Oct 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) receives the NLCS MVP trophy after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers in game four of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Shohei Ohtani didn't just have the greatest MLB playoff game of all time on Friday when he did it all to help the Los Angeles Dodgers clinch a second straight World Series berth.

It was the greatest game of all time. Full stop.

Sure, there are games in which hitters have done unreal things -- we saw Nick Kurtz go 6-for-6 with four homers, 8 RBI and 19 total bases this season. We've witnessed pitching greatness like Roger Clemens striking out 20 in 1986 or Kerry Wood doing the same in 1998.

But Ohtani had a game in which he dominated on the mound AND at the plate, in a playoff contest to get his team to the championship series.

Let's dive in with some stats:

Shohei Ohtani's pitching line and stats at the plate were jaw-dropping

Let's just start with the raw numbers: Six innings of shutout ball, 10 strikeouts, three walks, two hits allowed. That would be a terrific pitching performance, but then let's add in 3-for-3 with three home runs, three RBI and a walk.

To do both in one game should cement it. But we'll keep going.

He joined Bob Gibson in playoff history

How rare is it to homer and pitch that good in the same game? This rare (also Bob Gibson was AWESOME).

Shohei Ohtani delivered a lot of firsts in this game

  • He's the first pitcher to ever hit a leadoff homer in an MLB game (!).
  • He's the first pitcher with more than one dinger in a playoff game.
  • He's the first player to have 10 strikeouts in a game and a multi-home run game multiple times in his career.

Shohei Ohtani hit his home runs really hard and one was very far

From MLB.com:

Ohtani didn’t just hit three homers -- he crushed them, at exit velocities of 116.5 mph, 116.9 mph and 113.6 mph. He became the first player with multiple home runs of at least 116 mph in any regular season or postseason game under Statcast (2015). Again, in a game he pitched.

He also hit one out of Dodger Stadium at 469 feet, which isn't reflected in the box score. That adds to the lore.

That's it. Greatest game ever. Full stop.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: 4 Shohei Ohtani stats proving he had greatest all-time MLB game

Reporting by Charles Curtis, For The Win / For The Win

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