Shohei Ohtani has done it again. In a sport that spans over a century of legends and lore, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar has managed to carve out yet another line in the MLB history books. With a jaw-dropping performance in May, Ohtani became just the third player in Major League Baseball history to record at least 15 home runs, 27 RBIs, and 31 runs in a single calendar month. The company he joins? Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig — immortals of the game whose names are etched into the very fabric of baseball mythology.
For most players, a month like this would be a career highlight, a statistical anomaly never to be replicated. For Ohtani, it feels like the next logical step in a career that has continually redefined what is possible on a baseball field. As one of the few true global icons in professional sports, Ohtani’s every move is under a microscope — yet somehow, he still manages to surprise, to astonish, and to inspire awe in ways that even his greatest supporters could hardly have imagined.
This past month was a perfect storm of power, consistency, and brilliance. Ohtani didn’t just hit 15 home runs; he hit them with flair, with purpose, and with a knack for the dramatic. Walk-off shots, tape-measure blasts, and clutch bombs were all part of the package. He didn’t just drive in 27 runs; he did so in key moments, often when his team needed him most. And he didn’t just score 31 times; he ran the bases with speed and smarts, turning singles into doubles, doubles into runs, and keeping opposing defenses in a constant state of anxiety.
What’s even more impressive is that this offensive explosion came with Ohtani no longer contributing on the mound due to elbow surgery — a development that had some skeptics wondering whether his offensive production might suffer as a result of the additional focus on hitting. Instead, he’s taken the opportunity to double down on his dominance at the plate, reminding everyone that even stripped of his two-way uniqueness, he’s still arguably the most feared hitter in the sport.
It wasn’t just the raw numbers that stood out. It was the way Ohtani accumulated them. He hit fastballs, off-speed pitches, breaking balls — nothing seemed to phase him. Pitchers tried to work around him, bury him with breaking stuff low and away, and challenge him high in the zone. Nothing worked. His plate discipline was elite, his swing mechanics were crisp, and his bat speed remained elite. The exit velocities on his home runs routinely clocked in at 110 mph or higher. He wasn’t just hitting home runs; he was obliterating baseballs.
Ohtani’s consistency in May also cannot be overstated. He had a hit in 25 of the 30 days and reached base in 28 of them. He delivered seven multi-hit games, four multi-home run games, and drove in multiple runs 10 different times. He was, in every sense of the word, a terror to opposing pitching staffs. And the effect on the Dodgers lineup as a whole was unmistakable. With Ohtani swinging like a man possessed, hitters around him — from Mookie Betts to Freddie Freeman — found better pitches to hit. The offense became deeper, more dangerous, and more dynamic.
Comparisons are always tricky in baseball, especially when reaching back nearly a century to invoke names like Ruth and Gehrig. But they are not made lightly. Ruth’s explosive June of 1927 and Gehrig’s monstrous July of 1934 are still spoken about in hushed tones among historians and statisticians. And now, here in 2025, Ohtani has forced himself into that sacred conversation. These weren’t just numbers thrown together in the modern era’s stat-friendly environment — they were earned through sheer brilliance against a league full of pitchers who game-plan against him every night.
Perhaps most compelling is the way Ohtani has not just matched those legendary benchmarks, but how he has elevated them in context. Ruth and Gehrig played in an era without the modern athlete’s grueling travel schedule, without the advanced scouting reports and video analysis, without relievers throwing 100 mph with wicked sliders. Ohtani is doing this in an era defined by parity and precision. Every opposing team has a dedicated strategy just for him. And yet, he continues to dominate with a level of grace and humility that only enhances his appeal.
The cultural impact of Ohtani’s achievement is also worth noting. As a Japanese-born player excelling on the biggest stage, he carries not only the weight of his own ambitions but also the hopes of an entire nation — and, increasingly, a global fanbase. His jersey sales are through the roof. His games are broadcast worldwide. Young players in Tokyo, Los Angeles, Seoul, and New York all wear the number 17 and mimic his swing. He is not just a baseball player; he is a movement.
Within the Dodgers clubhouse, Ohtani’s work ethic is often cited as his most defining trait. Teammates talk about how early he arrives, how often he’s in the video room, how tirelessly he works with the hitting coaches. For someone with so much natural talent, it would be easy to coast. But Ohtani, ever the perfectionist, views every at-bat as a puzzle to be solved. It’s that mindset — that obsessive pursuit of greatness — that has taken his game to historic heights.
And make no mistake: this isn’t a fluke month from a flash-in-the-pan slugger. This is the new normal for Ohtani. Since arriving in MLB in 2018, he has steadily improved in every offensive category. His power has become more consistent. His walk rate has improved. His strikeouts have dipped. He now leads the league in OPS, slugging percentage, and total bases. He is, unequivocally, the most dangerous hitter in baseball.
The Dodgers, for their part, are reaping the benefits of their record-setting investment in Ohtani. After signing a 10-year, \$700 million contract — the largest in professional sports history — there were understandable questions about whether any player could live up to that kind of number. Ohtani has silenced those doubts in emphatic fashion. Not only has he elevated his own play, but he’s elevated the expectations for what a superstar in baseball can be. He’s not just selling tickets; he’s redefining what’s possible.
The ripple effects around the league have already started. Pitchers are beginning to speak publicly about the unique challenge he presents. Broadcasters are running out of superlatives. Analysts are adjusting their metrics just to better capture what he’s doing. And fans? They’re flocking to stadiums just to get a glimpse of him. Every Ohtani at-bat feels like an event. Every swing carries the weight of history.
What’s most exciting — and most terrifying for opponents — is that Ohtani is still just 30 years old. Barring injury, he has a decade of elite production ahead of him. And once he returns to the mound in 2026, the two-way dominance that has defined his career will once again be in full effect. That’s the part that’s almost unfair: Ohtani is already rewriting offensive records, and he’s not even doing the thing that first made him famous — pitching.
So where does this rank among the great individual months in baseball history? It’s right at the top. Statistical achievements aside, few players have had such a profound and wide-reaching impact on the game in such a short span of time. Ohtani’s May was a masterclass in modern hitting, a display of raw power and refined technique that left even the most jaded analysts scrambling for comparisons.
The records he broke, the history he joined, and the legacy he’s building — all of it points to one inescapable conclusion: Shohei Ohtani is more than just a superstar. He’s more than just the face of baseball. He is, increasingly, a living legend.
And legends don’t just make history. They redefine it.
