Shohei Ohtani is three homers and two stolen bases away from the all-time record with 16 more games to play.
The Los Angeles Dodgers star hit his 47th home run of the season against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. With 47 stolen bases already on the board, he sealed MLB’s first 47-47 season. The homer also gave him a new career-high in home runs, surpassing his previous best of 46 in 2021.
With two more homers, Ohtani would tie Shawn Green’s Dodgers record for most homers in a season. The former All-Star hit 49 in 2001.
Ohtani’s homer was just the start of the fireworks for the Dodgers on Wednesday, though. After a two-run Cubs comeback in the top of the first, the Dodgers got on the scoreboard through Ohtani and then Tommy Edman, Will Smith and Max Muncy. hit consecutive home runs off Chicago starter Jordan Wicks to go up 5-2.
That rally left Ohtani as the leadoff hitter in the second inning as well. After drawing a full-count walk, Ohtani stole his 48th base of the season to get close to the mythical 50-50.
Wednesday marked the 12th time Ohtani has recorded a homer and a steal in the same game, one game shy of the MLB record for most such games set by Rickey Henderson.
He added another single in the third inning, but no stolen bases. He had to settle for two more RBIs to put the Dodgers up 7-3.
Is Shohei Ohtani on track to go 50-50?
Yeah. With 47 homers and 48 stolen bases and 16 games remaining on the Dodgers’ regular-season schedule after Wednesday, Ohtani is on pace to have 52 homers and 53 steals by the end of the regular season.
Ohtani would need seven consecutive homer-less games to fall below the 50-homer pace.
Shohei Ohtani has already made a lot of history with the Dodgers
Regardless of how his quest for a 50-50 season turns out, Ohtani has already done enough to make his first season with the Dodgers one to remember.
When it comes to reaching certain milestones for both home runs and stolen bases, Ohtani has ventured into uncharted territory. In August, he became the sixth player to reach 40-40 (joining Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano and Ronald Acuna Jr.) and he did it in record time. The first such player to reach both thresholds was Soriano on Sept. 16, 2006.
Ohtani’s 40th home run was special: a walk-off grand slam.
Rodriguez previously held the record for most in both categories with 42 homers and 46 stolen bases in 1998. Ohtani matched that 42-42 season on his own bobblehead night on Aug. 28 and surpassed it just two days later on Aug. 30.
The home run and stolen base totals are also career highs. Ohtani’s home run count surpasses his previous career high of 46 in 2021, his first year as MVP, and he has already shattered his previous record in steals (26, also in 2021). He currently leads the National League in home runs and ranks behind only Elly De La Cruz in steals.
And, of course, Ohtani set records for both contract size ($700 million) and deferred contract money ($680 million) when he signed with the Dodgers before the season.
Ohtani has built his career on something unprecedented. Even in a season in which he can’t pitch, after undergoing major ulnar collateral ligament surgery in late 2023, he’s still doing things MLB has never seen.
