Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani becomes first player with 50 homers, 50 steals in a season

Which is better, Shohei Ohtani’s 50 homers and 50 steals season or Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr.’s 40 homers and 70 steals milestone in 2023?

Fans can debate that but there’s no debate that the Dodgers’ designated hitter is the best player in baseball this season.

Ohtani became the first major league player to exceed 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season during the most spectacular game of a history-making career for the Los Angeles star, going deep three times and swiping two bags on Thursday against the Miami Marlins.

“It was something I wanted to get over as quickly as possible. And, you know, it’s something that I’m going to cherish for a very long time,” Ohtani said through an interpreter in a televised interview.

Just last month, on Aug. 23, Ohtani became only the sixth 40-40 player when he stole his 40th base in the fourth inning against Tampa Bay and hit a tiebreaking grand slam in the ninth inning off Colin Poche for his 40th homer.

Oakland’s José Canseco became the first 40-40 player in 1988 and has been joined by San Francisco’s Barry Bonds in 1996, Seattle’s Alex Rodriguez in 1998, Washington’s Alfonso Soriano in 1996, Acuña Jr. in 2023.

Acuña Jr. is still the only player in history to hit at least 40 home runs and steal 70 bases in a season. He did it in 2023.

Acuña Jr. suffered a complete tear of the ACL in his left knee early this season and has not played since.

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Ohtani hit is 49th homer in the sixth inning Thursday night, his 50th in the seventh and his 51st in the ninth. He finished 6 for 6 with 10 RBIs while becoming the first big league player to hit three homers and steal two bases in a game.

The Japanese superstar reached the second deck in right-center on two of his three homers at LoanDepot Park. In the sixth inning, he launched a 1-1 slider from George Soriano 438 feet for his 49th.

Ohtani hit his 50th homer in the seventh inning, an opposite-field, two-run shot to left against Marlins reliever Mike Baumann. Then, in the ninth, his 51st traveled 440 feet to right-center, a three-run shot against Marlins second baseman Vidal Brujan, who came in to pitch with the game out of hand. The Dodgers won 20-4 and clinched their 12th straight playoff berth.

“To be honest, I’m the one probably most surprised,” Ohtani said. “I have no idea where this came from, but I’m glad that it was going well today.”

Ohtani took care of the stolen bases earlier in the game, swiping his 50th in the first and his 51st in the second.

The Japanese superstar led off the game with double against Edward Cabrera and swiped third on the front end of a double steal with Freddie Freeman, who reached on a walk.

Ohtani has been successful on his last 28 stolen base attempts.

He reached the 50-50 milestone in his 150th game. Ohtani was already the sixth player in major league history and the fastest ever to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season, needing just 126 games.

Ohtani's previous career high in homers was 46 for the Los Angeles Angels in 2021, when he also made 23 starts on the mound and won his first of two American League MVP awards.

Already the consensus best player in baseball whose accomplishments as a pitcher and batter outpaced even Babe Ruth, Ohtani reached new heights as an offensive player while taking the year off from pitching.

Ohtani signed a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers last December. The two-way star, who previously spent six years with the Los Angeles Angels, has played exclusively at designated hitter this season as he rehabilitates after surgery a year ago for an injured elbow ligament.

Ohtani appeared positioned to make the 50-50 mark his mission. He increased the frequency of his base-stealing attempts and in turn his success rate went up.

But that may not be the case next year when he returns to the mound.

“He’s not pitching this year so I think he is emptying the tank offensively,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “I do think the power, the on-base (percentage), the average, I think he can do that as a pitcher. He’s done something pretty similar like that with his OPS. But as far as the stolen bases go, I’m not sure about that.”

Credit: AP

Ohtani’s teammates have enjoyed watching him crush home runs and scamper around the bases.

“I’m honestly kind of trying to learn from him just seeing the way he goes about his day-to-day business. He’s very consistent, the same demeanor throughout,” outfielder Tommy Edman said recently. “I think that’s why he’s such a good player.”

Third baseman Max Muncy added, “Every night I feel like he does something that we haven’t seen.”

What’s next for Ohtani?

The Dodgers are headed to the postseason in October, which will be another first for Ohtani. He never made it there with the Angels, who never had a winning record during his tenure in Anaheim.

Another potential first could be earning National League MVP honors as a designated hitter. No player who got most of his playing time as a DH — without pitching — has ever won MVP, although Don Baylor, Edgar Martinez and David Ortiz placed high in the vote.

It would be Ohtani’s third career MVP award.