OAN Staff James Meyers
3:13 PM – Friday, September 20, 2024
Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Shohei Ohtani put himself in his own category by becoming the first-ever player to join the 50-50 club in a blowout win against the Miami Marlins on Thursday.
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A 50-50 season consists of 50+ home runs and 50+ stolen bases in a single season.
Ohtani belted his 49th, 50th, and 51st home runs and stole his 50th and 51st bases of the season, putting him in a league of his own.
While achieving one of the greatest feats in baseball history, the Japanese player went 6 for 6 with three home runs, two doubles, two stolen bases, and an unbelievable 10 RBI performance.
Some consider it the greatest single-game performance in the history of baseball.
This was the 13th time this season Ohtani hit a home run and stole a base in the same game. That tied the single-season record set by Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson in 1986.
For the historic 50th home run, Ohtani hit a two-run opposite field shot off of reliever Mike Baumann, to give the Dodgers a 14-3 lead in the top of the seventh inning.
The 20-4 win over Miami clinched a playoff spot for the Dodgers.
“I’m glad that the team won,” Ohtani said after the game. “It was something that 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’s homeland of Japan even made the historic announcement in Japanese news outlets after it happened.
Top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said: “We would like to congratulate him from the bottom of our heart.”
“We sincerely hope Mr Ohtani, who has already accomplished feat after feat and carved out a new era, will thrive further,” he told a press conference.
His 51st home run in the ninth inning, passed Shawn Green for the most in a single season.
“To be honest, I’m the one probably most surprised. I have no idea where this came from but I’m glad that I performed well today,” Ohtani said about his day at the plate.
This is the superstar’s first season with the Dodgers after playing his first six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels as a hitter and pitcher, while winning the American League’s Most Valuable Player Award twice.
Meanwhile, Ohtani is the heavy favorite to win the NL MVP award, despite not pitching this season due to offseason elbow surgery. He currently has 51 home runs and a .294 batting average this year as he looks to keep it going into the postseason.
This will be the two-way player’s first-ever playoff appearance. During his tenure with the Angels, he never reached the playoffs.
“Although I switched uniforms, I came to a new team, my goal was always to be in the playoffs and I’m glad that we were able to make it today, personally and as a team,” he said after the game.
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