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Shohei Ohtani is three homers and two stolen bases away from history, with 13 games to go.
The Los Angeles Dodgers star failed to advance his campaign for 50-50 in either stat on Sunday. He struck out twice, had two doubles and was walked once against the Atlanta Braves. He hit an RBI double in both the fifth and seventh innings, but was left at second after Mookie Betts hit a flyout right after him in both instances. He was walked in the ninth and then quickly hit in as part of a seven-run rally that led the Dodgers to the 9-2 win.
Though Ohtani’s failed to make any progress on his 50-50 quest, the series hasn’t been completely uneventful for Ohtani. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made headlines when he didn’t rule out the two-way star pitching in the playoffs on Friday. Ohtani has worked only as a hitter this season after undergoing surgery to repair a UCL tear at the end of last season.
Ohtani moved to 47 homers and 48 stolen bases on Wednesday at home against the Chicago Cubs.
Wednesday marked the 12th time that Ohtani has recorded both a homer and a steal in the same game, one short of the MLB record for most such games held by Rickey Henderson. With two more homers, Ohtani would tie Shawn Green’s Dodgers record for most homers in a season. The former All-Star hit 49 in 2001.
Is Shohei Ohtani on pace for 50-50?
Yes, barely. With 47 home runs, 48 stolen bases and 13 games left on the Dodgers’ regular-season schedule, Ohtani is on pace for 51 homers and 52 steals by the end of the regular season.
Ohtani would need to go six consecutive games without a homer to fall below a 50-homer pace.
The Dodgers have one game left in their series against the Braves before traveling to Miami to face the Marlins.
Shohei Ohtani has already made plenty of history with Dodgers
However his quest for a 50-50 season works out, Ohtani has already done enough to make his first season with the Dodgers worth remembering.
As far as reaching certain numbers in home runs and stolen bases goes, Ohtani has journeyed deep into uncharted territory. In August, he became the sixth player to ever reach 40-40 — joining Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodríguez, Alfonso Soriano and Ronald Acuña Jr. — and he did so in record time. The earliest any of those players had reached both thresholds was Soriano on Sept. 16, 2006.
And Ohtani’s 40th homer was a special one: a walk-off grand slam.
Rodriguez previously held the record for most in both categories, with 42 homers and 46 stolen bases in 1998. Ohtani matched that 42-42 season on his bobblehead night on Aug. 28 and surpassed it two days later on Aug. 30.
The homer and stolen base totals are both personal bests as well. Ohtani’s current home run count surpasses his previous career high of 46 set in 2021, his first MVP year, and he has already shattered his previous best in steals (26, also in 2021). He currently leads the NL in homers and ranks behind only Elly De La Cruz in steals.
And, of course, Ohtani set records for both size of contract ($700 million) and deferred contract money ($680 million) when he signed with the Dodgers before this season.
Ohtani has built his career on being unprecedented. Even in a season in which he’s not able to pitch, having undergone UCL surgery at the end of 2023, he is still doing things MLB has never seen.