Here are Ohtani's best MLB games

Shohei Ohtani, who won his second career AL MVP Award -- and second in unanimous fashion -- for a sensational 2023 campaign at the plate and on the mound, has given us some moments we may never see in baseball again.

There may not be a way to truly quantify -- or rank -- the impressiveness of it all, but here are some of his top games that could very well be considered The Shohei Ohtani Game -- so far, anyway.

? Ohtani's top 10 home runs in MLB

A monster game for the history books
Sept. 19, 2024 vs. MIA
Ohtani, who has a knack for making history with a flourish, did so yet again in this game against the Marlins, when he inaugurated the 50-homer/50-steal club. Not only did he launch a pair of homers to reach the big No. 50, he belted another in the ninth inning for No. 51, stole two bases (No. 50 and No. 51), doubled twice and drove in a career-high 10 runs in a magnificent 6-for-6 performance. His 50th homer also set a new Dodgers single-season record, surpassing Shawn Green's 49 in 2001.

A GRAND entry to 40-40 club
Aug. 23, 2024 vs. TB
Ohtani delivered his first signature Dodgers moment when he joined the elusive 40-40 club in the grandest way possible. Entering the game a homer and a steal shy of the mark, he got the latter out of the way quickly, swiping his 40th bag of the season in the fourth after he reached on a single. Then in the ninth inning with the game tied, Ohtani came up with two outs and the bases loaded -- and in true cinematic fashion, the NL MVP frontrunner bashed a walk-off grand slam en route to becoming the sixth and fastest member to join the 40-40 club. He also became the first Dodgers player to accomplish the feat and secured a 40-homer season for the second straight year.

A first on the mound, a rarity at the plate
July 27, 2023 vs. DET (doubleheader)
Just one day after the Angels announced they were going all-in on a playoff push, Ohtani delivered the best start of his career in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Comerica Park. He pitched his first career complete game and shutout, allowing just one hit, a single in the fifth inning. Already pushing 100 pitches at the end of the eighth, Ohtani came out to finish what he started, wrapping up with 111 pitches, six shy of his career high in 2021.

But the two-way superstar wasn't finished wowing us -- in Game 2, he launched a pair of homers, becoming the second player in AL/NL history, since at least 1900, to throw a one-hitter or no-hitter while homering twice on the same day. The Phillies' Rick Wise threw a no-hitter and homered twice against the Reds on June 23, 1971.

His best game yet?
June 27, 2023 vs. CWS
Ohtani turned in what could be considered the best performance by a single player in an MLB game, when he bashed his 27th homer of the season in the first inning en route to a 10-strikeout showing on the mound. When he was removed with two runners on in the seventh inning with a cracked fingernail, he put his batting gloves on and launched his MLB-leading 28th homer in the bottom half of the frame to cushion the Angels' lead. He became just the sixth player since 1900 to hit two homers in a game and strike out at least 10 batters.

Wrangling the Rangers
June 15, 2023 vs. TEX
The Angels entered a crucial four-game set against the first-place Rangers, looking to chip away at their division lead. It became a four-day showcase for Ohtani's otherworldly talent, which he capped off with a quality start and his 22nd home run. It was his fourth homer of the series, and he sent it 443 feet to the opposite field after dueling Texas ace Nathan Eovaldi on the hill. Ohtani picked up his sixth win of the season while handing the Halos that crucial series victory.

The strikeout heard around the world
March 21, 2023 vs. Team USA
You couldn't have drawn up a better ending to the World Baseball Classic. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth in a one-run game, Ohtani worked his then-Angels teammate Mike Trout to a full count before striking him out on a sweeper to seal Team Japan's championship. It capped an unforgettable Classic performance by Ohtani, who was named the WBC MVP after slashing .435/.606/.739 with four doubles, a home run and 10 walks.

A gem of a statement
Sept. 29, 2022 vs. OAK
In the midst of a tight race with Yankees slugger Aaron Judge for the American League MVP Award, Ohtani turned in possibly his best start of the year when he came four outs shy of his first career no-hitter. After Ohtani's bid was broken up by a single in the eighth, he induced a groundout to seal his 10-strikeout scoreless gem before picking up his 15th win of the season.

