Los Angeles Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani hit the farthest home run in Major League Baseball this season in a loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night.
In the sixth inning at Angel Stadium, Ohtani hit the 30th home run of his impressive 2023 campaign with a 493-foot shot to right field when facing Diamondbacks starting pitcher Tommy Henry. The homer was the longest by any player in the big leagues this year.
It was also the two-way star’s longest home run of his career, surpassing the 470-foot shot he hit against the Kansas City Royals at home in June 2021. Ohtani had 15 home runs in June - including five the last week - to increase the Angels franchise record for a month he had already set on Thursday.
With the homer, Ohtani tied Babe Ruth (1930 with the New York Yankees), Bob Johnson (1934 with the Oakland Athletics), and Roger Maris (1961 with the Yankees) for most home runs in the American League in June with 15. He also joined Sammy Sosa (1998 with the Chicago Cubs) as the only two players to tally 30 homers and 10 stolen bases before the month of July in a season in MLB history.
The Japanese ace continues to make history seemingly with each appearance; he became just the fourth player in AL history to record 30 home runs before the month of July, joining Ken Griffey Jr., Chris Davis and Ruth. Meanwhile, his 493-foot strike went further than Yankees ace Giancarlo Stanton’s 485-foot effort in April - and his manager heaped praise on the hit.
“I hear of all these 500-[foot] shots that guys hit in the past. I don’t think I’m ever gonna see one because if I see one hit farther than the one I saw tonight,” manager Phil Nevin said. “The calculations before and now are different, but I don’t think there’s a ball that can be hit farther than that one.
“Awesome. I mean, he had a great night with two walks and the home run. That kind of gives you some energy and we got some runners on after that. We just couldn't get a big hit.”
Ohtani finished the game 1-for-2 with a pair of walks as the Angels lost 6-2 to drop their third successive game. Angels starter Griffin Canning gave up five earned runs on three hits in the defeat, but he praised Ohtani’s home run: “That was like Barry Bonds territory in the World Series.”
He was not the only one to be in awe of the 28-year-old, with pitcher Patrick Sandoval adding: “He’s just, like, one of the strongest humans on Earth. It’s a surprise, but then at the same time, it’s not a surprise. It’s ‘Wow,’ but we find ourselves saying ‘Wow’ a lot.”
News of Ohtani’s incredible hit travelled across the baseball landscape quickly. After learning of the home run, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told The Times’ Mike DiGiovanna: “He's not human ... he's an android.”
Ohtani has been linked with a move to the Dodgers and New York Mets among other franchises as his contract expires at the end of the season, and he could receive an offer of over $600 million (£472m). Ohtani’s 44-40 Angels take on the Diamondbacks in the second of a three-game series on Saturday night.
