In Photos: Shohei Ohtani suits up in steel blue at city council as Los Angeles declares May 17 in Dodger superstar's honor

Not even a decade after setting foot stateside, Shohei Ohtani has already cemented himself as one of the most distinguishable athletes of the modern era. While his time in Nippon Professional Baseball will be remembered as one of the most legendary careers ever, the game's present-day unicorn has also made an indelible impact stateside.

On Friday, the Los Angeles City Council honored the baseball superstar with the aptly named 'Shohei Ohtani Day,' which will be celebrated annually on May 17 for the duration of his Dodgers career.

"The city of Los Angeles will officially recognize May 17th as 'Shohei Ohtani Day,'" Dodgers wrote on Instagram.

Clad in a steel blue suit, the two-time MVP was recognized for his contributions to the city, especially to the communities of Japanese descent. Also in attendance were members of the Dodgers organization, including manager Dave Roberts.

Ohtani started his MLB career in 2018 for the Los Angeles Angels. This came off the back of an award-laden career in his native Japan. Earlier this year, he signed a $700 million deal with the Dodgers, the biggest contract in sports history.

“Thank you very much to the L.A. City Council,” Ohtani said on Friday through a team press release. “I appreciate you recognizing me on this day. I want to thank the Dodger organization as well and all the fans.”

Shohei Ohtani goes oppo on his day

Shortly after being honored by the City of Los Angeles, 'Shotime' went back to business as he wore the hat of the greatest baseball player on the planet. In the game against the Cincinnati Reds, the baseball star smashed an opposite-field two-run home run off Frankie Montas.

With the oppo blast, Ohtani pushed his tally to 13 home runs for the year, tied for league best with Baltimore's Gunnar Henderson and Houston's Kyle Tucker.

However, the home run party didn't stop, as both Mookie Betts and Jason Heyward got in on the act to beat the Reds 7-3. This was a bounce-back game for the NL powerhouse after they were upset by Cincinnati in their previous match 7-2.