Mookie Betts Beats Shohei Ohtani to Major Milestone Against Twins

Mookie Betts Beats Shohei Ohtani toLos Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts on Wednesday joined dozens of baseball greats, just edging out teammate Shohei Ohtani.

Prior to the game against the Minnesota Twins, Betts and Ohtani were both within striking distance of 300 home runs.

While Betts was only one away and Ohtani three, the Japanese two-way star had been hitting at a much better clip this season.

In the second inning, though, it was Betts who hit a fly ball just under 400 feet to left center field for his ninth homer of the season.

He was clearly excited, throwing up a salute as he rounded the bases.

With that swing, Betts became the 167th player in MLB history with 300 home runs.

He’s also the 17th active player to reach the mark.

Betts, a four time World Series champion, former MVP and surefire future Hall of Famer, didn’t need to hit 300 home runs to establish his legacy.

That said, hitting 300-plus homers is still a great line to have on a player’s resume for Cooperstown.

It also could help him shake off a rough start to the season that saw him strain his oblique in the eighth game, forcing him to miss about five weeks of action.

That homer also could help ignite Betts, who’s struggled at the plate so far this year.

He was slashing .218/.281/.385/.666 going into Wednesday’s game, though his numbers are much improved recently.

As Dodgers Nation’s Nelson Espinal pointed out, Betts is slashing .346/.414/.615 over his last seven games.

Ohtani has 297 career dingers, though he’s been on a tear recently, smashing three homers in his previous six games.

With 17 homers through the first half of the season, it seems only a matter of time until Ohtani joins Betts and first baseman Freddie Freeman (380 home runs) in the club.

How long do you think it will be until Shohei Ohtani hits his 300th home run?