Another Unprecedented Feat For Ohtani:Leading MLB In Home Runs (As A Batter) & Lowest Batting Average Allowed (As A Pitcher)

No player since 1900 has led or been tied for the major league lead in home runs (as a batter) and lowest batting average allowed (as a pitcher) at any point in the season. Until now. Shohei Ohtani has been atop those leaderboards for the past three days.

Ohtani reached 150 home runs and 75 stolen bases in the third-fewest games in history. ESPN's tweet says Ohtani is 4th with 652 games, but in 15 of those games, he was never in the Angels' lineup because he was exclusively a pitcher (someone else was the DH). So he needed only 637 games, for third place.

Willie Mays     598
Jose Canseco    630
Shohei Ohtani   637
Alex Rodriguez  646

In 2022, Ohtani became the first player to finish in the Top 15 among MLB players in both home runs (as a batter) and strikeouts (as a pitcher) since the mound was moved to its current distance in 1893. This year, he's currently in the Top 4 in both categories (first in HR, 4th in K).

Ohtani leads the AL in home runs (MLB, actually) and has struck out more batters than all but one AL pitcher (3 MLB pitchers).

Ohtani leads MLB in hitting home runs (23), throwing wild pitches (11), and hitting opposing batters (9).

Ohtani also has the longest current hitting streak: 14 games. (Mookie Betts has an 11-game streak.)

Ohtani, in the past week: Two HR on Monday, and one HR on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. (Plus, he pitches.)

In his last 18 games for the Angels, Ohtani has 28 hits, 18 extra-base hits, 11 home runs, 15 walks, and three stolen bases. Only one other MLB player in the modern era has matched all of those numbers over an 18-game period: Lou Gehrig, Yankees, June 21-July 5, 1927.

Gehrig's streak was a bit more productive, with more hits (30-28), extra-base hits (19-18), runs scored (21-19), triples (2-1), RBI (30-23), total bases (73-69), and a higher batting average (.441-.412), on-base (.542-.512), slugging (1.074-1.015), and OPS (1.616-1.527). But Biscuit Pants did not pitch.

In each of his last six games, Ohtani has gotten an extra-base hit, drawn a walk, and scored a run. Only two other players in the modern era have done that in six or more consecutive games: Babe Ruth (7 games in 1921) and Barry Bonds (6 games in 1997).

Ohtani leads the Angels in: 

Games played
At-bats
Plate appearances

Hits
Runs scored
Triples

Home runs

Total bases

Runs batted in
Batting average

On-base average

Slugging percentage

OPS
OPS+
Stolen bases

Intentional walks
Walks (tied with Trout)

Wins

ERA (starters)
WHIP (starters)
Lowest batting average allowed (starters)
Innings pitched
Strikeouts

Most strikeouts per 9 innings
Fewest walks per 9 innings

Ohtani vs Texas, June 12-15

Game 1
Walk
Game-Tying HR in 7th inning (459 ft)
Game-Winning HR in 12th inning (388 ft)

Game 2
Single
Double
3 Walks (1 BBI)

Game 3
Single
Walk
HR in 9th inning (453 ft)

Game 4
6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
2 Walks
Game-Winning HR in 8th inning (443 ft)

1,743 feet of home runs -- all of them to the opposite field!!