Part 3/12:
Adding to his extraordinary feats, Otani became the first starting pitcher to hit three home runs and record ten strikeouts in the same game. These stats had only been seen before in the context of Babe Ruth—a legendary figure who redefined baseball in the early 20th century—and Bob Gibson, known for his dominant pitching in the 1960s. Yet Otani surpassed even these historical benchmarks with his multi-homer game while also pitching proficiently, which is an unprecedented achievement.