Two-way star Shohei Ohtani enjoyed participating in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby so much on Monday that he said Tuesday he¡¯d love to be in the event again in the future.

Ohtani -- the No. 1 seed because he entered the break leading the Majors in homers (33) -- lost in the first round to the Nationals¡¯ Juan Soto. But it was a thriller, as the matchup went to a one-minute tiebreaker and then a three-swing swing-off that Soto won. Ohtani won Nippon Professional Baseball¡¯s Home Run Derby in Japan in 2016 and has said he enjoys the format. He set a Home Run Derby record with six homers that traveled at least 500 feet on Monday.

? T-Mobile Home Run Derby: Complete coverage

¡°I¡¯d definitely want to participate again,¡± Ohtani said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. ¡°But for that to happen, I¡¯ll have to have a good first half of a season.¡±

Ohtani has had more than just a good first half of a season this year, as he hit 33 homers and also posted a 3.49 ERA in 13 starts on the mound. He made history on Tuesday, as he started the game for the American League -- throwing a 1-2-3 first inning that saw his fastball reach 100.2 mph -- and also went 0-for-2 with two groundouts at the plate.

Next year, Ohtani wouldn¡¯t have to travel far to participate, as the Dodgers are set to host the All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium after the 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.