These power-speed savants could someday join Shohei in 50-50 club

Shohei Ohtani just became the first player in MLB history with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season, but he's not the only electric power-speed star in the Major Leagues today.

Who might be next to join the 50-50 club? Let's take a look at the best candidates.

1) Bobby Witt Jr., Royals

Witt is 24 and already one of the most dynamic power-speed superstars in baseball. He just posted back-to-back 30-30 seasons, something only eight different players in MLB history have ever done (Ryan Braun, Alfonso Soriano, Vladimir Guerrero, Barry Bonds, Ron Gant, Bobby Bonds and Willie Mays are the others). And Witt is the only player in MLB history with 80-plus homers and 100-plus steals in his first three big league seasons. The sky is the limit for the Royals' young MVP candidate, who's now both one of the best hitters in baseball and maybe the single fastest player in the game.

2) Elly De La Cruz, Reds

De La Cruz could make his own claim to being the most explosive player in baseball. We already know he can steal 50 bases -- De La Cruz has 64 this year, leading the Majors, and he's averaging an elite 30.0 ft/sec sprint speed -- so now all we need is the 50 home runs. The Reds' 22-year-old phenom has gotten about halfway there in 2024, with 24 long balls, but the power breakout could come fast. De La Cruz already hits some of the loudest home runs in baseball. He's reached a max home run exit velocity of 119.2 mph in his young career -- in the Statcast era, which goes back to 2015, only five other players have reached that threshold: Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Ronald Acu?a Jr., Kyle Schwarber and Manny Machado.

3) Ronald Acu?a Jr., Braves

Acu?a has already reached the next-closest thing to the 50-50 club. The 26-year-old became the fifth member of MLB's 40-40 club in 2023, before Ohtani became the sixth this year. And Acu?a nearly had another 40-40 season before that -- he had 41 homers and 37 steals in 2019. Plus, Ohtani might have created the 50-50 club, but Acu?a did the same with the 40-70 club. The Braves superstar finished with 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases in his '23 MVP campaign, making him the first player in MLB history to reach 40-70. So when Acu?a recovers from his torn ACL and returns next season, he's as likely as any player to challenge for the 50-50 club. He just needs to pick up where he left off.

4) Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres

Any time Tatis puts together a full, healthy season, power-speed milestones are on the horizon. The Padres star finished with 42 home runs and 25 stolen bases in 130 games in 2021, and he finished with 25 home runs and 29 stolen bases in 141 games in 2023. Tatis is still just 25 years old, and he's been great every single season. He consistently ranks near the top of the league in both power and speed metrics. It's not hard to imagine him taking one more step while he's in the heart of his prime.

5) Julio Rodríguez, Mariners

J-Rod looked like he was on the trajectory toward 50-50 when he went 28-25 in his Rookie of the Year season in 2022 and then went 32-37 as a sophomore in 2023. The Mariners star hasn't been quite the same power-speed monster this season, with 16 homers and 22 steals, but from a pure talent standpoint, Rodríguez still is that player. Write off 2024 as a blip. Rodríguez would surprise no one if he returns to the MVP conversation in 2025. He'll be entering his age-24 season, so he has years and years ahead of him to post ridiculous power-speed numbers.

6) Gunnar Henderson, Orioles

Henderson could follow Ohtani's blueprint toward 50-50. The 23-year-old had 28 home runs and 10 stolen bases on his way to the Rookie of the Year Award last year. And he has 37 home runs and 19 stolen bases this year as he's emerged as an MVP candidate. Those are the types of seasons Ohtani was putting up before he vaulted into 50-50 territory -- in his previous three seasons from 2021-23, Ohtani went 46-26, 34-11 and 44-20. If Henderson taps into his raw power and speed, he can make the same leap. This season, for example, the O's star ranks in the 92nd percentile of MLB in barrels (Statcast's flagship power-hitting stat) with 52; he ranks in the 89th percentile of MLB in sprint speed at 28.8 ft/sec. Witt is the only player who ranks as highly as Henderson in both categories. Those are the tools Henderson needs for a 50-50 push.

7) Jackson Chourio, Brewers

Here's a sleeper pick based on potential. Chourio just went 20-20 as a 20-year-old … who knows how high his ceiling could be? The Brewers phenom has the prospect pedigree (No. 2 overall in MLB entering the year). He was the youngest player in the Major Leagues when he made Milwaukee's Opening Day roster. And now he's the youngest player in Major League history to go 20-20. Why can't 30-30 … or 40-40 … or 50-50 be in his future, somewhere down the line?