Shohei Ohtani is unbelievable.
Every night the Angels two-way superstar is doing something amazing. It never fails. If he wasn't also a pitcher, he still would be one of the most valuable players in baseball. His offensive bWAR was second in MLB heading into Friday at 3.8, trailing only the Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr.
For Friday's nightly highlight, Ohtani hit a 493-foot home run against the Diamondbacks. It was his MLB-leading 30th of the year and his 15th in June. It's the longest home run in the majors in 2023, surpassing Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton's 485-foot moonshot against the Giants on April 2.
4️⃣9️⃣3️⃣ feet for No. 30!
— MLB (@MLB) July 1, 2023
Shohei Ohtani is UNREAL! pic.twitter.com/W7TxBembrj
On top of all of that, it's the longest homer of Ohtani's career, with his previous long being 470 feet in 2021 against the Royals, and it tied the American League record for home runs in June.
The only downer is that the homer came with Los Angeles trailing by five runs in the sixth inning. The Angels lost 6-2.
MORE: Mike Trout on how to keep Shohei Ohtani with Angels
Longest MLB home runs in 2023
Ohtani's home run is the longest of the 2023 season, passing Giancarlo Stanton of the Yankees. A look at the top 10, by distance, after the blast:
| Date | Player | Team | Opponent | Distance | Stadium |
| June 30 | Shohei Ohtani | Angels | Diamondbacks | 493 feet | Angel Stadium |
| April 2 | Giancarlo Stanton | Yankees | Giants | 485 feet | Yankee Stadium |
| June 7 | Nolan Jones | Rockies | Giants | 483 feet | Coors Field |
| April 12 | Jarred Kelenic | Mariners | Cubs | 482 feet | Wrigley Field |
| April 29 | Brandon Crawford | Giants | Padres | 482 feet | Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu |
| April 11 | C.J. Cron | Rockies | Cardinals | 482 feet | Coors Field |
| June 16 | Travis d'Arnaud | Braves | Rockies | 474 feet | Truist Park |
| April 29 | LaMonte Wade Jr. | Giants | Padres | 474 feet | Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu |
| April 3 | Austin Riley | Braves | Cardinals | 473 feet | Busch Stadium |
| June 16 | Travis d'Arnaud | Braves | Rockies | 473 feet | Truist Park |
Of note: The home runs by Jones, Crawford, Cron and Wade came at alltitude: Denver for Jones and Cron, Mexico City for .
MORE: If the Angels aren't trading Shohei Ohtani, roster upgrades are critical
Most home runs in a month
The MLB record for home runs in a month is 20 by Sammy Sosa for the Cubs in June 1998. In non-steroid times, Rudy York hit 18 for the Tigers in August 1937 and Stanton hit 18 for the Marlins in August 2017. Babe Ruth hit 17 for the Yankees in September 1927.
Ohtani's 15 homers in June tied the American League record for most in the month. He joined Ruth (1930), Bob Johnson (1934, A's) and Roger Maris (1961, Yankees).
Fifteen home runs in a month represent a career high for Ohtani, surpassing his 13 from June 2021.
Shohei Ohtani June stats
Ohtani did more than mash in June. He put up statlines at the plate and on the mound that bordered on supernatural.
Shohei Ohtani June batting stats
| AVG | OBP | SLG | HR | BB | SO |
| .392 | .484 | .931 | 15 | 19 | 26 |
Shohei Ohtani June pitching stats
| IP | ERA | BAA | WHIP | BB | SO |
| 30.1 | 3.26 | .228 | 1.22 | 11 | 37 |
MLB.com researcher Sarah Langs noted that Ohtani holds the top four spots for most home runs while also striking out 30-plus players, with this month being a career best.
MORE: How many homers is Shohei Ohtani on pace to hit in 2023?
Most home runs through June in MLB history
Ohtani's home run Friday was his 30th of the season, just two off the American League record for most home runs through June 30. Ken Griffey Jr. set the record in 1997.
The MLB record is 39 by Barry Bonds in 2001, the year he set the MLB record with 73 home runs.
The Sporting News has Ohtani on pace to hit 58 home runs in 2023.
It's just the latest chapter in what is shaping up to be the most special contract year in MLB history, surpassing even Aaron Judge's 62-home-run season in 2022. If Ohtani can keep up this torrid pace, the scramble to land him in the offseason will be unprecedented.
