Led by the reigning NL MVP Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers are off to a solid start in 2025, currently sitting in second place in the NL West with an 18-10 record and a plus 16 run differential.
On Sunday, they faced off against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a rubber match, ultimately winning the game 9-2 and taking the series with two wins.
However, the win wasn’t the only thing the Dodgers had to celebrate, because during the fifth inning, the right fielder Teoscar Hernández hit a home run to give them a 6-2 lead, which was also the 200th of his career.
After the game, the Dodgers congratulated Hernández by posting a photo of him and the ball, to which Ohtani would later feature on his Instagram story, accompanied by a clapping emoji.
Shohei Ohtani’s message to Teoscar Hernandez on Instagram.,Instagram/shoheiohtani
Of course, hitting that milestone is no joke, as he is now just the 381st player to hit 200 career home runs in MLB history, including Ohtani himself.
It may not come as a huge surprise, though, because throughout his career Hernández has been known as a power hitter, but has recently taken that to new heights, hitting a career-high 33 in 2024, while also winning the Home Run Derby.
He’s now only continuing that reputation while having an impressive 2025 season as of now, appearing in 26 games, accumulating 101 at-bats, 28 hits, 15 runs, 25 RBIs, three walks and eight home runs.
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (37). Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
What’s even more impressive about Hernández’s season is that his .869 OPS is the second-best for the Dodgers, just behind Ohtani’s .908.
There’s no doubt that this is the kind of production that Los Angeles envisioned for the 32-year-old when they signed him to a three-year, $66 million contract this past offseason.
