Shohei Ohtani’s latest All-Star Game nomination put him in the company of a Boston Red Sox legend.
The Los Angeles Dodgers two-way phenom garnered a league-leading 3,967,668 votes, making him an automatic lock for the National League roster. It’s the fifth time Ohtani has reached the All-Star Game as a designated hitter, which tied David Ortiz. They’re now the only two MLB players to start five All-Star Game’s DH, per MLB.com’s Sarah Langs.
Ohtani’s fifth nomination comes in his eighth MLB season.
Ortiz, who was a 10-time All-Star in his 20-year career, had a slight disadvantage in the beginning of his career. The designated hitter role was only used during All-Star Games that were played in American League parks from 1989-2009. The rule changed in 2010 to allow the role on each team regardless of what park the game is played in.
Ohtani is batting .291 with 29 home runs and 54 RBI this season for the Dodgers. He’s also slugging .641 with a 1.033 OPS. He recently returned to the mound for Los Angeles — pitching for the first time since the 2023 season. The right-hander threw the fastest pitch of his career in just his third start this season when he topped out at 101.7 mph.
