'It almost could have been broken' Ohtani surpasses 'Korean legend' Choo Shin-soo's record and finally writes a new Asian history! So, what is the new MLB record?

*This content was translated by AI.

MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani (32, LA Dodgers) of the U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB) has finally surpassed Choo Shin-soo (44, currently an advisor to the SSG Landers ownership), a living legend of Korean baseball, and set a new all-time record for the longest consecutive games with a baserunner by an Asian player.

On the 22nd (Korean time), Ohtani started as the designated hitter in the first spot for the away game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, USA, as part of the 2026 MLB regular season. In his fourth and final at-bat in the bottom of the seventh inning, he hit a dramatic infield single, extending his streak of consecutive games with a baserunner to 53 games.

It was a game where the consecutive games with a baserunner streak almost came to an end. Ohtani struggled against San Francisco starter Landon Leup, striking out with two consecutive swings and misses in the top of the first and third innings. Then, in his third at-bat in the bottom of the fifth, he hit a fly ball to right field, creating a crisis that seemed to threaten the extension of his consecutive games with a baserunner record.

However, it turned out to be a false alarm. In the bottom of the seventh inning, with the Dodgers trailing 1-3, Ohtani stepped up to the plate for his fourth at-bat with two outs and a runner on first base. There, Ohtani engaged in a tight battle with San Francisco bullpen pitcher Eric Miller, reaching a full count. On the sixth pitch, Ohtani attacked a high fastball, and the ball headed deep toward the shortstop position. As soon as Ohtani made contact with the ball, he sprinted toward first base at full speed. At the same time, the opposing shortstop, Willie Adames, who had fielded the ball, leaped to make the catch and then threw to first base. The result was a safe call by a hair's breadth. It was the moment Ohtani finally succeeded in reaching base for 53 consecutive games.

With this hit, Ohtani has continued to write a miraculous history of reaching base in every game since August 25 last year against the San Diego Padres, and he has now increased that number to '53'. This broke the previous record for the longest consecutive games with a baserunner by an Asian player, which Choo Shin-soo set from the May 14, 2018 game against the Houston Astros to the July 21 game against the Cleveland Indians during his time with the Texas Rangers (52 games), eight years later. That year, Choo Shin-soo played in 146 games, posting a respectable batting average of 0.264 (560 at-bats, 148 hits), 21 home runs, 62 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.811.

Furthermore, with this record achievement today, Ohtani has tied with Sean Green, who holds the Dodgers franchise record for the second-longest consecutive games with a baserunner (53 games) set in May 2000. Now, Ohtani's focus turns to the number one spot in the franchise's history. The longest record in Dodgers franchise history is 58 games, set by Duke Snider in 1954. If Ohtani succeeds in reaching base in six more consecutive games, he will break the Dodgers franchise record for the first time in 72 years and become the protagonist of a new chapter in the team's history.

Additionally, Ohtani is now challenging a new history in the major leagues. Looking at the entire history of Major League Baseball, the record for the longest consecutive games with a baserunner is held by 'the god of hitting' Ted Williams. He achieved 84 consecutive games with a baserunner in 1949.

Ohtani is scheduled to start as a pitcher in the game against the San Francisco Giants at the same venue at 10:45 a.m. on the 23rd. He is also expected to bat. The eyes of baseball fans around the world continue to be fixed on him.

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*This content was translated by AI.