MLB: Shohei Ohtani joins Babe Ruth in passing 500 strikeouts and 100 home runs
Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani pitched five inning for the Los Angeles Angels against the St. Louis Cardinals in a Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season game on Wednesday, 3 May. He recorded 13 strikeouts, reaching the 500 milestone.
The inaugural WBSC Premier12 star and World Baseball Classic 2023 MVP became the second player in MLB's history to combine 500 strikeouts and 100 home runs. The other one is Babe Ruth.
Ruth finished his career with 501 strikeouts, but recorded 714 home runs.
The duo sits together in another exclusive club. Only five players have recorded 500 strikeouts and 500 hits since 1900. The other three are Smoky Joe Wood (1889-1985), Red Ruffing (1905-1986), and Walter Johnson (1887-1946).
For the record, Ohtani didn't enjoy his best outing. He allowed four runs on five hits, including two home runs, and left with a no-decision. The Angels eventually won, 6-4.
"I gave up a couple of homers, and I wanted to get through six or seven innings, minimum," Ohtani said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. "So more than the strikeouts, I'm just disappointed I couldn't pitch deeper in the game."
Ohtani batted third and went 3-for-5 with one RBI.
In the 2023 season, he started seven games as a pitcher, posting a 4-0 record and a 2.54 earned run average (ERA), striking out 59 over 39 innings.
As a hitter, he appeared in 29 of the 31 games the Angels played, going 36-for-114, a .307 batting average, with seven home runs and 19 RBIs.