreviated action, with a 2.37 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 19 innings across eight starts.

Even 25 punchouts keeps Ohtani in a class of his own, as Babe Ruth never posted 40 homers as a hitter and 25 strikeouts as a pitcher in a single season, something Ohtani has now done three times.

That pitching performance could be what swings a highly competitive MVP race, as Ohtani is facing challenges from Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who has been great on both sides of the ball, and Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, the only NL player with more homers than Ohtani, with 41.

The Dodgers also got what they wanted to see from starting pitcher Blake Snell in his second start since returning from the injured list (shoulder inflammation). Snell struck out 10 Blue Jays in five shutout innings, allowing only three hits.

Both Ohtani and Snell were two of the best players in baseball in the second half of last season. The Dodgers might need a repeat performance from each to stay ahead in a competitive NL West, where the San Diego Padres entered Saturday only three games back for first place.