Shohei Ohtani Shatters Another MLB Record—Is the Biggest Contract in Baseball History Next?

Shohei Ohtani’s legend grew even larger on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium, where the two-way phenom crushed a 440-foot, two-run homer for his 1,000th major-league hit and then mowed down eight St. Louis Cardinals across four electric innings. The milestone blast broke a 3-3 tie in the fifth and powered Los Angeles to a 7-4 victory, keeping the Dodgers atop the National League West and sending social media into overdrive. The historic swing made Ohtani the first player in MLB history to record 1,000 hits, 150 homers, and 750 strikeouts before his 31st birthday, underscoring a résumé that has already redefined what “most valuable” means. Sitting on a 2-2 splitter from Cards starter Miles Mikolas, Ohtani generated a bat-speed reading of 120 mph—his highest of 2025—and watched the ball sail halfway up the center-field pavilion as 52,414 fans erupted. Just as eye-popping was his work on the mound. Pitching on six days’ rest after battling minor leg cramps last week, the right-hander leaned heavily on a 99 mph four-seamer and a freshly sharpened sweeper to punch out eight of the 16 hitters he faced. Four of those strikeouts froze batters looking, proof that Ohtani’s surgically repaired elbow is not merely healthy but dominant. Manager Dave Roberts pulled him after 63 pitches to preserve innings for October, but not before Ohtani shaved his season ERA to 2.47 and raised his strikeout total to 142, fifth-best in the National League despite limited innings. The dual performance also pushed his fWAR to 7.5, a full win clear of runner-up Juan Soto and on pace for the highest single-season mark since Barry Bonds’ 2002 campaign. Off the field, memorabilia hunters snapped up every replica World Series ring featuring Ohtani’s name that the club handed out pregame, with some fans lining up nine hours early. Secondary-market prices spiked above $300 within minutes, reflecting both Ohtani’s marketing clout and the Dodgers’ carefully cultivated global brand. For Los Angeles, the night provided more than box-score brilliance. By delivering his 20th homer and lowering opponents’ batting average to .194, Ohtani reinforced why the club invested a record-shattering $700 million—deferred clauses and all—this past winter. He also reminded postseason rivals that any October road to the Commissioner’s Trophy likely runs through #17. Next up, Ohtani is slated to face the Giants on Tuesday, a matchup that could see him reach 1,100 career strikeouts and 125 steals—yet another chance for the game’s lone unicorn to rewrite baseball’s encyclopedia in real time.