Shohei Ohtani the first Dodger with 100 walks in 25 years

Shohei Ohtani was walked by Giants right-hander Justin Verlander in the third inning on Friday night in San Francisco, giving the Dodgers designated hitter 100 walks on the season. He’s the first Dodger to reach triple-digit walks in a season in a quarter century.

Gary Sheffield was the last Dodger to reach the century club, walking 101 times in 2000, one year after he walked 101 times in 1999. Ohtani is only the fifth Los Angeles Dodger to walk 100 times in a season. Jim Wynn, the Toy Cannon, walked 108 times in 1974 and walked 110 times in 1975, which still stands as the LA Dodgers record. Reggie Smith walked 104 times in 1977, and leadoff man Brett Butler led the National League with 108 walks in 1991.

Walks have been more prevalent of late for Ohtani, who was issued three free passes last Sunday in Baltimore after hitting home runs in his first two at-bats against the Orioles. Friday marked his fifth straight game with a walk, and he has 27 walks in his last 30 games.

One hundred walks is a new career high for Ohtani, who walked 96 times with the Angels in 2021.

Ohtani’s 15.20-percent walk rate is in line with his other two highest such seasons, at 15.19 percent in 2023 and 15.02 percent in 2021. But his raw totals were less in those years due to differing rules (not hitting in most games in National League parks, with no designated hitter at the time) plus not hitting in some of his pitching games in 2021, and elbow surgery ending his 2023 season in early September.

With 15 games remaining in the season, Ohtani is on pace for 110 walks this year, putting Wynn’s Los Angeles record in sight. Counting the Brooklyn years, Ohtani has the 22nd season in Dodgers history with 100 walks.

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