- The Dodgers player reached this mark after two home runs in his game against the Marlins
On Thursday, September 19, Japanese Shohei Ohtani became the first player in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB) to hit 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases during a season.
Ohtani hit two home runs in the game between his team, the Dodgers, against the Marlins.
“No one has ever done it in a single season before. Only two players have hit 50 home runs and stolen 50 bases in any season of their careers: Barry Bonds and Brady Anderson,” Sean Forman, president of Sports Reference, a sports media company, told SportsReference. USA Today.
In addition to breaking his own record by hitting one more home run and stealing another base to leave his mark at 51/51, Ohtani also achieved the victory for his team, as the game ended 20-4 in favor of the Dodgers.
Shohei Ohtani’s time in the MLB
Since his MLB debut in 2018, the 30-year-old Japanese player has stood out in the baseball world. He is a two-way player, a rare type of player today, as he can act as a pitcher and a hitter for an entire season.
In 2023, with 30 first-place votes and 420 points, he won his second American League MVP award in the last three seasons.
Ohtani also won the trophy unanimously in 2021 and finished second in 2022 when Aaron Jugde won the award.
Another award he won that same year was the Edgar Martínez Award for Outstanding Designated Hitter of the Year in the Major Leagues.
With this trophy, Ohtani and Dominican David Ortiz—who won it five consecutive times (from 2003 to 2007)—are the only players who have achieved this distinction three or more times in a row.
The Japanese start with the Dodgers
On December 9, 2023, Shohei Ohtani announced his signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Japanese, who came from the Los Angeles Angels, had received numerous offers from other teams.
“I have decided to choose the Dodgers as my next team,” he wrote on his official Instagram profile.
In his message, Ohtani also promised Dodgers fans that he would give his best for that team.
“And to all the Dodgers fans, I promise that I will always do what is best for the team and that I will always continue to be the best version of myself,” he said.
According to Jeff Passan, one of the journalists with the best sources within the MLB, he indicated to ESPN that the Dodgers’ offer for the Japanese was 700 million dollars for 10 years.
According to Passan, this figure places Ohtani with the largest sports contract ever signed in history.
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2024-09-21 03:51:36
