Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers has rewritten the history of the U.S. Major League Baseball. He hit three home runs in one game, becoming the first big league player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases.
Ohtani started as the first designated hitter in the away game against the Miami Marlins in the 2024 Major League Baseball at Rondipo Park in Miami, Florida on the 20th (Korea time) and recorded 6 hits, 3 home runs, 10 RBIs, 4 runs and 2 steals in 6 at-bats.
Ohtani had 48 homers to 49 steals until the previous day. He hit home runs three times on the day, conquering the 50-homer mark. He added two more steals, achieving a feat of 50 homers to 50 steals.
MLB.COM, the official website of the U.S. Major League Baseball, said, “Ohtani, who came to the Major League from Japan in 2018, showed that there is no player like him in baseball history and set a new record.”
Ohtani showed off his good batting performance from his first at bat. In the top of the first inning, he got on base with a double that hit the right fence off Miami starting pitcher Edward Cabrera. Then, he stole second when Will Smith, the cleanup hitter, was at the batter’s box with runners on the first and second bases with one out, and completed his 50th stolen base of the 2024 season.
Ohtani also produced a hit in his second at-bat. With the Dodgers leading 1-0, he hit a timely RBI single with runners on first and second bases with two outs in the top of the second inning. When Mookie Betts was at the batter’s box, he stole the bases on second base again following the top of the first inning, recording his 51st stolen base of this season.
Ohtani, who gained momentum, also showed off his peak hitting sense in his third at-bat in the top of the third inning when the Dodgers led 5-1. With two outs and runners on first and third bases, he hit a two-run double that separated the left-center cleanly, making the score 7-1. However, he swallowed his regret as he was out while continuing the base running for a triple.
Ohtani’s long-awaited home run hit a homerun in the top of the sixth inning. Ohtani had a chance to garner an RBI single with one out and runners on the second base with the Dodgers leading 7-3. He targeted a 139-km slider at the second pitch and sent a 133 meter homer over the right fence.
Ohtani hit his 48th home run of the season on the 18th, surpassing Choo Shin-soo’s record of the most home runs (218) in Asian big leaguers. He got his 49th home run in two days and came one step closer to 50 homers and 50 steals.
The “ninth baseman” did not suit Ohtani. The Dodgers led 11-3 and completed 50 homers and 50 steals in the top of the seventh inning. Miami right-hander Mike Baumann became a victim of the milestone with two outs and runners on second and third bases.
Ohtani hit Baumann’s fourth pitch at an unfavorable count of one ball and two strikes. He targeted a 143-km knuckle curve. He did not miss his true pitching in the middle of the strike zone. He shot a 119-meter flying ball over the left-center fence, creating a memorable scene that will remain in Major League history.
Ohtani added another homer to celebrate his 50th homer and 50th stolen base. He also hit his 51st homer of the season with two outs and runners on the first and second bases in the top of the ninth inning.
The Miami bench appointed infielder Vidal Bruhan as a pitcher to prevent unnecessary consumption of pitchers with the game in the air. Ohtani pulled Bruhan’s 109-km fastball from a two-ball to blast a 134 meter home run over the right fence.
The Dodgers beat the Miami Marlins 20-4 with Ohtani’s hard hit. Ohtani showed off his superstar status by achieving the first 50 homers to 50 steals in the Major League along with three homers in a game.
When Ohtani hit 40 home runs and 40 steals against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 24, he hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning. A month later, he added 10 more home runs and stolen bases.
50 home runs and 50 steals were considered possible only in computer games and baseball cartoons. For the time being, 40 home runs and 40 steals were the only achievements made by five players in the history of the Major League until last year.
The first 40 home runs and 40 steals in the Major League came in 1988. Jose Canseco, a member of the Oakland Athletics at the time, had 42 home runs and 40 steals.
It took eight years for the second 40 home runs and 40 steals to be born. In 1996, Barry Bonds wrote the history of 42 home runs and 40 steals for the San Francisco Giants.
Since then, Alex Rodriguez has recorded 42 home runs and 46 steals for the Seattle Mariners in 1998. In 2006, Alfonso Soriano wore a Washington Nationals uniform and conquered the 40-homer mark with 46 home runs and 41 steals.
No one has reached 40 home runs and 40 steals until 2022. Last year, Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves recorded 41 home runs and 73 steals, opening the era of 40 home runs and 40 steals for the first time in 17 years.
Ohtani conquered the high point of 40 home runs and 40 steals, which were not expected to be easy to make after Acuña Jr. He easily surpassed his career high of 26 steals in the 2021 season when he was a member of the Los Angeles Angels, and achieved 40 steals easily. After 46 home runs in the 2021 season and 44 home runs last year, he is showing a performance like a “monster” this year.
In addition, Ohtani achieved 40 homers and 40 steals in 126 individual matches (129 team matches) in the 2024 season, breaking the all-time minimum game record. The previous record was 147 games (148 team matches) for Soriano in 2006.
Ohtani was not satisfied here. He added a milestone of 50 homers and 50 steals, proving why he is the most expensive sports star in the world. 안전놀이터
After acquiring his first free agent status after the end of the 2023 season, Ohtani left the Los Angeles Angels and settled down at the Los Angeles Dodgers. While sending out many love calls from big market clubs, it was the Dodgers that won Ohtani’s heart.
The Dodgers made a huge bet on Ohtani with a 10-year contract period and a total of 700 million U.S. dollars. Ohtani made a new history by significantly surpassing the 12-year, 426.5 million dollars contract signed by his former teammate Mike Trout with the Los Angeles Angels, as well as the 10-year, 450 million dollars in North American professional sports record by Patrick Murhomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Ohtani even beat Lionel Messi, the god of soccer. He surpassed the 674 million dollar contract that he signed with FC Barcelona from 2017 to 2021 to become the most expensive sports player on the planet.
Ohtani is proving his ransom. He has posted a monstrous stat of 0.294 (176 hits in 599 at-bats, 51 homers, 120 RBIs and 51 steals in the 2024 season. He ranks first in the home run category of the National League and second in the entire Major League. The MVP of the National League has been virtually confirmed.