Shohei Ohtani: Los Angeles Dodgers superstar is first player in the 50-50 club

CNN
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Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani etched his name in Major League Baseball history on Thursday when he became the first member of the 50-50 club in a game against the Miami Marlins.

A 50-50 season consists of 50+ home runs and 50+ stolen bases in a single season.

Ohtani, the fastest player to hit 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season, hit his 50th home run of the season early in the seventh inning after stealing his 50th and 51st bases earlier in the game.

The Japanese sensation gave the Dodgers a 14-3 lead with his historic home run. Incredibly, he hit another home run in his next at-bat in the 9th inning, giving him three runs for the game. He put his name in the record books in incredible fashion by hitting two doubles, a single, three home runs and stealing two bases – one of the best offensive performances of any player of the season.

The game was the first game of Ohtani's career with three home runs and the first game with 10 RBIs.

The Dodgers eventually won the game 20-4 against Miami and secured a spot in the playoffs.

“I'm glad the team won,” Ohtani said after the game. “It was something I wanted to get over with as quickly as possible, and I know it's something I'll remember for a very long time.”

In Ohtani's home country of Japan, newspapers hastily published special editions to announce the news.

Chief government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said: “We would like to congratulate him from the bottom of our hearts.”

“We sincerely hope that Mr. Ohtani, who has already accomplished one accomplishment after another and ushered in a new era, will continue to be successful,” he said at a news conference.

Ohtani opened his day with a double in the first inning while also stealing his 50th base of the season. After hitting a single a frame later, Ohtani stole his 51st base. The next time he hit a double, but was thrown out at third base while trying to turn it into a triple.

He hit his 49th home run in the sixth inning against Marlins relief pitcher George Soriano, sending a two-run shot to the second deck of right-center field at LoanDepot Park, moving within one point of the 50-50 club.

One inning later, Ohtani hit a three-run home run off reliever Mike Baumann, his historic 50th of the season. Ohtani paused briefly at the plate and watched the ball roll into the stands before making his way to first base, yelling excitedly. After circling the bases and being greeted by his Dodgers teammates, Ohtani left the dugout for a rare curtain call.

His day wasn't over yet, however, as he hit a Dodgers-record 51st home run in the ninth inning, surpassing Shawn Green as the most in a single season.

“To be honest, I'm probably the one who's most surprised. I have no idea where this came from, but I'm glad I played well today,” Ohtani said of his day at bat.

The closest to the 50-50 mark were Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves, who stole 73 bases and hit 41 home runs in 2023, and Alex Rodriguez, who hit 42 home runs and stole 46 bases as a member of the Seattle Mariners in 1998.

Ohtani played for six seasons as a hitter and pitcher with the Los Angeles Angels and won the American League's Most Valuable Player Award twice. This past offseason, he signed a historic 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.

This historic achievement comes after Ohtani had a personally difficult start to his time with the Dodgers. His longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, pleaded guilty in court in June to fraud and tax evasion for stealing nearly $17 million from the slugger to pay off gambling debts. The revelation came just hours after Ohtani made his debut in a Dodgers uniform at the season opener in South Korea.

After the revelation of Mizuhara's gambling addiction, speculation about Ohtani swirled for weeks as questions were raised about what the superstar knew and when he knew it. Ohtani – and Mizuhara himself – insisted he knew nothing about his friend and interpreter's gambling addiction and theft. When Mizuhara pleaded guilty, Ohtani said he had come to terms with this sad revelation.

“This has been an exceptionally challenging time, so I am especially grateful for my support team – my family, my agent, my agency, my lawyers and advisors, and the entire Dodger organization who have shown endless support throughout this process. It's time to close this chapter, move on and stay focused on playing and winning ball games,” he said in a statement.

The Japanese star is the clear favorite to win the NL MVP award despite not being able to pitch this season due to offseason elbow surgery. He has hit 51 home runs and a .294 batting average this season and has led the Dodgers to a 91-62 record, good for first place in the NL West division.

With the win against Miami, the Dodgers have secured a playoff spot and Ohtani will have his first chance to shine in October. During his time as an Angel, Ohtani's teams never reached the postseason.

“Although I changed jerseys and joined a new team, my goal was always to make the playoffs. I'm glad we did it today, personally and as a team,” he said after the game.