Shohei Ohtani sets new eye-popping record aside from 50-50 feat

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In a historic achievement for Major League Baseball, a player has hit 50 home runs and stolen 50 bases in a single season for the first time ever. On Thursday, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani notched his 49th, 50th, and 51st home runs of the 2024 season and stole his 50th and 51st bases against the Miami Marlins, becoming the first member of the exclusive 50-50 club.

Ohtani's move to the 50-50 club felt like a foregone conclusion after he became the fastest player and only the sixth in history to reach the 40-40 milestone on August 23.

In Thursday’s 20-4 thrashing of the Marlins, Shohei Ohtani delivered what might be the greatest game of his career, going 6 for 6 with two doubles, three home runs, two stolen bases, and 10 RBIs. This marked the 13th time this season that Ohtani has hit a home run and stolen a base in the same game, matching the single-season record set by Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson in 1986.

Ohtani’s didn’t just create the 50-50 club, he broke some more records

Previously, the record for total bases in a game against the Marlins was 13. Shohei Ohtani surpassed that record with mind-boggling 17 total bases.

Ohtani’s six hits, which included two doubles and three home runs, added up to 17 total bases for the day. That's a remarkable week for most players. Ohtani is the seventh player to achieve 17 total bases in a game and the first to do so without hitting four home runs.

While Ohtani didn't set the single-game record for total bases, which remains with fellow Dodger Shawn Green at 19, his 17 total bases rank among the top five offensive performances in history.

Ohtani is focusing solely on hitting this season as he recovers from elbow surgery he underwent last September. Last year, he topped the league with 44 home runs and threw 132 innings, achieving a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts, which helped him secure his second unanimous MVP award. He is making good strides in his recovery and is anticipated to resume pitching in 2025.

To add to the excitement of Thursday’s game, the Dodgers secured a postseason berth with the victory. This marks Ohtani’s first trip to the playoffs in his career.

No player in baseball history had ever hit three home runs and stolen two bases in a single game—until Ohtani became the first to achieve this feat.

Additionally, only 19 players have previously hit two home runs and stolen two bases in a game, with Ohtani’s teammate, Mookie Betts, being the last to do so on August 23, 2020, while playing for the Dodgers against the Colorado Rockies.

More history for Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani made history Thursday as the first player in Dodgers history to record 10 RBIs in a game, becoming the 16th player ever in MLB history to drive in 10 runs in a single game.

The last player to reach this milestone was Mark Reynolds, who accomplished it with the Washington Nationals on July 7, 2018. That day, Reynolds went 5 for 5 with a double and two home runs, coincidentally also against the Marlins.

Ohtani is not only the first player to achieve 50 home runs and 50 steals in a single season; he is also only the third player in MLB history to achieve both a 50-homer season and a 50-steal season at any point in his career.

The 30-year old joins Barry Bonds, who hit 73 home runs in 2001 and stole 52 bases in 1990, and Brady Anderson, who achieved 50 home runs in 1996 and 53 steals in 1992. Overall, only 32 players have hit 50 home runs in a season, while 215 have swiped 50 bases. Ohtani is one of three players to accomplish both and the only one to do so in the same season.

Ohtani’s stolen base rate has surged in recent weeks, indicating that reaching the first 50-50 has become a target.

The Dodgers superstar stole five bases in April, eight in May, and only three in June. However, he picked up the pace with 12 steals in July and 15 in August, and he currently has eight steals in September.

Remarkably, he has more steals in the second half of the season (28) than in the first half (23), despite playing 38 fewer games.

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