WATCH: Shohei Ohtani makes Dodgers history with 40th home run as MVP favorite continues torrid season

Shohei Ohtani continues to make history for the Los Angeles Dodgers. During Saturday night’s rout of the Toronto Blue Jays (LA 9, TOR 1), Ohtani slugged his 40th home run of the season, and he did so in the team’s 117th game. It is the fastest a Dodger has ever reached the 40-homer plateau. Last year Ohtani hit his 40th homer in the team’s 129th game. That was a walk-off grand slam.

Here is Ohtani’s 40th homer of 2025:

“That was one of those swings where he was behind the ball. He stayed into the ground,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game (via MLB.com). “I know he and the hitting guys have been working on some things mechanically. That was as good of a swing as you’re going to see.”

Ohtani is only the fourth Dodgers player with multiple 40-homer seasons, joining Shawn Green (2001-02) and Hall of Famers Gil Hodges (1951 and 1954) and Duke Snider (1953-57). This is Ohtani’s third straight 40-homer season and the fourth of his career. He is the only active player with four 40-homer seasons, though Aaron Judge (37) figures to join him soon.

That mark of 117 games is not the fastest a player has reached 40 homers, or even particularly close to the fastest. Barry Bonds hit his 40th homer in Game 82 during his record-setting 73-homer season in 2001. Two years ago, Judge hit his 40th shot in Game 98 en route to hitting an American League-record 62 homers.

Saturday’s homer and 2 for 4 with a walk effort raised Ohtani’s season batting line to .282/.385/.614. He’s also thrown 19 innings with a 2.37 ERA and 25 strikeouts in his return to the mound following elbow surgery. Ohtani is once again a top MVP candidate, the easy favorite in the National League (-1200, per BetMGM) ahead of players like Kyle Schwarber and Pete Crow-Armstrong.

That said, Ohtani’s 40th homer was not the most important development for the Dodgers on Saturday. Lefty Blake Snell, in his second start back from a four-month absence with shoulder inflammation, struck out 10 in five shutout innings. He looked like the Cy Young version of himself.

Saturday’s win improved the Dodgers to 68-49 this season. They have a three-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West.