The Angels’ do-it-all superstar Shohei Ohtani might be on a hopeless team for the remainder of 2023, but that might not stop him from making more history.

With 40 homers entering Thursday, Ohtani is just five off Aaron Judge’s pace at this point last season – the Yankees slugger hit No. 45 on Aug. 10, 2022.

FanDuel Sportsbook will let you bet on whether Ohtani will hit 23 more home runs for the rest of the year, but it’ll be a tall order that will require a torrid pace for the remaining 46 games on the Angels’ schedule.

Shohei Ohtani to beat Aaron Judge’s home run record
Over 62.5 home runs (+3000) | Under 62.5 home runs (-5000)

Ohtani is currently averaging one home run every 10.63 at-bats, while Judge averaged one every 9.19 at-bats during his historic 62-homer season that set the new American League record.

The Angels’ phenom would need to average one home run every eight at-bats for the rest of the year to hit exactly 63 home runs.

That gives him 184 at-bats to hit 23 home runs.

Possible? Yes. Likely? No.

Ohtani’s best home run stretch in his career actually came earlier this season, when he hit 13 home runs from May 29-June 28 in 28 games.

He also had a similar stretch in 2022 when he hit 12 home runs in 28 games from July 29-Aug. 28.

Ohtani essentially would need to put together the best two months of his MLB career as a hitter to beat Judge’s record.

He has never hit more than 19 home runs in any 46-game stretch in his career.

Betting on Baseball?

A big factor here is Ohtani will probably miss time due to the consistent cramps he has been getting as a result of hitting and pitching in the same games.

Any game he misses is fewer chances of going deep and, frankly, the Angels have been so terrible of late that it might do them well to rest him and hope that it builds some goodwill or the offseason when Ohtani gets $600 million offers from more competent teams with a chance at winning the World Series.