Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani continues to awe the baseball world. With another swing of the bat Tuesday in an 11-9 win against the Colorado Rockies, he dropped jaws again.
The Dodgers’ newly minted leadoff batter got the pitch he wanted from Rockies ace Austin Gomber and slammed the baseball out of the park for a staggering 476-foot moonshot. It’s the longest home run of the Major League Baseball season so far.
It isn’t the longest of his career, but it is one of the more impressive ones that have come off his bat.
Ohtani watched two pitches for balls, then sent an 83 mph slider to the trees in center for a solo blast. The collective gasp from the Coors Field crowd announced a home run before it disappeared into the night.
After the game, Gomber was asked about the home run. He was left asking for suggestions as to how he could have pitched Ohtani any better before saying that the Dodgers star is the “best player on the planet.”
Gomber shouldn’t feel too bad. Ohtani’s homer would have been long gone in any Major League Baseball ballpark.
Ohtani is an early frontrunner for the National League’s Most Valuable Player. He is tied for third in the majors in home runs and ranks third in OPS in 72 games played.