Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers became the first player in major league baseball history to hit at least 50 home runs and at least 50 stolen bases in a single season on Thursday night. He surpassed both of those milestones against the Marlins in Miami.
The choice hitter etched his name in the annals with a night that defied belief: six hits including three long balls, 10 RBIs, two stolen bases and four runs scored.
“I wanted to get this resolved as quickly as possible,” Ohtani said through an interpreter in a televised interview. “It’s something that’s going to be on my mind for a long time.”
His circuits numbers 49, 50 and 51 were slammed in the sixth, seventh and ninth. George Soriano, Mike Baumann and Vidal Brujan were the victims.
His first two were worth two points while the third had two runners on the trails.
The 49e and 51e were real cannon shots on the balcony of loanDepot Park, well beyond right field: the balls went 438 feet and 440 feet, according to estimates. The 50e home run was hit to the opposite field.
Ohtani also became the first player in history to hit three home runs and two stolen bases in a game. Ohtani also had a one-run single and a two-run double.
The Dodgers pulverized the Marlins 20-4, improving their record to 91-62. For steals, Ohtani reached the figure of 51.
The 30-year-old Japanese stole bases in the first two innings of the Dodgers’ 153rd game of the season.
In the first, he hit a double off Edward Cabrera before stealing third base, narrowly beating catcher Nick Fortes’ throw. An inning later, he grabbed second base. He converted his last 28 attempts to steal a base.
Six players are in the category of at least 40 home runs and at least 40 stolen bases in a season, but no one had done it so quickly (126 games). It took him 150 games to create a club of which he is the only member, the 50-50.
Attendance was estimated at 15,548 people at the Marlins stadium.
Before this year, Ohtani’s single-season home run high was 46 in 2021, as a Los Angeles Angels player. He also made 23 starts that year, en route to the first of his two AL MVP awards.
He did not pitch in 2024, recovering from shoulder surgery.
Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December last year after six seasons with the Angels.