Shohei Ohtani, who was leading the race for the Major League Baseball home run title, has met a formidable competitor.

The main man is Atlanta’s starting first baseman, Matt Olson.

After hitting 17 home runs through May, Olson continued his hot hitting this month, smashing 11 in June and eight in July.

He finally tied Ohtani for the MLB home run lead with his 40th home run of the season on June 11 against Pittsburgh at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

The two players’ home run production trends have been mixed.

After hitting 39 home runs through last month, Ohtani has only added one more in nine games this month.

After hitting his 40th home run on April 4 in Seattle, he has been silent for six games.

Olson, on the other hand, has hit four home runs in nine games this month.

Based on the current trend and the number of games remaining, American media are giving Olson a better chance of winning the MLB home run title than Ohtani.

“Olson has 22 home runs in his last 45 games,” said MLB.com, “and if he keeps up his current pace, he could reach the 60-homer plateau.”

Ohtani’s current team, the Los Angeles Angels, has 46 games remaining, while Atlanta has 49.

Only six players in MLB have ever hit 60 or more home runs in a single season – Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Maris, Babe Ruth, and Aaron Judge.온라인바카

Only three players have reached the 60-homer plateau without resorting to PEDs: Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, and Aaron Judge.