Shohei Ohtani made headlines on Thursday by hitting his 49th home run of the season and stealing two bases, bringing his stolen base count to 51. With one more homer, the Los Angeles Dodgers player will achieve the first 50-50 season in major league history. Ohtani’s impressive performance included a 438-foot home run against Miami Marlins pitcher George Soriano in the sixth inning, tying the Dodgers’ Shawn Green for the team’s single-season home run record.
Ohtani’s strong start saw him hit a double against Edward Cabrera in the opening moments of the game and then steal third base for his 50th stolen base, achieved in collaboration with Freddie Freeman during a double steal play. The baseball star continued to steal another base in the second inning, marking a success rate of 28 consecutive stolen base attempts.
The previous day, Ohtani stole his 49th base in a match against the Marlins, while also hitting his 48th home run during Tuesday’s series opener. Notably, Ohtani became the sixth player in MLB history to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season, accomplishing this milestone in just 126 games, the fastest in history.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts commented on Ohtani’s evolving baserunning skills, noting that the player has shown a growing aggression on the bases in the latter part of the season. Roberts highlighted Ohtani’s dedication to studying pitchers’ tendencies and mastering the art of base stealing.
This season, Ohtani has concentrated on batting and baserunning as an everyday designated hitter, foregoing pitching duties as he recovers from elbow surgery. This shift in focus has allowed Ohtani to surpass his previous career high of 26 stolen bases achieved in 2021 while playing as a two-way player with the Angels.