Otherworldly Ohtani creates 50-50 club in a 6-for-6 game for the ages
Juan Toribio
@juanctoribioMIAMI -- Inside a clubhouse loaded with potential future Hall of Famers and some of the best players in the sport, Shohei Ohtani's greatness still sticks out. In a game that has been around for centuries, there has never been a player like Ohtani.
On Thursday afternoon, Ohtani¡¯s legend continued to grow as he wrote the next chapter of one of the best individual offensive seasons in Major League history with arguably the best single-game performance the sport has ever seen.
In an otherworldly game in which he stole two bases and went 6-for-6 with a career-high three homers and 10 RBIs, Ohtani proved he¡¯s in a class of his own once again, becoming the first player to hit 50 or more homers and steal 50 or more bases in a single season in Major League history.
Ohtani¡¯s performance in the Dodgers¡¯ 20-4 rout of the Marlins at loanDepot park marked the first time in Major League history that a player hit three homers and stole two bases in a single game. The 10 RBIs also set a new franchise record. Ohtani also helped Los Angeles secure its 12th straight postseason berth.
¡°While Shohei Ohtani has been a groundbreaking player for many years, his latest feat as the first 50/50 player in the history of Major League Baseball reflects not just his amazing power-and-speed talent, but his character, his drive, and his commitment to all-around excellence,¡± Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
¡°On behalf of Major League Baseball, I congratulate Shohei on this remarkable achievement. We are proud that he continues to take our game to new heights.¡±
¡°This game has been around for a long time, and to do something that¡¯s never been done -- he¡¯s one of one,¡± manager Dave Roberts said. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be a more talented player. He couldn¡¯t be more humble. ¡ It was a win for Major League Baseball.¡±
Just weeks ago, Ohtani became the sixth member of the 40-40 club on Aug. 23, doing so in style with a walk-off grand slam against the Rays. He reached that exclusive milestone in 126 games, beating the previous mark by 21 games and putting him in position to become the inaugural member of the 50-50 club.
¡°If I¡¯m being honest, it was something I wanted to get over as soon as possible because the balls were being exchanged every time I was up to bat, so it was something that I wanted to get over with,¡± Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton.
¡°I¡¯m just happy, relieved, and very respectful to my peers and everybody that came before that played this sport of baseball.¡±
As the anticipation around him grew, it was impossible to predict Ohtani would make history with the type of game he put together on Thursday.
In his first at-bat, Ohtani just missed hitting his 49th homer of the year, instead settling for a leadoff double. He then took off for third, recording his 50th stolen base of the season. He was just getting started.
Two at-bats later, Ohtani doubled to the left-center-field gap and took off for third. Ohtani might¡¯ve been overly aggressive, but it was clear that he knew the possibility of the cycle was within reach. His teammates and coaches inside the home dugout knew that Ohtani had history on his mind.
"I don't even know if it was like a relief thing,¡± outfielder Mookie Betts said. ¡°I think he was just feeling good, feeling sexy and just knew, like, 'I'm about to do this today.' I mean, he could've had four homers today. I'm at a loss for words."
In the sixth, Ohtani hit a mammoth two-run homer to the upper deck, putting him that much closer. The following inning, with first base open and two out, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker could¡¯ve elected to walk Ohtani.
Instead, Schumaker decided to let Mike Baumann face the two-way star. It resulted in Ohtani hitting an opposite-field homer to complete the historic achievement.
¡°I think that¡¯s a bad move -- baseball-wise, karma-wise, baseball-God wise,¡± Schumaker said of a potential intentional walk in that situation. ¡°I think out of respect for the game, we¡¯re going to go after him. He hit the home run. I mean, that¡¯s just part of the deal. He¡¯s the most talented player I¡¯ve ever seen.
¡°He is doing things that I¡¯ve never seen done before in the game. And if he has a couple more of these peak years, he might be the best ever to play the game.¡±
After making history in the seventh, Ohtani wasn¡¯t done quite yet. With position player Vidal Bruj¨¢n on the mound, Ohtani took a 2-0 pitch up in the zone and launched it to the upper deck once again, completing the first three-homer game of his career and arguably the best game ever considering the circumstances.
¡°That has to be the greatest baseball game of all time. It has to be,¡± second baseman Gavin Lux said. ¡°There¡¯s no way. It¡¯s ridiculous. I¡¯ve never seen anybody do that even in Little League. It¡¯s crazy that he¡¯s doing that at the highest level.
¡°I think we all know in here that we¡¯re watching the greatest player to ever play the game.¡±
After signing a 10-year, $700 million deal this winter, all the outside pressure fell on Ohtani. He needed to demonstrate he was worth the richest contract in American sports and wasted no time doing so by smashing a homer in his first Spring Training appearance with the Dodgers, one of the most anticipated and viewed Cactus League games in recent memory.
Ohtani hasn¡¯t stopped hitting since, setting a personal best in homers as well as the single-season franchise record, surpassing Shawn Green¡¯s 2001 total of 49. With the Dodgers navigating through a number of injuries this season, Ohtani has played a major role in Los Angeles being on the verge of winning its 11th NL West title in 12 seasons.
¡°For us as teammates, it¡¯s just a privilege to watch him every single day,¡± shortstop Miguel Rojas said. ¡°I almost cried, to be honest with you, because it was a lot of emotions because of everything that happens behind the scenes that we got to witness every single day.
¡°It¡¯s a pretty cool moment. We all know what he¡¯s capable of doing. But for him to reach that mark, it¡¯s pretty amazing.¡±
Behind the scenes, Ohtani has also been rehabbing from a second major right elbow surgery in order to return to the mound in 2025. For most players, that would mean a lost season. But for Ohtani, that didn¡¯t stop him from producing one of the best individual offensive seasons in the history of the sport.
What once was simply a superlative about Ohtani is now entirely true. He¡¯s in a league of his own.
¡°Nothing surprises you anymore with him, because he can do stuff like that,¡± Rojas said. ¡°Imagine when he gets to pitch next year.¡±