Ohtani Chases Babe Ruth Record With Dodgers
Listen to the story
Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese star of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is close to breaking a rare batting record.
The record once belonged to Babe Ruth, a legendary player often called a "god" of baseball. Reports say Ohtani could become the only active player in Major League Baseball to reach this mark.
Ohtani is currently on a long streak of games, playing as the leadoff hitter and designated hitter (DH). As a DH, he only bats and does not play in the field, which lets him focus purely on hitting.
He is now hoping to hit his 31st home run of the season. Ohtani recently hit home runs in three straight games, a strong sign of his current batting form. He is facing a left-handed pitcher against whom he has a very high career batting average.
Fans have described the current stretch of games as a hitter-friendly period, with several players performing well at the plate.
Meanwhile, another Japanese player on the Dodgers, pitcher Roki Sasaki, is also chasing a personal goal. He is looking for his sixth win of the season.
Both players continue to draw attention as Japanese stars performing at a high level in MLB. Their success has kept fans in Japan and the United States closely following the Dodgers this season.
Vocabulary11 words
- record
- the best result ever achieved
- active player
- someone currently playing in the league
- streak
- a series of games or wins in a row
- designated hitter
- a player who only bats, not fields
- home run
- a hit that sends the ball out of the field
- pitcher
- the player who throws the ball to the batter
- batting average
- a number showing how often a player gets a hit
- career
- a person's whole time playing a sport
- leadoff hitter
- the first batter in the lineup
- hitter-friendly
- conditions that help batters hit well
- Major League Baseball
- the top professional baseball league in the US
Quiz
Answer key
1. Babe Ruth's 2. Designated hitter 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese star of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is close to breaking a rare batting _____.
The record once belonged to Babe Ruth, a legendary player often called a "god" of _____.
Reports say Ohtani could become the only _____ in Major League Baseball to reach this mark.
Ohtani is currently on a long streak of games, playing as the leadoff hitter and _____ (DH).
He is now hoping to hit his 31st _____ of the season.
Ohtani recently hit home runs in three straight games, a strong sign of his current batting _____.
He is facing a left-handed pitcher against whom he has a very high career batting _____.
Meanwhile, another Japanese player on the Dodgers, pitcher Roki Sasaki, is also chasing a personal _____.
He is looking for his sixth _____ of the season.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think records like Babe Ruth's are still important today?
- What skills do you think make a good designated hitter?
- How do you think it feels to compete against your own country's records?
- Why might fans enjoy watching both Ohtani and Sasaki play for the same team?