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25 HR s and 150 K s In 2021, 65 players in MLB hit at least 25 homers. Ohtani hit 46, but once he eclipsed 25, he set himself up for an incredible accomplishment. On July 27, he stepped up to the plate against Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Pete Fairbanks in the top of the ninth inning. Facing a 2-1 count with the Angels holding a slim 1-0 lead, Ohtani hit an opposite-field shot that barely cleared the leftfield fence. Almost three months to the day later, Ohtani was on the mound for a start against the Seattle Mariners on September 26 th . In the third inning, he struck out J.P. Crawford, his 150 th strikeout (K) of the season. That meant Ohtani was the first player in MLB history to hit at least 25 homers and strike out at least 150 batters in the same season. The craziest part of the story is that he did it again in 2022.

Ohtani strikes out J.P. Crawford for his 150 th K of the 2021 season.

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Chapter 1: Greatest Moments