Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani made Major League Baseball history by becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in one season.
In the Dodgers’ 20-4 victory over the Miami Marlins on Thursday (September 19), Ohtani turned in a spectacular effort, going six for six with two doubles, three home runs (his 49th, 50th, and 51st of 2024), two stolen bases (increasing his total to 51), and 10 RBIs.
Ohtani has tied the 1986 single-season record set by Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson with 13 home runs and stolen bases in a single game this season.
A record for a player born in Japan
Shohei Ohtani is on track to increase both his home run and stolen base totals with nine games remaining. His 51 home runs have set a record for a player born in Japan, and he is attempting to surpass Ichiro Suzuki’s record of 56 stolen bases in a season. On August 24, Ohtani created history by becoming the fastest member of the 40-40 club in history with just 129 team games.
Here are MLB’s six 40-40 seasons:
| Team | HR | SB | |
| Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers | 2024 | 51 | 51 |
| Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves | 2023 | 41 | 73 |
| Alfonso Soriano, Washington Nationals | 2006 | 46 | 41 |
| Alex Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners | 1998 | 42 | 46 |
| Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants | 1996 | 42 | 40 |
| Jose Canseco, Oakland Athletics | 1988 | 42 | 40 |
Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to resume pitching in 2025. He is presently recovering from an elbow surgery that he underwent in September last year, and he is concentrating only on hitting.
He won his second consecutive unanimous MVP title the previous season after leading the league in home runs with 44 and recording a 3.14 ERA with 167 strikeouts over 132 innings.
Ohtani is now playing in the postseason for the first time in his career after the Dodgers secured a postseason berth with a commanding 20-4 victory.