Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Shohei Ohtani did something no other player in Major League Baseball history has done.
In this case, the Los Angeles Angels superstar became the first MLB player to hit at least 40 homers and record 10 wins as a pitcher in the same season Wednesday night.
Ohtani recorded his 10th victory of the year in a 4-1 win over the San Francisco Giants. He allowed one unearned run and struck out five over six innings at Angel Stadium.
Just for good measure, Ohtani decided to set two records in the same game. He’s also the first MLB player to have multiple seasons with at least 10 homers and 10 wins. The three-time All-Star previously did it in 2022 when he had 15 wins and 34 home runs.
The only MLB player to have multiple seasons with 10+ wins and 10+ home runs hit? Shohei Ohtani 🦄#GoHalos x @NationalPro pic.twitter.com/ZC4AjkrFpy
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) August 10, 2023
Despite the historic performance, Ohtani said after the game he wasn’t happy with how he pitched.
“Throughout the whole game, I was just frustrated with the way I was pitching,” Ohtani told reporters. “I didn’t really feel right the whole game.”
There was one moment when Angels manager Phil Nevin and head athletic trainer Mike Frostad visited Ohtani on the mound in the top of the sixth, but he was able to finish the inning without incident.
Heavily favored to win his second AL MVP award this season, Ohtani almost certainly isn’t done making history. He has a chance to win the hitting Triple Crown. He leads MLB in homers (40) and ranks third in the AL in batting average (.306) and RBI (80).
Ohtani’s strong effort on the mound propelled the Angels to their second consecutive win after they lost their previous seven games. They are seven games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for the final playoff spot in the AL.
