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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 28: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers and his dog Decoy delivers a ceremonial first before the game against the Baltimore Orioles on Shohei Ohtani #17 bobblehead giveaway night at Dodger Stadium on August 28, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Shohei Ohtani has tied Shawn Green for the longest on-base streak in Dodgers history. Unfortunately, in such a historic game, LA couldn’t topple the archrival Giants. 

Shohei Ohtani and History go Hand-in-Hand

Left-hander Erik Miller was on the mound for San Francisco in opposition. Ohtani’s big moment came in the most minuscule of ways: an infield hit. The seeing-eye grounder tricked towards deep shortstop, where Willy Adames made an effort to nab the speedy designated hitter. His attempt was futile as Ohtani blazed through the bag safely. 

Over these 53 games, Ohtani has been the model of consistency. Los Angeles hasn’t even quite needed his production, as many new faces have stepped up. That being said, the unicorn that is Shohei Ohtani continues to shine like a star. 

When Ohtani signed with the Dodgers, the team had one thing in mind: world championships. Not only has LA netted itself back-to-back seasons of sitting atop the baseball world, but they’re getting new records and heights at seemingly every turn. 

Ohtani is currently amidst the single greatest prime in MLB history. He has won back-to-back-to-back MVPs and brought two rings to LA in his first two seasons. On top of the MVPs, Ohtani has also tallied Silver Slugger awards and All-Star selections both seasons. He’s not even close to slowing up. 

Los Angeles is Used to This

The unicorn has a 159 OPS+ through his first 21 games. The only nitpick is his antics on the basepaths. He hasn’t gotten off to the start you might’ve imagined with only one steal so far. The real prowess in 2026, however, has been on the hill. 

Some are saying Ohtani is hunting down the final award he needs in his already illustrious career: a Cy Young. He’s doing everything right if that’s the case. Through his first three starts, his fastball has been as lively as ever. So much so that hitters have only pushed across one earned run in his 18 innings. Good for an ERA of 0.50. 

If Ohtani were to add a Cy Young to his hardware collection, he’d be far past any career measurement by normal player standards. He likely already is, but to finalize his claim on baseball’s G.O.A.T. status, he might as well be the best on the hill, too. 

The Dodgers Unsung Heroes are Keeping Pace with Shohei Ohtani 

Even with an exceptional start to the season at the plate, Ohtani is nowhere near LA’s best bat. Outfielder Andy Pages, catcher Dalton Rushing, and third baseman Max Muncy have all gone ballistic in recent weeks. 

Pages has already racked up 1.7 Baseball Reference WAR and leads the league in batting average at a .370 clip. 

Rushing, who was an afterthought to begin the season, is pushing the truth behind his prospect pedigree. In 27 at-bats, Rushing already has seven bombs. He’s giving LA the best kind of problem. At this pace, how will they keep him out of the lineup? 

Muncy, the lone veteran in this trifecta, has been inhospitable to opposing arms. The grizzly third baseman has continued to weaponize his refined vision. His OPS of over 1.000, batting average north of .300, and likely more to come. Muncy has become a staple in LA’s modern dynasty. 

The Dodgers are held together by more than just one big Ohtani-colored piece of flex-seal tape. Baseball’s best player will continue to set records and has a real shot at breaking one held by a Dodger legend. While he’s busy ascending baseball immortality, the rest of the team will quietly dominate alongside his prolific greatness.