Regardless of whether Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani catches the American League single-season home run record of 62, set by New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge in 2022, one commentator thinks the 2023 season might only be a warmup for the future.
San Francisco Giants color commentator Mike Krukow had a great seat in 2001 when Barry Bonds set the still-standing single-season record of 73. Not only is 73 still the single-season record, but it hasn’t been approached. Judge is the only player to top 60 home runs since 2001 and is one of only four players (along with Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Howard and Giancarlo Stanton to top 55). Still, Krukow believes that Ohtani has a chance, and he identified why.
Ohtani pitched in Wednesday’s game against the Giants. Krukow, after noting that getting to watch the supremely talented pending free agent on a daily basis would be “intriguing,” explained that Ohtani’s talent, as well as the fact that teams pitch to him, could one day give him a chance to break 73 homers.
“We were talking about it before the game. For years, we’ve felt that 73 home runs in a season — and Bonds got, I forgot, but over 100 times, intentionally, and he still put up 73. I think Ohtani has a chance of breaking that record. And I never thought I’d be saying this. For one thing, teams pitch to him. The Giants intentionally walked him once in this series and it was just the 17th time that he has been walked intentionally…actually 15th time that he has been walked intentionally. I mean, this is August.
“With his talent and the fact that are going to pitch to him, I mean, he has a chance.”
Giants announcer Mike Krukow explains why watching Shohei Ohtani every day would be "intriguing."
He then explains why he thinks Ohtani can break not only Aaron Judge's 62 homers, but Barry Bonds' 73. pic.twitter.com/UYfuts6iY7
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 10, 2023
The only thing Krukow is off on is how often Bonds was intentionally walked in 2001. He drew 177 total walks that year. And while he was pitched around a lot and received many “unintentional intentional” walks, he only drew 35 intentional walks in 2001.
That said, Krukow’s notion that teams pitch to Ohtani more than Bonds is spot on.
Ohtani’s career high in intentional walks is 20. After Krukow’s comments, the Giants gave Ohtani his 16th intentional pass of the season and 53rd of his career. For reference, Bonds drew 61 intentional walks in 2003, 68 in 2002 and 120 in 2004. No other player has been issued more than 45 intentional walks in a season.
And while nobody since Bonds has seriously approached 73, Bonds never had either before that season. Outside of 2001, his single-season career high is 49, which came in 2000.
Of course, every player who has topped 62 home runs in a season did so in the Steroid Era. MLB didn’t begin to test for or punish PED use until 2005. That can’t be ignored.
And certainly, Krukow wasn’t saying that Ohtani can easily get to 73 homers. But Ohtani has made a career out of breaking the mold.
