VIDEO: Shohei Ohtani starts 50-50 club with 50+ home runs, 50+ stolen bases
MIAMI (KTTV) - Shohei Ohtani continues to show the baseball world he is in his own class. The two-way star, who is rehabbing from elbow surgery, became the first player in MLB history to hit at least 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.
Ohtani created his own "50-50 club" after blasting home run No. 50 in the 7th inning against the Miami Marlins on September 19.
The feat comes days after the Los Angeles Dodgers star cracked the 50-steal mark against the Miami Marlins on September 19.
In addition to starting his solo milestone club, Ohtani officially holds the Dodgers record for most home runs in a single season after passing Shawn Green at 49, set in 2001.
Now, with 50-50 added to his already-impressive resume, which includes winning the American League MVP twice (2021, 2023), winning Silver Slugger twice, being named All-Star four times and winning the American League Rookie of the Year in 2018, Ohtani's focus now shifts to staying healthy and gearing up for the 2024 postseason run.
Now that the Dodgers have punched a ticket to the playoffs, the Japan-born star will play postseason baseball in the United States for the first time.
Ohtani's road to putting together a historical 2024 regular season has not been easy to say the least. Ohtani, the pitcher, is sitting out the entirety of the 2024 MLB regular-season due to the elbow surgery. Off-the-field, baseball's so-called "unicorn" had to adjust to playing for a new team after leaving the Los Angeles Angels, the team he played with for six seasons, and dealing with the attention that came with his longtime close friend and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara admitting to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani.