Shohei Ohtani has already broken a significant MLB record

Dec 14, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani stands with his agent Nez Balelo (left) and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara at an introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Shohei Ohtani is still relatively young, but he is already starting to demolish some major records set by his countrymen.

Ohtani hit his 176th career MLB home run on Sunday, a two-run shot against the New York Mets. The number may seem insignificant, but the home run moves him past Hideki Matsui as the recordholder for MLB home runs hit by a Japanese-born player.

Shohei's record-breaking 176th homer was a sight to see. pic.twitter.com/hHJEk4i9IP

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 21, 2024

Matsui played parts of 10 MLB seasons, while Ohtani is less than a month into his seventh season, making the mark even more impressive.

Ohtani is still only 29, so as long as he stays healthy enough to hit, he’ll be crushing more records in the future. He is 24 home runs away from 200 for his career, which is the next notable milestone in his sights. Then again, he still has to pass his manager in one statistical category, which will come first.