Over the history of Major League Baseball, with around 23,000 players having taken to the field, there has never been a player who achieved the remarkable feat of hitting 50 home runs and stealing 50 bases in a single season, until now. Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers accomplished this unprecedented milestone by hitting his 50th home run and stealing his 50th and 51st bases in a game.

Ohtani’s achievement is of great significance to fans due to the reverence associated with home run and stolen base records in baseball history. Records such as the most home runs in a season (73) or the modern-day mark for most stolen bases in a season (130) are highly esteemed, making Ohtani’s feat of reaching 50 in both categories truly remarkable and unprecedented in the game.

Just recently, on August 23, Ohtani became only the sixth member of the 40-40 club by hitting his 40th home run and stealing his 40th base. This exclusive group includes legendary players such as José Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, and Ronald Acuña Jr., all of whom have accomplished the 40-40 milestone in previous seasons.

The first player to achieve a 30-30 season was Ken Williams of the St. Louis Browns in 1922, shortly after the Dead Ball Era of baseball. Since then, there have only been a total of 72 30-30 seasons, with players like Willie Mays of the New York Giants following in Williams’ footsteps in 1956 and 1957.

Shohei Ohtani’s outstanding performance in both hitting home runs and stealing bases has captured the attention and admiration of baseball fans worldwide, solidifying his place in baseball history.