With one swing against the Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani became the first player ever to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season and the Dodgers single-season home run leader.
September 19th will go down in MLB history as Ohtani became the founder of the 50/50 club. Ohtani put together a game of a lifetime to finally reach the mark. He stole his 50th base in the first inning. He stole his 51st for good measure in the second inning. He hit his 49th home run in the sixth inning. Finally, he hit his historic 50th home run in the seventh inning. As if that wasn’t enough, he clubbed his 51st home run in the ninth inning.
The crowd in Miami was on their feet, seemingly everyone trying to capture footage of the moment. Ohtani became the first Japanese-born player ever to have a 50-home run season. Ohtani is the 50th player ever to have a 50-homer season.
Prior to Ohtani, no player to have a 50-home run season had ever reached even 30 stolen bases in the same year.
Ohtani is already a two-time MVP. He is the favorite to win the National League MVP this season. Ohtani’s previous career high for home runs in a season was 48.
Needless to say, despite not pitching, Ohtani’s first season in Dodgers blue has exceeded expectations. He is now the sole member of the 50/50 and 51/51 clubs.
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WBN Ohtani Coverage: https://worldbaseball.com/?s=ohtani
Photo Credit: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on prior to the game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on September 15, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
