The Los Angeles Dodgers have a star on fire—and his name is Shohei Ohtani. Since the All-Star break, the two-way phenom has been punishing baseballs at an electrifying pace, belting home runs in five consecutive games and tying a franchise record in the process.
Ohtani’s latest blast came on Wednesday afternoon against the Minnesota Twins, when he launched a solo homer off Chris Paddack in the first inning. It marked his 37th of the season and placed him back atop the National League leaderboard. Despite his power surge, the Dodgers have gone just 2-3 in that stretch, raising questions about how far his individual brilliance can carry the team.
Looking ahead to a high-stakes road series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, manager Dave Roberts didn’t shy away from addressing the expectations surrounding Ohtani’s streak. “I do know that if he has the same approach that he’s had the last week, that Green Monster is very short,” Roberts said, according to MLB.com. “So any fly ball that he hits will be a homer. He’s just got to continue to have that same approach when we go to Boston.”
Ohtani joins rare company with historic homer run
By going deep in five straight games, Ohtani became just the seventh player in Dodgers history to achieve that feat. He now shares company with names like Matt Kemp, Shawn Green, and Roy Campanella. The last MLB player to homer in five consecutive games was Aaron Judge in late 2024.
The Major League record for consecutive games with a home run stands at eight, a mark reached only by Dale Long, Don Mattingly, and Ken Griffey Jr. As the Dodgers head to Fenway Park—where the left-field wall sits invitingly close—Ohtani may have the perfect setting to continue his historic run.
A turnaround after midseason dip
Prior to this streak, Ohtani had cooled off considerably, hitting just .200 across 26 games after his return to pitching duties on June 16. Even so, he managed to crank out seven homers during that stretch, while balancing his responsibilities on the mound and at the plate.
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Now, with his power stroke clearly back, Ohtani is once again reshaping the Dodgers’ playoff narrative. From launching a two-run bomb off elite closer Jhoan Duran on Tuesday to leading the National League in homers by Wednesday, the reigning MVP looks locked in. The only question now is: Can anyone stop him?