Shohei Ohtani is one homer away from history, with 10 games to go.
The Los Angeles Dodgers star hit the first milestone of his campaign to post MLB's first 50-50 season, stealing his 50th and 51st bases on Thursday against the Miami Marlins. He then added his 49th homer of the season, tying Shawn Green's 2001 season for the most in Dodgers history.
Ohtani reached the half-century mark early in the first inning, stealing third after opening the game with a double.
The stolen base that gave Shohei Ohtani his 50th of the season!
He has been successful on his last 27 stolen base attempts ? pic.twitter.com/rsSHCsG27L
— MLB (@MLB) September 19, 2024
The star DH later scored a run, giving Los Angeles an early 1-0 lead over Miami. He added his 51st steal in the second inning, reaching base on an RBI single and taking second without a throw.
We didn't have to wait long for the next one.
51 stolen bases for Shohei! pic.twitter.com/PmuaDK2XRX
— MLB (@MLB) September 19, 2024
The home run came in the sixth inning, and it was a big one. Statcast measured it as 111.2 mph off the bat and traveling 438 feet to give the Dodgers a 9-3 lead.
SHOHEI OHTANI LEAVES THE YARD ?
49TH HOME RUN ?
ONE HOME RUN AWAY FROM HISTORY ? pic.twitter.com/HYYA1XisR8— MLB (@MLB) September 19, 2024
Given that Ohtani was thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple in the top of the third, he was also seconds from posting a cycle.
Thursday was also Ohtani's 13th game of the season with at least one homer and steal, which ties him with Rickey Henderson in 1986 for the most in MLB history according to The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya.
Is Shohei Ohtani on pace for 50-50?
Yes. With 49 home runs, 51 stolen bases and nine games left on the Dodgers' regular-season schedule, Ohtani is on pace for 52 homers and 54 steals by the end of the regular season.
Ohtani would need to go six consecutive games without a home run to fall below a 50-homer pace.
The Dodgers' remaining schedule consists of a homestand against the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres, followed by a season-ending trip to the offense-friendly confines of Coors Field.
Shohei Ohtani has already made plenty of history with Dodgers
However his quest for a 50-50 season works out, Ohtani has done enough to make his first season with the Dodgers worth remembering.
As far as reaching certain numbers in home runs and stolen bases goes, Ohtani has journeyed deep into uncharted territory. In August, he became the sixth player to ever reach 40-40 — joining Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodríguez, Alfonso Soriano and Ronald Acuña Jr. — and he did so in record time. The earliest any of those players had reached both thresholds was Soriano on Sept. 16, 2006.
And Ohtani's 40th homer was a special one: a walk-off grand slam.
Rodriguez previously held the record for most in both categories, with 42 homers and 46 stolen bases in 1998. Ohtani matched that 42-42 season on his bobblehead night on Aug. 28 and surpassed it two days later on Aug. 30.
Ohtani's current home run count surpasses his previous career high of 46 set in 2021, his first MVP year, and he has already shattered his previous best in steals (26, also in 2021). He currently leads the NL in homers and ranks behind only Elly De La Cruz in steals.
And, of course, Ohtani set records for both size of contract ($700 million) and deferred contract money ($680 million) when he signed with the Dodgers before this season.
Ohtani has built his career on being unprecedented. Even in a season in which he isn't able to pitch, having undergone UCL surgery at the end of 2023, he is still doing things MLB has never seen.
