Left:Shohei Ohtani hugs teammate Kike Hernandez after hitting his 50th home run of the season in the seventh inning on Thursday in Miami. Right:Shohei Ohtani steals his 50th base after stealing third base in the first inning on Thursday in Miami.
17:47 JST, September 20, 2024
MIAMI — Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has made Major League Baseball history again. This time, after hitting three home runs and stealing two bases *in Thursday’s game against the Miami Marlins, he became the first player to have at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.
“I’m happy and relieved, but at the same time I have respect for the players who came before me and set records,” Ohtani said after finishing the game with 51 home runs and 51 steals.
Ohtani accomplished this feat by nearly doubling his previous record for stolen bases of 26 during the 2021 season.
However, Ohtani reached a turning point when it looked like the Dodgers were in trouble.
Mookie Betts, the leadoff batter and MVP in 2018, broke his left hand after being hit by a pitch on June 16. Ohtani was No. 2 in the lineup at the time, but was named leadoff hitter the next day. After the trade, he stole 36 bases in about three months.
Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough said Ohtani saw it as an opportunity to make something happen on the bases, especially since several players were out. Before games, they analyzed the pitchers’ moves on video. He’s had 28 consecutive stolen base attempts since July 23 and now has 51.
Ohtani’s record-breaking performance as leadoff hitter secured the Dodgers’ 12th consecutive playoff berth.
This will be Ohtani’s first appearance in the major league postseason.
“It’s what I’ve been dreaming about since I came to the United States,” Ohtani said. “I’m going to start my preparations all over again as we work on [the playoffs].”
It appears he has made his long-cherished dream of winning the World Series a reality.
