Shohei Ohtani continues to captivate the MLB world and accomplish some of baseball’s rarest feats, but the two-way star can break another major record that was set last year: the American League home run record.
At the All-Star break, the Los Angeles Angels pitcher and hitter leads the league in home runs, as he is the only player at the halfway point with at least 30 dingers. Ohtani capped off the first half of the season with a two-run home run against Southern California-rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
While Ohtani is on pace to hit the most home runs in his six-year MLB career, he isn’t far from breaking the AL home run record, which was set by New York Yankee outfielder Aaron Judge last season. At the 84-game mark, he was on the exact pace Judge was on, according to MLB.
Will Ohtani become the new AL home run king? Here’s the latest on Ohtani’s progress through the All-Star break:
How many home runs does Shohei Ohtani have?
Ohtani hit his 32nd home run of the year against the Dodgers on July 8, the Angels’ final game before the All-Star break.
How many home runs is Shohei Ohtani on pace to hit this season?
With 32 home runs through 91 games, Ohtani averages 0.35 home runs per game, or around a home run every three games. If he continues on that pace, he will finish the regular season with 57 home runs on the year.
How likely is it Shohei Ohtani would pass Aaron Judge?
If Ohtani keeps on his current pace, he will fall short of Judge’s 62.
However, Judge averaged more home runs in the second half of 2022, so it’s possible Ohtani could do the same. Through 91 games, Ohtani has hit 32 home runs, while through 91 games last season, Judge hit 33, so the pace is very close.
How likely is it Shohei Ohtani would catch Barry Bonds?
The AL home run record is within reach, but the overall home run record might be a stretch. If Ohtani wants to pass Barry Bonds’ record 73 home runs in one season, he would need to hit 42 home runs in the Angels’ remaining 71 games, or around a home run every two games.
Shohei Ohtani 2023 home runs
Ohtani has hit his 32 home runs in 29 games this season, including three two-home run games. He has hit a home run in 11 MLB stadiums this year, with 15 of them coming at Angel Stadium.
So far, Ohtani has hit the longest home run of the MLB season, when he bashed a 493-foot shot off a slider from the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Tommy Henry at home on June 30. He ranks sixth in MLB in average exit velocity at 93.8 miles per hour.
If Ohtani doesn’t catch Judge’s home run record, he’ll likely break a personal one; He needs 14 home runs in the second half of the season to break his career-high 46 he set in 2021. He currently has 159 career home runs, tying him for 59th on the list of active players with the most home runs.
Who hit the most home runs in a single season?
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2001 Barry Bonds: 73
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1998 Mark McGwire: 70
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1998 Sammy Sosa: 66
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1999 Mark McGwire: 65
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2001 Sammy Sosa: 64
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1999 Sammy Sosa: 63
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2022: Aaron Judge: 62
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1961 Roger Maris: 61
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1927 Babe Ruth: 60
Contributing: Rachel Bowers
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shohei Ohtani home run tracker: On same pace as 2022 Aaron Judge