MIAMI — In the first season of a record-setting contract, without throwing a single pitch, Shohei Ohtani found a new way to amaze.
Reaching 40 home runs and 40 steals in a single season faster than any player was impressive enough.
But to climb all the way to 50-50? On that mountaintop, Ohtani stands alone.
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He reached the summit in style on Thursday by slugging three home runs (his 49th, 50th and 51st of the season) against Miami as part of a 6-for-6 day in which he notched a Dodgers-record 10 RBIs. It was the first six-hit, three-homer, 10-RBI, two-steal game in MLB history. His 10 RBIs are tied for third-most in a single game.
“If I’m being honest,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton, “it was something I wanted to get over as soon as possible.”
The banner day was something else, even for the man who achieved 40-40 with a walk-off grand slam.
What's better than a 50-50 season?
51-51 😱
What a night for Shohei Ohtani!
🎥 @MLBpic.twitter.com/k53JqqXtit https://t.co/m7pgtv8bko
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 19, 2024
“What he’s doing right now is pretty special,” Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo, said in a statement to The Athletic. “I’ve seen him do some amazing things both pitching and hitting through the years but the way he’s doing this run of 50/50 is truly amazing. I’m really proud of how he’s (approached) this year and stayed focused. Truly special player and person.”
Ohtani’s 50th homer came on the heels of an interesting call. Given the opportunity to walk Ohtani intentionally on the verge of history in the seventh inning with first base open, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker opted for the once-in-a-lifetime possibility. As Ohtani strode to the batter’s box, Major League Baseball officials ran onto the field to swap out the baseballs for pre-authenticated ones.
And when Ohtani connected, sending a Mike Baumann curveball into the bar in left field at loanDepot Park, he did so with a flourish, heaving his bat and yelling towards the visiting dugout before rounding the bases. Teammate Andy Pages stood near third base and raised his arms. He — and everyone — knew history had been made.
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As Ohtani took his curtain call, Baumann stepped off the rubber to let the two-way star soak in the moment. While he sat in the dugout following the accomplishment, authenticators scrambled to collect as much memorabilia as possible, from his helmet to his batting gloves, arm guards and even his customized cleats depicting his dog, Decoy.
Ohtani’s 51st homer — a three-run shot that traveled a projected 440 feet into the upper deck — came in the ninth inning of an eventual 20-4 drubbing, a win that clinched a postseason berth for the Dodgers for the 12th consecutive year.
“When you’re talking about someone that is close to doing something that’s never been close to being done, 50-50, and that for me, is separating yourself from the field,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said this month.
Only two other players in MLB history (Barry Bonds and Brady Anderson) had hit both 50 home runs and stolen 50 bases in any season of their careers, much less the same one.
History has beckoned for the better part of a month. When Ohtani became the fastest player ever to enter the exclusive 40-40 club, he did so in dramatic fashion with a walk-off grand slam that stunned even those who had grown immune to Ohtani’s powers.
His pace on the bases has accelerated, and his power has jumped to new heights as Ohtani surpassed his previous career high of 46 home runs, set in 2021.
That he did all this under the magnified lens of his first season under a 10-year, $700 million contract is staggering.
“Nothing bothers him,” third-base coach Dino Ebel said. “He lives for the moment. He’s born to be in the spotlight. … He knows everybody up here comes to the game now and they stand up. They’re filming it. Every time he gets to the plate, I look back and everybody’s standing. That’s Shohei.”
Said first-base coach Clayton McCullough: “I think he’s aware of all of it. You’re aware of all these things. But the difference is the ability to block it out and still go execute with all the noise surrounding him. That’s what makes the great ones do these things at times where, can you believe they did that in that moment?”
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This is Ohtani’s offensive masterpiece. That it was even possible is a testament to the type of talent executives have coveted, the type that makes myth into reality.
Just like 50-50. And he might not stop there.
“Then he’ll say next year, 55-55, while pitching,” Ebel said. “Don’t be surprised. You start to see him stealing bags early in the year, he’s gonna try to go 50-50 again. Think about it.”
(Photo of Shohei Ohtani: Chris Arjoon / Getty Images)
