Shohei Ohtani home run pace 2024: How MVP favorite stacks up after hitting 30th HR

MLB teams returned from the All-Star break this past Friday, looking to get the second half of the season started on the right foot. That will determine whether said teams will buy, sell, or stand pat at the trade deadline, depending on their postseason chances.

When it comes to individual performances, one player who is having a tremendous season is, unsurprisingly, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani. Since arriving in MLB in 2018, Ohtani has lived up to the hype and then some. But, the two-way superstar is still finding ways to drop the jaws of fans who tune into games.

On Sunday in the series finale against the Boston Red Sox, Ohtani crushed a 473-foot home run that flew out of Dodger Stadium to extend Los Angeles' lead to 6-2. That was Ohtani's 30th home run of the season, leading all National League players.

Ohtani has been viewed as the NL MVP favorite entering the All-Star break, and his momentum hasn't slowed him down. When it comes to home runs, what is the designated hitter on pace to hit?

Shohei Ohtani home run pace 2024: How many HRs is two-way star on pace to hit after recording 30th

The way to determine home run pace is rather simple. You take the home runs the player hits, divide it by the number of games the team played, then multiply it by 162, which represents the total number of games each team plays in the regular season. The Dodgers played 100 regular season games with Sunday's game against the Red Sox now official.

When you do the math, it comes out to 48.6. You round that up, and Ohtani is on pace to hit 49 home runs this season, as of this writing.

The only player really on pace with Ohtani is Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, who has 28 home runs total after Sunday.

Ohtani is the favorite to win the NL MVP based on his offensive performance this season. Let's not forget that Ohtani isn't pitching this season after undergoing right elbow surgery. Now, Ohtani has the chance to become the first designated hitter to win the NL MVP award. Well, that's mostly since the designated hitter role wasn't implemented in the National League until 2022.

Either way, Ohtani is on the way to having yet another incredible season.