At the age of 30, Japanese designated hitter Shohei Ohtani proved to be a one-of-a-kind player, as he perfectly combined power and speed to become the first on Thursday to complete a 50-50 (totaling at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases) in a Major League Baseball (MLB) season.
The star, who can also play as a pitcher and who has not fulfilled that role for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024 because he is recovering from Tommy John surgery (reconstruction of the collateral ligament of the right elbow), dedicated himself exclusively to fulfilling the role of hitter in this campaign in which he accumulated 51 hits and 51 steals in 150 games, to establish himself as the main candidate for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award of the National League and, incidentally, become a true living legend.
He completed the feat in memorable fashion, as on September 19, 2024, he went 6-6 with four runs scored and 10 RBIs, to establish himself as the great offensive spark plug for the Dodgers who beat the visiting Miami Marlins 20-4 in a game in which he fully captured the attention of the 15,548 fans who attended La Pecera in Florida, United States. There he hit five extra-base hits, broken down into a pair of doubles and three home runs. In addition, he hit a single and achieved two steals.
What was special about his performance? Juan Toribio, a journalist belonging to the MLB.com staff, reported that it was the first time that a baseball player hit three home runs and stole two bases in a Major League knockout round game. He indicated that his 10 RBIs represented a record for the California franchise, which also certified its passport to the postseason thanks to the victory in Miami, which allowed it to improve its record to 91-62 to remain at the top of the Western Division of the old circuit.
Praise for the baseball player
Ohtani, who in March 2023 was instrumental in Japan’s coronation at the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBSC), was praised by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred after his outstanding performance in 2024, an event in which he made his debut with the Dodgers after playing six games with the Los Angeles Angels, with whom he debuted in 2018 when he was elected American League Rookie of the Year.
“While Shohei Ohtani has been an innovative baseball player for many years, his latest achievement as the first 50-50 player in Major League history reflects not only his incredible combination of power and speed, but also his character, determination and commitment to excellence in every aspect,” Manfred said in a statement, in which he also congratulated a Japanese player he had previously transformed into just the sixth member of MLB’s 40-40 club.
“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I congratulate Shohei on this remarkable achievement. We are proud that he continues to take our game to new heights,” added the head of a Big Show that since 2023 ordered the use of the stopwatch to speed up the caps and was also responsible for increasing the size of the “sacks”, two clear examples of innovation.
Members of the 40-40 club
Ohtani, winner of two American League MVP awards and who has participated in four editions of the All-Star Game, is part of a select list of MLB exponents who achieved the 40-40, of which the pioneer was the Cuban José Canseco, who hit 42 home runs and appropriated 40 bases in an “illegal manner” with the Oakland Athletics in 1988.
That feat was emulated in 1996 by American Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants), who had an identical performance to Canseco’s (42 homers and 40 steals). A couple of “seasons” later, in 1998, also American Alex Rodriguez hit 42 homers and took 46 bases “illegally” when he played for the Seattle Mariners.
In 2006, Dominican Alfonso Soriano inscribed his name on the select list, when he made 41 saves and deposited 46 balls into the stands with the Washington Nationals.
In 2023, a tournament before Ohtani became the “Star of the Big Circus,” Venezuelan Ronald Acuña Jr. proved to be a luminary for the Atlanta Braves by recording 41 homers and 73 steals, becoming the only one to record 40-70 in a tournament.
Japanese satisfaction
After finishing the unprecedented 50-50, Ohtani spoke to the AP news agency and said he was satisfied with the work done so far, although he made it clear that his priority is to help the Dodgers triumph both in the rest of the regular season and in the playoffs, to which the team advanced for the twelfth consecutive time.
“I feel happy, relieved and, above all, satisfied with everything I’ve done so far,” said the representative from the Land of the Rising Sun, after a confrontation against the Marlins in which he hit 51 home runs, setting a record for the Dodgers. He broke the record set by American Shawn Green in 2001 with 49 “rockets bound for the moon.”
He admitted that getting to 50-50 was something he was looking forward to. “If I’m honest, it was something I wanted to get over as soon as possible because they were changing balls every time I was at the plate, so it was something I wanted to get over with,” he told MLB.com, who confessed that his teammates motivated him to try to do something new in the Mecca of Baseball.
“I greatly appreciate the support of my teammates, whom I greatly respect, as well as all those who preceded me and played this great sport that is baseball,” added Ohtani, who before Friday’s round was averaging .294 (176-for-599) with 34 doubles, seven triples, 51 homers, 120 RBIs and 123 registered in 2024. The last three figures allowed him to lead departments in the National League, where he seems on track to win the MVP statuette. He also stood out in other areas, as he exhibited an on-base percentage (OBP) of .376, a slugging percentage of .629 and an OPS (sum of previous lines) of 1.005. He led the slugging and OPS categories in the old-time circuit.
Dodgers have room to dream
Without a doubt, Ohtani – who had a career average of .278 (3.082-for-857) with 163 doubles, 36 triples, 222 homers, 557 RBIs, 551 steps on the plate and 137 steals after participating in 851 games prior to the card on Sept. 20, 2024 – was going through an inspired moment that favored the Dodgers who are trying to conquer the World Series and during the winter break he gave Ohtani a $700 million, 10-year contract that, until now, had justified the investment.
And the excitement could only get stronger going forward. Ohtani is expected to pitch again and join the Dodgers’ rotation, a role in which he excelled for the Angels, with whom he had a 38-19 record and a 3.01 ERA in 86 games, all of which he started. In 481.2 innings, he allowed 169 runs – 161 earned -, handed out 173 walks – only two intentional -, struck out 608 and had a walk-to-hit ratio (WHIP) of 1.082.
These latest numbers, coupled with his qualities as a hitter, confirm that Ohtani is one of a kind, something that arouses the admiration of Gavin Lux, a Dodgers utility player who is convinced that the Asian is the most talented athlete to have ever played in the Majors.
“I think we all know here in the MLB that we are watching the best player who has ever played baseball,” said Lux, whose opinion was supported by the national shortstop Miguel Rojas, another member of the blue team, who believes that when Ohtani returns to the mound, his numbers will increase and he will consolidate himself as the top player in the MLB.
“Nothing surprises you with him anymore, because he can do things like that (a 50-50 as a hitter and win 30 times as a pitcher). Imagine when it’s his turn to pitch next year (…) We all know what he’s capable of and for us, as his teammates, it’s a privilege to see him every day,” said Rojas, who hopes that with Ohtani the Dodgers will have a very successful era.
Valencia / Joseph Ñambre
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2024-09-21 13:08:44
