Ohtani and Acuña Jr. Hit Leadoff Home Runs in WBC Quarterfinal

First time in WBC history that two reigning MVPs have combined for leadoff homers in the same game

Mar. 15, 2026 at 6:12am

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Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves both hit leadoff home runs to start the World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, marking the first time in WBC history that two reigning MVP award winners have accomplished this feat in the same game.

Why it matters

This historic moment showcases the incredible talent and star power of Ohtani and Acuña, two of the best players in Major League Baseball. Their home runs to open the game set the tone for an exciting quarterfinal matchup between the defending WBC champions and a Braves team looking to make a deep tournament run.

The details

Acuña homered on the second pitch from World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, driving a 401-foot shot to right-center. Ohtani then led off the bottom half against Ranger Suárez with a 427-foot blast to center on a 2-1 slider, tying the score 1-1. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, no regular or postseason game has included leadoff home runs by players who had won MVPs.

  • The game took place on Saturday, March 15, 2026.

The players

Shohei Ohtani

A four-time MVP who helped lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to the last two World Series titles.

Ronald Acuña Jr.

The 2023 NL MVP who helped the Atlanta Braves win the 2021 World Series championship.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto

The World Series MVP pitcher who started the game for Japan.

Ranger Suárez

The pitcher who faced Ohtani in the bottom of the first inning.

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The takeaway

This historic moment showcases the incredible talent and star power of Ohtani and Acuña, two of the best players in Major League Baseball. Their leadoff home runs to open the WBC quarterfinal game set the tone for an exciting matchup between the defending champions and a Braves team looking to make a deep tournament run.