Asian players continue to make their way in Major League Baseball. It seems like there’s a new elite prospect ready to take the U.S. by storm every year, like this season with Seiya Suzuki and the Chicago Cubs.
Japanese baseball seems like a never-ending source of talent, and everybody’s looking to land the next Shohei Ohtani. While that may be a lot to ask and most likely an impossible task, there’s no shortage of options overseas.
Ohtani continues to make history every time he sets foot on the plate or steps on the mound. That’s why today, we’re going to talk about him and the three Japanese players with the most career home runs in MLB.
MLB Records: Japanese Players With The Most Career Home Runs
3. Ichiro Suzuki – 117 HR
Ichiro Suzuki had a legendary career. He amassed 3,089 hits over nearly two decades in MLB, becoming one of the most prolific hitters and base-runners to ever live. However, he ‘just’ hit 117 dingers in9,934 career at-bats, an average of 6.1 per season.
Suzuki put together one of the greatest résumés for a foreign player, including a .311 batting average and a whopping509 stolen bases. He also owns an MLB record with 262 hits in a single season.
2. Shohei Ohtani – 118 HR
Shohei Ohtani might as well be the most spectacular player in baseball history. A modern-day Babe Ruth, Ohtani continues to rakebaseballs while also striking out 10+ every time he sets foot on the mound.
To put it in context, Ohtani’s 118th home run in Major League Baseball came in his1,799th at-bat. He had 46 home runs last season alone and is well on pace to be the all-time leader in this regard once it’s all said and done.
1. Hideki Matsui – 175
Long before Ohtani set the bar for what teams wanted their Asian stars to look like, people compared Asian hitters with Hideki Matsui. Even though his MLB career only lasted nine years, he still managed to make a huge impact in the U.S.
‘Godzilla’ was a feared slugger during his prime with the New York Yankees. He left MLB with a .282 batting average and 175 career home runs in4,442 plate appearances. If that wasn’t enough, he uplifted his team in the 2009 World Series to clinch MVP honors.