Shohei Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to post 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a single season last year. He is on pace to do something similar in 2025.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers star became the first player in MLB to reach double-digit homers and double-digit stolen bases this season, hitting his 10th homer in the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins. You might recall him reaching the 50-50 milestone in epic fashion at the same stadium last year.
In the case of Tuesday’s game, Ohtani’s homer was a no-doubter to the upper deck in right field. It tied the game 2-2.
One inning later, Ohtani hit an RBI double to again tie the game after a Marlins rally in the bottom of the sixth. That all came one day after he hit a homer 117.9 mph, the hardest-hit long ball in MLB this season.
Despite Ohtani’s hits, the Dodgers lost 5-4 in extra innings.
With 34 games played for the Dodgers this season, Ohtani is on pace to post a 47-47 season, assuming he plays in all 126 games left on the schedule. That would’ve been an unprecedented accomplishment had it not been for his 2024 season, which also saw him earn his third MVP award, win his first World Series and finish a few hits short of the Triple Crown.
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Of course, Ohtani could make a different sort of history by returning to the mound while maintaining his current offensive pace. You could even call it the 40-40-40 club: 40 homers, 40 stolen bases, 40 strikeouts pitched.
The third leg of that trifecta assumes Ohtani returns to the mound at some point this season and throws enough innings to log the requisite strikeouts. His progress on that front has been murky at best — he was announced last year to be on pace for this year’s Opening Day, but a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder during the World Series paused his progress over the offseason.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said last weekend that Ohtani is still a couple of months away from pitching for the team again. He has thrown a few bullpen sessions this season but is evidently still a ways away from resuming his two-way status.
