Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Made MLB History in June

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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JUNE 22: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of the game at Target Field on June 22, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

T

he Los Angeles Dodgers capped off the month of June by winning seven of their final eight games, improving to 56-30 heading into July.

Leading the way, unsurprisingly, was two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who not only continued to dominate at the plate but also looked sharp on the mound.

Ohtani Makes MLB History

The 31-year-old spent all of last season sidelined from pitching after undergoing elbow surgery, but he hasn’t missed a beat since returning to the mound this year.

According to OptaSTATS, Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to hit at least eight home runs while posting a pitching record of 3-0 or better in a single month, accomplishing the feat in June.

The @Dodgers‘ Shohei Ohtani is the first player in MLB history to hit 8+ HR & have a 3-0 (or better) pitching record in a single month. pic.twitter.com/DPyIC8jRnW

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) July 1, 2026

Doing the Unprecedented 

When you’re in the moment watching Ohtani play, it’s easy to get caught up in how normal and effortless he makes it look.

Yet, that’s the furthest thing from the truth. What he’s accomplished since coming over from Japan in 2018 is unprecedented.

Ohtani has excelled as both a hitter and a pitcher at a level nobody has seen before.

According to Stacker, since 1900, only 44 individual player seasons have featured at least 10 games pitched and 200-plus plate appearances.

Those 44 seasons came from 35 different players. Only one, Bullet Rogan of the Kansas City Monarchs, accomplished those marks in more than two seasons.

As the years passed, those numbers continued to decline. They eventually became virtually nonexistent until Ohtani.

Ohtani’s 2026 Season

This season, Ohtani is batting .296 with a .954 OPS, 18 home runs, 50 RBIs, and 88 hits across 297 at-bats.

On the mound, Ohtani has produced a 2.6 WAR while posting an 8-2 record with a 1.58 ERA across 13 starts. He has tallied 86 strikeouts and remains firmly in the Cy Young Award race despite a stacked field of National League starting pitchers this season.