Japan’s Shohei Ohtani appears today just three stolen bases and four homers away from inaugurating the 50-50 club in U.S. Major League Baseball.
The Japanese phenomenon stole a base the day before, during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 4-10 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Ohtani reached 47 stolen bases on the season, with 46 home runs in his account, in addition to an offensive percentage of .292, 115 runs scored and 101 runs batted in.
According to the official Major League Baseball (MLB) website, the Japanese player has projections of 52 home runs and 52 steals, with 18 games remaining in the regular season.
If MLB’s probabilistic calculations come to fruition, Ohtani would become the first player in Major League Baseball history to step on 50-50 club territory, an insane feat.
To get an idea of that feat, only six times 40-40 has been achieved all-time: Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers, 2024, 46 HR, 47 BR); Ronald Acuña Jr. (Atlanta, 2023, 41 HR, 73 BR); Alfonso Soriano (Washington, 2006, 41 HR, 46 BR), Alex Rodriguez (Seattle, 1998, 42 HR, 46 BR); Barry Bonds (San Francisco, 1996, 42 HR, 40 BR); Jose Canseco (Oakland, 1998, 42 HR, 40 BR).
According to MLB, Ohtani is second this year in both homers and swipes in all of Major League Baseball. The only other players to finish a campaign in the top two in both categories were Ty Cobb in 1909 and Honus Wagner in 1908.
In the final stretch of the 2024 season, Ohtani and the Dodgers will face the Cubs (two games), Atlanta Braves (4), Miami Marlins (3), Colorado Rockies (6), and San Diego Padres (3).
