Shohei Ohtani becomes the first major league player to hit 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season
MIAMI — Shohei Ohtani became the first major leaguer to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season, the Los Angeles Dodgers star hitting deep twice to reach the half-century mark and stealing two bags to reach 51 against the Miami Marlins on Thursday.
Ohtani hits his 50th home run in the seventh inning, a two-run shot to the opposite field against Marlins reliever Mike Baumann. An inning earlier, he had hit his 49th, throw a 1-1 cursor from George Soriano 438 feet to the second bridge at center right.
He took care of the stolen bases earlier in the game, stealing his 50th in the first and his 51st in the second. Ohtani became the first player to have multiple home runs and steals in a game since the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts on Aug. 23, 2020.
The Japanese superstar started the match with a brace against Edward Cabrera and slipped the third ahead of a double steal with Freddie Freeman, who reached on a walk.
Ohtani has completed his last 28 stolen base attempts.
He reached the 50-50 mark in his 150th game. Ohtani was already the sixth player in major league history and the fastest to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season, in just 126 games.
Ohtani’s previous record for home runs was 46 for the Los Angeles Angels in 2021, when he also made 23 starts on the mound and won his first of two AL MVP Awards.
Already considered the consensus greatest player in baseball, whose accomplishments as a pitcher and hitter surpassed even Babe Ruth, Ohtani reached new heights as an offensive player while taking a year off as a pitcher.
Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers last December. The two-way star, who previously spent six years with the Los Angeles Angels, has played exclusively at designated hitter this season as he rehabs from surgery a year ago for a torn elbow ligament.
Preparation was a key part of Ohtani becoming the first member of the 50-50 club. He met regularly with the team’s hitting coaches and studied video of opposing pitchers to understand their tendencies with hitters and baserunners.
“I see all the work he puts in,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said recently. “It’s not like he goes out there and it’s too easy for him. He works harder than anybody. He scouts really hard. He plays a different game, so it’s fun to see.”
Ohtani appears to have made the 50-50 mark his mission. He has increased the frequency of his base-stealing attempts and, as a result, his success rate has increased.
But that might not be the case next year when he returns to the mound.
“He’s not pitching this year, so I think he’s emptying his tank offensively,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I think the power, the on-base percentage, the average, I think he can do that as a pitcher. He’s done something pretty similar with his OPS. But as far as stolen bases, I’m not sure.”
Ohtani’s teammates enjoyed watching him crush home runs and run around the bases.
“I honestly try to learn from him by watching the way he goes about his business on a day-to-day basis. He’s very consistent, he’s had that same demeanor throughout his career,” outfielder Tommy Edman said recently. “I think that’s why he’s such a good player.”
Third baseman Max Muncy added: “Every night I feel like he’s doing something we’ve never seen.”
What’s next for Ohtani?
The Dodgers will head to the playoffs in October, a first for Ohtani. He never made it with the Angels, who never had a winning record during his time in Anaheim.
Another potential first could be winning the National League MVP award as a designated hitter. No player who played the majority of his playing time as a designated hitter — not pitching — has ever won the MVP award, though Don Baylor, Edgar Martinez and David Ortiz have led the voting.
It would be Ohtani’s third career MVP award, after winning the first two in the American League with the Angels.
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AP sports writer Beth Harris in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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