Shohei Ohtani’s Big Break
Shohei Ohtani Becomes First MLB Player To Have a 50/50 Season
On Thursday Sept. 19, Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani was up to bat in the top of the seventh inning with two outs versus the Miami Marlins. After taking a ball below the zone Ohtani got his pitch, a knuckle curveball in the middle of the zone, one of his hotspots. Ohtani took this pitch 391 feet over the left field fence and hit the second deck for his 50th home run of the season. Prior to that, Ohtani stole second base to reach his 50th steal of the season. He became the first MLB player to ever hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season.
“He is one of a kind,” junior Ben Wagnon said. “It inspires me to always try to reach things that don’t seem possible.”
Ohtani is the first player to ever achieve this milestone. Previously, the closest player to this was Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Braves who hit 41 home runs and had 73 stolen bases in 2023. The combination of the power to hit over 50 home runs with the speed to steal over 50 bases has never been seen before in major league baseball.
“The game has changed,” sophomore JR Thompson said. “It shows how much you have to work to be the best.”
Ohtani has already won the most valuable player award in 2021 and 2023. Ohtani was also named an all star in the years 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, demonstrating how dominant he has been in the game of baseball.
“He’s breaking boundaries,” sophomore Colin Meagher said. “It makes me want to reach further and push even further in sports.”
Ohtani has managed to achieve this despite recovering from numerous injuries and Tommy John surgery. Being the first major league baseball player to go 50/50 certainly seems to cement his odds of a hall of fame bid. This along with many of his other stats puts him well in the conversation of being in the hall of fame. Ohtani has put on quite a show this season.
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