Shohei Ohtani's stats: How many home runs has the Japanese phenom hit in his MLB career?

Shohei Ohtani is a special player. The Los Angeles Angels superstar is a generational talent and one of the first modern players to be a real threat on both sides of the pitching mound.

Since breaking into the league with the Angels in 2018, Ohtani has won a plethora of awards that showcase how special he really is. In his first season, he hit 22 home runs and had 61 RBIs. These stats alone are impressive enough. However, Ohtani also struck out 63 batters as a pitcher that season, compiling a record of 4-2 and an ERA of 3.31.

#OnThisDay April 1st, 2018. Two-way star, Shohei Ohtani, took the mound for his MLB pitching debut." - @ Los Angeles Angels

Shohei Ohtani easily won the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year Award on account of his epic rookie year, and he only kept getting better. Although he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019, scratching himself out of the starting rotation, Ohtani still managed to hit 18 home runs and 62 RBIs in his sophomore season with the Angels.

In the shortened 2020 season, Shohei Ohtani was back on the mound, but vestiges from his surgery lingered. This time, he made only two starts for the entire season, and his batting slumped. He hit only .195 in 175 plate appearances for the Angels in 2020.

Ohtani spent the 2020 offseason overhauling his entire approach to baseball after two successive disappointing seasons. When Opening Day 2021 came around, fans could almost immediately tell the difference.

Shohei Ohtani proved beyond a doubt in 2020 that he is one of the best players in the world. His 46 home runs and 100 RBIs led the Los Angeles Angels offensively. Additionally, Ohtani was back in terms of pitching. He made a career-best 23 starts, finishing with a record of 9-2 and an ERA of 3.18. He also struck out 156 batters, making him the first player to strike out 100 batters while simultaneously hitting 100 RBIs. He was rightfully crowned the 2021 AL MVP.

"SHOHEI OHTANI DOES IT AGAIN!! SECOND HOME RUN OF THE NIGHT!! NUMBER 32. UNBELIEVABLE" - @ Ben Verlander

The 2022 season had a series of ups and downs for the Angels. A 13-game losing streak all but handed the divisional title to their arch-rivals, the Houston Astros. However, Ohtani still managed to hit 34 home runs and 95 RBIs, as well as start 28 games and finish with an ERA of 2.33, the best of his career. Since 2018, Ohtani has hit 127 home runs in the MLB.

Shohei Ohtani eyes a big contract in pivotal year

After the Angels scrambled to sign Ohtani to a one-year deal worth $30 million to avoid arbitration, questions began to swirl about the star's future on the Angels. Some pundits have said that he could garner a contract worth $500 million and that he has drawn interest from deep-pocketed teams like the New York Mets. Time will tell us all about the future of this truly special player.