Shohei Ohtani has made headlines with his remarkable achievements, most notably signing the largest contract in baseball history in December 2023. In his initial two seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he has already clinched two championships and earned two MVP awards, while also etching his name into the team’s record books by setting two single-season home run records.
In the 2024 season, Ohtani launched an impressive 54 home runs, surpassing Shawn Green's long-standing franchise record of 49, a record that had been held for 22 years. The following year, in 2025, he raised the bar even higher by hitting 55 home runs—making him the only player in Major League Baseball history to achieve exactly this number in a single season.
Looking ahead, there’s another significant milestone within reach for Ohtani in 2026: the record for the most home runs hit by a Dodgers player over a three-year period. Here’s how the current top records stack up:
- Duke Snider (1954-56): 125 home runs
- Duke Snider (1955-57): 125 home runs
- Duke Snider (1953-55): 124 home runs
- Shawn Green (2000-02): 115 home runs
- Gary Sheffield (1999-2001): 113 home runs
- Cody Bellinger (2017-19): 111 home runs
- Shawn Green (2001-03): 110 home runs
- Shohei Ohtani (2024-25): 109 home runs
Remarkably, only four Dodgers have surpassed the 109 home runs Ohtani has achieved in his first two years, which covers seven different spans in the team's history. Currently, he ranks 31st all-time among Dodgers players, despite having played for the team for just two seasons.
For Ohtani to break the record for most home runs in a three-year span, he needs to hit just 17 more home runs in the 2026 season. If he maintains his performance from the previous two years, he could easily soar into elite company.
Historically, six Dodgers players have recorded three or more consecutive seasons with 30 or more home runs, including:
- Gil Hodges (five years from 1950-54)
- Duke Snider (five years from 1953-57)
- Mike Piazza (1995-97)
- Eric Karros (1995-97)
- Raúl Mondesi (1997-99)
- Gary Sheffield (1999-2001)
Duke Snider stands out as the only Dodger to have hit more than two seasons with 40 home runs, achieving this feat for five straight years between 1953 and 1957.
During his final three seasons with the Angels, Ohtani recorded 46, 34, and 44 home runs, totaling 233 homers over the last five seasons, averaging nearly 47 home runs per year. His projections for the upcoming season reflect similar expectations:
- ZiPS: 52 home runs
- OOPSY: 50 home runs
- THE BAT: 47 home runs
- Marcel: 44 home runs
- Steamer: 44 home runs
So, the intriguing question remains: How many home runs will Shohei Ohtani hit in the 2026 season? This is a topic that sparks curiosity and debate among fans and analysts alike. Do you believe he can surpass the record, or will he struggle to maintain his high level of performance? Share your thoughts in the comments!
