Ohtani crushes hardest-hit HR (117.9 mph) in MLB in return to 'one of my favorite stadiums'

MIAMI -- The last time he played at loanDepot park, Shohei Ohtani put together one of the best single-game offensive performances of all time.

It was Sept. 19, 2024. Ohtani had entered the day two home runs and one stolen base away from becoming the founding member of the 50-50 club. He got what he needed and then some, going 6-for-6 with an astounding three homers, two steals and 10 RBIs.

In his return to the ballpark where he had made Major League history a little more than seven months prior, Ohtani didn't reach those same heights in Monday's 7-4 win over the Marlins -- but he still wowed with the hardest-hit home run in MLB this season.

Oh, and he swiped his 10th bag, too.

“Special," first baseman Freddie Freeman said. "He went out and hit a home run and stole another base. I think he likes doing that here. Hopefully, he can keep it going.”

Ohtani's ninth homer of the year, a two-run blast off Marlins righty Sandy Alcantara in the fifth inning, came off his bat at an eye-popping 117.9 mph. It was the fifth-hardest-hit round-tripper of Ohtani's career, including the postseason, and the superstar now has the Dodgers' top 13 exit velocities on batted balls since Statcast began tracking in 2015.

The two hardest-hit homers off Ohtani's bat this season both came off Alcantara, who also surrendered a leadoff shot to Ohtani when the Marlins were at Dodger Stadium last week.

"I'm sure the velo helped with my exit velo," Ohtani said, through interpreter Will Ireton. "I was glad that I was able to do it again."

Monday's blast drove in Hyeseong Kim, who checked off a couple of milestones in his first game in a Major League starting lineup. Kim notched his first big league hit with an opposite-field single in the fifth inning, swiping second base before Ohtani drove them both in, then drove in his first run in the Majors with a blooper to shallow left-center in the sixth.

Ohtani congratulated Kim on his first hit after they both scored in the fifth, another sign of the growing relationship between the two.

"I would say I'm still not comfortable with him, because he's a big star," Kim said through interpreter Joe Lee. "But he always talks to me first, he always asks questions, always talks to me, so that makes for a good adjustment and adapting."

Earlier in the game, Ohtani walked and stole second base before Freeman drove him in with his 350th career home run in the third inning. Freeman moved into a tie with Ryan Howard and Ryan Zimmerman for the most all-time homers against the Marlins with his 41st.

Even though Ohtani has made a career out of accomplishing the unprecedented, the Dodgers did not come into the year expecting a repeat of the 50-50 season. Given that Ohtani had left shoulder labrum surgery last November and is working toward an eventual return to the mound, the team was at least expecting fewer stolen-base attempts.

Ohtani injured his shoulder in a bid to steal second base in Game 2 of last year's World Series, so the concern is valid. He's been working on keeping his left arm off the ground while he's sliding, although he didn't manage that when he slid into second on Monday.

With nine homers and 10 stolen bases through the Dodgers' first 35 games, Ohtani is currently on pace for a 41-46 season. He has previously said that his buildup as a pitcher -- which currently entails throwing off the mound twice a week, one light session and one heavier one -- hasn't affected him much at the plate, although he thinks there's a chance that changes once he begins facing hitters.

Ohtani's 50-50 campaign felt like a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, not least because of the performance he had to get there. But the Dodgers have learned to expect the unexpected from him -- especially at a place like loanDepot park, which is also the site where he closed out Samurai Japan's 2023 World Baseball Classic victory.

"Really good memories," Ohtani said. "Just with the accomplishments last year and playing in the WBC. We had a really good game today as well. This is one of my favorite stadiums."