A two-way, two-day showcase
June 22, 2022 vs. KC
Ohtani struck out a career-high 13 batters in an eight-inning, scoreless gem against the Royals. Amazingly, it came just one night after he set another career high with eight RBIs in a game in which he smacked two homers -- including a game-tying three-run shot in the bottom of the ninth. Unsurprisingly, Ohtani became the first player in AL/NL history to have at least eight RBIs in a game and strike out at least 10 batters the next day.

Sho-stopper to the rescue
June 9, 2022 vs. BOS
When the Angels were weathering a 14-game losing streak, there was perhaps no better person than Ohtani -- on the mound and batting second -- to put an end to it. Trouble appeared to be brewing, though, when the Red Sox grabbed an early lead on a sac fly in the fifth. But worry not, because Ohtani -- who else? -- smacked a go-ahead two-run homer in the bottom half of the frame to put his team up for good.

The Babe's old stomping grounds
May 5, 2022 vs. BOS
In his first career start at Fenway Park, where Babe Ruth once played, Ohtani put on a masterful performance. The modern-day two-way marvel fanned 11 Red Sox across seven scoreless innings while picking up two hits, including a bases-loaded single hit so hard it knocked his own number off the scoreboard on the Green Monster. Fittingly, he joined The Babe in rare company, becoming the first starting pitcher to bat in one of the top four spots (third) in a game at Fenway Park since Ruth did so on Sept. 20, 1919.

A no-doubter for No. 40
Aug. 18, 2021 vs. DET
Looking to put an exclamation point on his 2021 MVP campaign, Ohtani was through seven innings of one-run ball in a tight game against the Tigers. Who better to provide some breathing room than, well, the starting pitcher himself? Ohtani launched a ball 430 feet into the right-field seats for his 40th homer of the season. Oh, and he tossed a clean bottom of the eighth inning -- including his eighth strikeout -- for good measure.

Hey now, you're an All-Star
July 13, 2021 vs. NL
Ohtani made history before the festivities even began when he became the first player in the history of the Midsummer Classic to be selected to the All-Star Game as both a position player and a pitcher. A day after participating in the Home Run Derby, he led off the top of the first as the DH before taking the mound as the AL starter. Ohtani tossed a perfect inning against Fernando Tatis Jr., Max Muncy and Nolan Arenado, en route to picking up the winning decision to cap off his historic week.

A one-man Sho vs. the O's
July 2, 2021 vs. BAL
After Ohtani obliterated two homers -- his 29th and 30th -- in the game, the O's weren't about to let him beat them in the bottom of the ninth in a tie game. So the two-way star drew a walk and got creative: He stole second base (basically twice, after his first attempt was negated), then flashed his elite speed on a single by Jared Walsh to score the walk-off run.

Let the two-way era commence
April 4, 2021 vs. CWS
This performance was Ohtani's debut as the true two-way player we get to watch today. It also kicked off his 2021 MVP campaign with a bang. Prior to this start, he hadn't hit on days he pitched, so when former Angels manager Joe Maddon penciled in Ohtani, the pitcher, as his No. 2 batter, it drew the eyes of the baseball world. Ohtani wasted no time, as he clubbed a 451-foot homer -- with an earsplitting crack off the bat -- against Dylan Cease in the bottom of the first after tossing a clean top of the frame.

A historic cycle for Sho
June 13, 2019 vs. TB
Hitting for the cycle might be one of the toughest feats in baseball, as there's a need for skill, power and a little bit of luck. Ohtani conquered it in just his second year in the big leagues at Tropicana Field. After starting the scoring with a three-run homer in the top of the first, Ohtani doubled in the third and tripled in the fifth to set himself up for the potential historic knock. He laced a single to center field in the seventh to complete the cycle, becoming the first Japanese-born player to accomplish the feat.

Nice to meet you, Angel Stadium
April 3, 2018 vs. CLE
Coming off a rocky Spring Training in his first year in the bigs, Ohtani put some minds at ease when he picked up his first hit in his MLB debut against Oakland. But he confirmed he was exactly as advertised, when he came up with the bases loaded in his first at-bat at Angel Stadium. After a run scored on a wild pitch, Ohtani walloped his first career homer in front of an electric home crowd. He received an epic silent treatment, too.