Shohei Ohtani completes historic feat of hitting HR against all 30 MLB franchises, hits 38th HR of season vs Cardinals

Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani has added another stellar achievement to his impressive career. In the Los Angeles Dodgers game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday, he hit his 38th home run of the season.

With this shot, Ohtani has now hit a home run against all 30 Major League Baseball franchises.

Before him, Juan Soto, Bryce Harper, Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna also achieved this feat in the 2024 season after hitting home runs against all MLB teams.

However, before 1998, this feat wasn’t even possible because there were only 28 teams at that time. Once the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays joined the league, it became a possibility.

To achieve this milestone, players had to switch teams, meaning those who spent their entire careers with one team never had the chance to make the list. But since the introduction of the balanced schedule in 2023, it has become relatively easier to hit home runs against all other teams.

With 38 home runs and 37 stolen bases, Shohei Ohtani is close to joining the elite 40-40 club. Only five players in MLB history have achieved this feat: Ronald Acuna Jr., Alfonso Soriano, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, and Jose Canseco.

So far, in the 2024 season, Ohtani is batting .291 with 93 runs, 87 RBIs and 67 walks along with a .990 OPS.

Shohei Ohtani homers in the Dodgers 5-2 loss against the Cardinals

The Dodgers started their lead in the first inning on Freddie Freeman’s RBI single on which Shohei Ohtani scored a run. After that, their offense went silent for the next three innings until Ohtani hit a 384-foot homer in the fifth.

After the solo home run, the Dodgers’ bats went cold, not scoring any more runs, eventually leading to their 5-2 loss against the Cardinals. Throughout the game, Shohei Ohtani went 1-for-3 with one RBI, one walk, and one strikeout.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, coming off a 7-6 victory in their opener against the St. Louis Cardinals, have split the first two games of their series after their loss. Both teams are set to face each other again in the series finale on Sunday at Busch Stadium.