Shohei Ohtani sets all time record with first ever 50-50 season

Shohei Ohtani does it again, and this time he’s reached a place no one else ever has. Thursday night, the Los Angeles Angels’ phenom became the first player in Major League Baseball to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. Let that sink in. After 154 years of the sport, Ohtani’s the only one to pull it off.

More home runs have been hit, sure. More stolen bases too. But both by one player in the same season? Just Shohei.

The night couldn’t have been more perfect for him. Facing the Marlins, he decided to leave no doubt about his place in history. He didn’t just sneak his way into the record books - he stormed in. In a jaw-dropping performance, Ohtani went 6-for-6 with three home runs, two stolen bases, and ten RBIs. That’s the kind of stat line most players only dream of, but for Ohtani, it’s just another Thursday.

He started by stealing his 50th base, a quiet milestone at first, but one everyone in the park knew mattered. Then, he unleashed his 49th home run in the sixth inning, a shot so deep it ended up in the upper deck at LoanDepot Park. As if that wasn’t enough, he came back in the next inning and smashed another one - his 50th of the season - with a blistering exit velocity of 109.7 mph.

“Shohei Ohtani has done it,” blared across social media, but those words hardly capture the magnitude of the moment.

Just to add some spice to the gumbo, Ohtani slapped on another home run in the top of the ninth inning, leaving no doubt as to what his intentions are. He just might be gunning for 60-60. In the end, the Dodgers had their way with the Marlins, winning by nearly three touchdowns, ending up 20-4.

At 30 years old, Ohtani is already a living legend. Just last month, on August 23, he joined the exclusive 40-40 club, becoming only the sixth player in MLB History to achieve 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season. That alone put him alongside names like Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Ronald Acuña Jr. But Ohtani wasn’t satisfied with that.

He’s taken the Game to places it’s never been before. The 50-50 club? It didn’t even exist until Shohei Ohtani decided to make it his own.