Ohtani Makes Historic 50-50 Season a Reality
For the first time in Major League Baseball history, a player has hit 50 home runs and stolen 50 bases in the same season. The Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani carved his name firmly into the annals of the sport, doing so during a standout 2024 season.
On a remarkable Thursday game against the Miami Marlins, Ohtani not only hit his 49th, 50th, and 51st home runs of the season but also stole his 50th and 51st bases. It was a performance for the ages, propelling the Dodgers to a resounding 20-4 victory. Ohtani's impressive feat contributed significantly to the team's clinching of a postseason berth.
Ohtani’s cumulative performance throughout the season is nothing short of legendary. This game marked the 13th time this season that he has hit a home run and stolen a base in the same game, tying the single-season record set by Rickey Henderson in 1986. With nine regular-season games left, Ohtani has a legitimate shot to surpass the iconic Henderson.
He remains on pace to challenge another notable record held by Ichiro Suzuki, who stole 56 bases in 2001. As of now, Ohtani has 51 stolen bases, an impressive feat considering his previous single-season high was only 26 bases. Furthermore, Ohtani’s 51 home runs this season set the record for most homers by a Japanese-born player, shattering his own previous career high of 46 set in 2021.
Ohtani's journey this season has also been defined by his rapid ascension into the 40-40 club—hitting 40 home runs and stealing 40 bases within a season—faster than any player in history, achieving this milestone in just 129 team games.
This season, however, was marked by a singular focus on hitting. Due to undergoing elbow surgery last September, Ohtani has been exclusively swinging the bat. Despite this, he led the league with 44 home runs last season and pitched 132 innings with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts, underscoring his prowess as a dual-threat player.
One of the many highlights of Ohtani's season was his historic performance in the Marlins game. Ohtani became the first player in Dodgers' history to drive in 10 runs in a single game. Not since Mark Reynolds on July 7, 2018, had a player achieved this remarkable feat. Historically, the single-game record for RBIs stands at 12, held by Jim Bottomley and Mark Whiten. Adding another layer to this legacy, Ohtani recorded 17 total bases in the game, making him one of only seven players to achieve such a total in a single game, and the first to do so without hitting four home runs.
"Huge congrats to Shohei. If you're going to have somebody tie and eventually break your record, who better than the greatest player who ever lived," expressed an admirer, referencing Ohtani’s incomparable skills and record-breaking season.
The month-by-month breakdown of Ohtani’s stolen bases reveals a consistent and relentless pursuit of excellence. He stole five bases in April, eight in May, and three in June, before stepping up with 12 steals in July, 15 in August, and eight in September to date. This increase in stolen bases in the second half of the season—28 steals in contrast to 23 in the first half—despite playing 38 fewer games, highlights his exceptional speed and strategic base-running capabilities.
On Shohei Ohtani’s unparalleled contributions, a commentator succinctly noted, "Shohei Ohtani is not just making history; he is the history." Indeed, as we revel in the extraordinary achievements of this season, it becomes evident that Ohtani is far more than just a player; he is an era-defining talent whose efforts continue to reshape what we believe to be possible in the sport.