MIAMI – The World Baseball Classic quarterfinals kicked off with a thrilling display of power from two of baseball’s brightest stars, Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuña Jr. The game witnessed an unprecedented feat as both players launched leadoff home runs, marking the first time this has happened in WBC history.

Ronald Acuña Jr. set the pace early on Saturday night, smashing a home run off the second pitch from World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Acuña’s impressive 401-foot shot to right-center marked his second home run of the tournament, electrifying the stadium right from the start.

Not to be outdone, Shohei Ohtani stepped up in the bottom half of the inning against Ranger Suárez. Ohtani delivered a stunning 427-foot drive to center field off a 2-1 slider, with the ball leaving his bat at an astounding 113.6 mph. After watching the ball sail out, Ohtani celebrated by flipping his bat and gesturing to his teammates in the third-base dugout. This home run, which evened the score at 1-1 for the defending champions, was Ohtani’s third homer of the tournament.

Remarkably, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, no regular-season or postseason game has ever seen leadoff home runs from players who have both won MVP awards. This underscores the rarity of the event and the extraordinary talent of these athletes.

Ohtani, at 31, has already secured four MVP titles and has been instrumental in leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to their consecutive World Series victories. Meanwhile, the 28-year-old Acuña claimed the 2023 NL MVP award and played a crucial role in the Atlanta Braves’ championship run in 2021.

Acuna, 28, won the 2023 NL MVP award and helped the 2021 Atlanta Braves win a championship.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb