DENVER -- Shohei Ohtani wasted no time in extending his remarkable on-base streak to 49 games, ripping a leadoff double down the right-field line in the Dodgers’ series opener against the Rockies at Coors Field on Friday night.
The two-way superstar, who also recently had a streak of 32 2/3 innings without giving up an earned run on the mound snapped, is fourth in franchise history with his current on-base streak, which dates back to Aug. 24 of last year. He is now just one game behind "Wee" Willie Keeler for third among Dodgers all time.
If Ohtani’s run continues, he could take sole possession of second place this weekend and set the all-time Dodgers mark -- a distinction currently held by Hall of Famer Duke Snider (58 straight games reaching base in 1954) by the end of the following weekend at Dodger Stadium against the Cubs.
It would be yet another historic feat achieved by a man who has already achieved so many. Ohtani is a four-time MVP and became the first player in MLB history to hit at least 50 home runs (54) and steal at least 50 bases (59) in a single season in 2024. And that is just to name two items from his long list of accolades, which includes numerous records for his exploits as both a pitcher and a hitter.
One of them is still developing. According to OptaSTATS, since the earned run became an official stat in 1913, Ohtani and Babe Ruth are the only Major League players with a 30-plus-game on-base streak and a 30-plus-inning streak without allowing an earned run at any point in their careers.
Also of note, Ohtani set the all-time record for longest on-base streak by a Japanese-born player when he reached 44, breaking the mark set by Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki.