Shohei Ohtani hit his 300th homer faster than almost everyone. Aaron Judge still lapped him.

Shohei Ohtani didn’t waste any time Tuesday night. Batting leadoff against Colorado’s Michael Lorenzen, he crushed a 409-foot shot to left-center at Dodger Stadium. It gave Los Angeles a 1-0 lead in the first inning. It also gave Ohtani career home run No. 300.

The milestone put Ohtani in rare company. According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, he reached 300 homers in his 1,101st game with at least one plate appearance. That’s the fifth-fewest games in MLB history to hit that mark. The only guys ahead of him? Aaron Judge (953 games), Ralph Kiner (1,086), Ryan Howard (1,091) and Juan Gonzalez (1,093).

Judge’s number is absurd. He got there nearly 150 games sooner. But Ohtani’s pace is still ridiculous when you factor in one thing: he’s also a pitcher. He’s not just a hitter who happens to pitch sometimes. He’s a two-way player logging innings and still mashing at this rate. Nobody else on that list was doing that.

Ohtani has been on a tear against the Rockies all series. He hit No. 299 on Monday in an 8-7 extra-inning win, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a walk. So that’s back-to-back games with a homer, and he’s already sitting on 20 for the season. It’s June. He could easily be looking at 45-plus by the time October rolls around.

Where this puts Ohtani historically

It’s not just about the raw total. It’s the speed. Ohtani is one of only 10 players in MLB history to reach 300 homers in fewer than 1,200 games. And again, most of those guys never threw a pitch in the big leagues. The closest comparable? Maybe Babe Ruth, who also pitched early in his career before becoming a full-time hitter. But Ruth got to 300 in 1,088 games, just 13 faster than Ohtani. That’s essentially a tie.

Ohtani’s 300th homer also came in his 1,038th career game as a hitter (he’s had games where he only pitched). That’s still blazing fast. And he’s doing it while carrying a .321 average and a 1.019 OPS this season. The guy is just locked in.

As for Judge, his 300th came in his 953rd game back in 2023. That’s the fastest in history. Nobody has ever hit 300 homers in fewer games than the Yankees slugger. But Ohtani’s feat feels different because of the context. He’s doing two jobs at an elite level and still keeping pace with the best pure power hitters.

The Dodgers have to be thrilled. Ohtani is on pace for another monster season, and the team looks like a legitimate World Series contender. He’s been everything they hoped for and more. Whether he catches Judge in the race to 400 or 500 is a question for another day. Right now, 300 looks pretty good on him.