Shohei Ohtani climbing list of longest on-base streaks 

Shohei Ohtani is threatening to rewrite the record books.

Ohtani has reached base in 53 straight regular-season games dating back to last year, entering Wednesday night's game against the Giants -- in which he will also climb the mound for his fourth pitching start of the season.

Ohtani is just five games shy of the Dodgers’ Modern Era on-base record, a 58-game streak set by Duke Snider in 1954 with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Ohtani’s streak is also quickly becoming one of the longest on-base streaks in the Modern Era, since 1900. Here is a breakdown of the 15 longest on-base streaks since the start of the Modern Era, according to Baseball Reference.

1. Ted Williams, Red Sox, 84 games
July 1, 1949-Sept. 27, 1949

Eight years earlier, Williams tied but failed to eclipse Joe DiMaggio's on-base record, which stood at 74 games. This time, Williams left no doubt, setting a mark that no one has come all that close to surpassing. It sure helped that Williams led the league with a whopping 162 walks, tied for his single-season career high. He also won his second of two AL MVP Awards, slashing .343/.490/.650 with 43 home runs and 159 RBIs.

2-T. Ted Williams, Red Sox, 74 games
July 19, 1941-April 18, 1942

You may have heard a thing or two about Williams' historic 1941 season, when he posted his famous .406 batting average. That fueled a 74-game on-base streak that carried over into 1942.

2-T. Joe DiMaggio, Yankees, 74 games
May 14, 1941-Aug. 2, 1941

As it was for Williams, the 1941 season proved historic for DiMaggio, on a few different fronts. Joltin' Joe's 74-game on-base streak actually began the day before his hallowed 56-game hitting streak, when he drew a walk despite going 0-for-3 at the dish. Then, on the day that DiMaggio's hitting streak ended -- July 17 -- he still reached base via a walk.

4. Orlando Cabrera, Angels, 63 games
April 25, 2006-July 6, 2006

Cabrera may be the unlikeliest name on this list, since the 15-year veteran was known more for his splendid glove than his bat. In fact, Cabrera finished his career with a mere .317 on-base percentage (DiMaggio, by contrast, ran a .398 on-base percentage in his 13-year career). Entering the day that his streak started, Cabrera had a .304 on-base percentage. But he reached base effortlessly throughout a 10-week stretch.

5. Mark McGwire, Athletics, 62 games
Sept. 16, 1995-June 18, 1996

For a man with 583 career home runs -- 11th most in MLB history -- it's fitting that McGwire's on-base streak began with a home run on Sept. 16, 1995. And, sure enough, the last time that McGwire reached base during his streak also came via the long ball. McGwire smacked 28 homers over the course of these 62 games.

6. Jim Thome, Indians/Phillies, 60 games
July 28, 2002-April 5, 2003

The 2002 campaign was plenty memorable for Thome, who set Cleveland's new single-season home run record with 52 long balls. The left-handed slugger signed a six-year deal with the Phillies following the 2002 season, making him the only player on this list to play for two teams during the course of their on-base streak. Thome carried his on-base streak into the 2003 season, though it was snapped a week after Opening Day.

7. Will Clark, Rangers, 59 games
Sept. 6, 1995-May 11, 1996

A six-time All-Star better known for the eight years he spent with the Giants, Clark recorded this streak in the latter half of his career with the Rangers. He recorded a .384 on-base percentage throughout his 15-year career. In an odd twist, Clark actually went hitless in three of the first four games to begin his 58-game on-base streak; but, in those three games, he walked a total of six times.

8-T. Barry Bonds, Giants, 58 games
July 27, 2003-Sept. 20, 2003

Bonds reached base in 58 consecutive games for the second time in his storied career in 2003, on his way to winning the third of four straight NL MVP Awards. That season, Bonds led the Majors with a .529 on-base percentage. The second-place finisher, Colorado's Todd Helton, had a .458 OBP that trailed Bonds by 71 points.

8-T. Barry Bonds, Giants, 58 games
Aug. 16, 2001-April 20, 2002

Bonds joins Williams as the only two players to appear on this list twice. The first of his two 58-game on-base streaks began in the home stretch of his hallowed 2001 season, when he launched a single-season record 73 home runs. In total, Bonds ran a .620 on-base percentage during this on-base streak, drawing 82 walks.

8-T. Duke Snider, Dodgers, 58 games
May 13, 1954-July 11, 1954

Snider's feat took place in 1954, a year before the Brooklyn Dodgers broke through with their elusive first World Series title in 1955. The Hall of Famer compiled his on-base streak -- which still stands as the Dodgers' Modern Era record -- in one of the finest years of his storied career. In 1954, Snider slashed .341/.423/.647, made his fifth consecutive All-Star team and finished fourth in NL MVP voting. His on-base clip was fourth best in the league, trailing only three Hall of Famers: Ted Williams, Richie Ashburn and Stan Musial.

11-T. Derek Jeter, Yankees, 57 games
Sept. 24, 1998-June 5, 1999

Jeter’s on-base streak began on the fourth-to-last day of the 1998 regular season, as he was piloting the Yankees to their first of three consecutive World Series titles. In 1999, Jeter compiled one of the best campaigns of his Hall of Fame career, with a .438 on-base percentage, 91 walks and 219 hits -- all single-season career highs.

11-T. Frank Thomas, White Sox, 57 games
Sept. 27, 1995-May 31, 1996

Sure, the man known affectionately as the Big Hurt is best known for his power: Thomas slugged 521 home runs, more than all but 19 players in MLB history. But no one could keep him off base, either. Thomas led the American League in on-base percentage four times, but not in 1995 or 1996, the two years in which his streak occurred.

11-T. Wade Boggs, Red Sox, 57 games
May 27, 1985-July 31, 1985

Boggs is one of nine Hall of Famers to record an on-base streak of at least 57 consecutive games, and he did so in his fourth season in the Majors. Boggs banged out 10 hits over the first three games of the streak, which isn't all that surprising, considering he led the Majors with 240 hits and a .368 batting average in 1985. Remarkably, the on-base streak coincided with one of seven consecutive 200-hit seasons from the 12-time All-Star.

11-T. George Kell, Tigers, 57 games
May 13, 1950-July 9, 1950

No one could retire this Hall of Famer across an eight-week stretch in 1950. Over the course of his 57-game on-base streak, Kell hit .395. He finished the season with an MLB-best 218 hits while finishing fourth place in AL MVP voting.

11-T. Roger Bresnahan, Giants, 57 games
June 17, 1904-Aug. 30, 1904

Bresnahan was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1945, 30 years after his 17-year career ended and 41 years following his on-base streak. His best seasons came with the then-New York Giants, including the 1904 campaign, when Bresnahan reached base in 57 consecutive games.