What a Start: Acuña, Ohtani Trade Leadoff Homers in Classic Quarterfinals

ohtani and Ronald Acuña Jr. combined to produce the first World Baseball Classic game with two leadoff home runs, igniting a quarterfinal that opened with back-to-back headline moments at the plate.

Ohtani’s Leadoff Blast Pulled Defending Champions Even

Ohtani led off the bottom half against Ranger Suárez with a 427-foot drive to center on a 2-1 slider. The ball came off the bat at 113. 6 mph. He watched the ball, flipped his bat and motioned with both hands toward teammates in the third-base dugout. That homer tied the score 1-1 for the defending champions and marked Ohtani’s third of the tournament.

Acuña Opened the Game With a 401-Foot Shot

Ronald Acuña Jr. homered on the second pitch from World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, driving a fastball 401 feet to right-center for his second home run of the tournament. The swap of leadoff homers produced a rare early exchange that set the tone for the quarterfinal.

Historic Note and Player Credentials

The Elias Sports Bureau noted that no regular-season or postseason game has included leadoff home runs by players who had won MVP awards. Ohtani, 31, is a four-time MVP who helped lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to the last two World Series titles. Acuña, 28, won the 2023 National League MVP award and helped the 2021 Atlanta Braves win a championship.

The two leadoff homers created a singular moment for the Classic: the tournament’s first game with leadoff shots from both lineups, and a matchup that briefly featured two of the sport’s most decorated hitters exchanging immediate impact swings.