Shohei Ohtani is one homer away from historical past, with 10 video games to go.
The Los Angeles Dodgers star hit the primary milestone of his marketing campaign to submit MLB's first 50-50 season, stealing his fiftieth and 51st bases on Thursday in opposition to the Miami Marlins. He then added his forty ninth homer of the season, tying Shawn Green's 2001 season for essentially the most in Dodgers historical past.
Ohtani reached the half-century mark early in the primary inning, stealing third after opening the sport with a double.
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 and not using a throw.
The home run got here in the sixth inning, and it was a giant one. Statcast measured it as 111.2 mph off the bat and touring 438 ft to provide the Dodgers a 9-3 lead.
(*49*) that Ohtani was thrown out attempting to stretch a double right into a triple in the highest of the third, he was additionally seconds from posting a cycle.
Thursday was additionally Ohtani's thirteenth sport of the season with not less than one homer and steal, which ties him with Rickey Henderson in 1986 for essentially the most in MLB historical past in line with The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya.
Is Shohei Ohtani on tempo for 50-50?
Yes. With 49 home runs, 51 stolen bases and 9 video games left on the Dodgers' regular-season schedule, Ohtani is on tempo for 52 homers and 54 steals by the top of the common season.
Ohtani would wish to go six consecutive video games and not using a home run to fall beneath a 50-homer tempo.
The Dodgers' remaining schedule consists of a homestand in opposition to the Colorado Rockies and San (*51*) Padres, adopted by a season-ending journey to the offense-friendly confines of Coors Field.
Shohei Ohtani has already made a lot of historical past with Dodgers
However his quest for a 50-50 season works out, Ohtani has finished sufficient to make his first season with the Dodgers price remembering.
As far as reaching sure numbers in home runs and stolen bases goes, Ohtani has journeyed deep into uncharted territory. In August, he turned the sixth player to ever attain 40-40 — becoming a member of Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodríguez, Alfonso Soriano and Ronald Acuña Jr. — and he did so in report time. The earliest any of these gamers had reached each thresholds was Soriano on Sept. 16, 2006.
And Ohtani's fortieth homer was a particular one: a walk-off grand slam.
Rodriguez beforehand held the report for many in each classes, with 42 homers and 46 stolen bases in 1998. Ohtani matched that 42-42 season on his bobblehead evening on Aug. 28 and surpassed it two days afterward Aug. 30.
Ohtani's present home run depend surpasses his earlier profession excessive of 46 set in 2021, his first MVP 12 months, and he has already shattered his earlier greatest in steals (26, additionally in 2021). He presently leads the NL in homers and ranks behind solely Elly De La Cruz in steals.
And, of course, Ohtani set information for each measurement of contract ($700 million) and deferred contract cash ($680 million) when he signed with the Dodgers earlier than this season.
Ohtani has constructed his profession on being unprecedented. Even in a season in which he is not capable of pitch, having undergone UCL surgical procedure on the finish of 2023, he's nonetheless doing issues MLB has by no means seen.
