Shoehi Ohtani crushed his 45th home run of the season on Friday, inching the Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter one step closer to a historic 50-50 season.
Ohtani went 2-for-4 against the Cleveland Guardians on Friday night, belting a 413-foot solo home run to center in the bottom of the sixth inning. The 30-year-old designated hitter is now batting .291 with 45 home runs, 100 RBI, 46 stolen bases, a .993 OPS and a 7.2 WAR on the season.Shohei Ohtani has 45 home runs and 46 stolen basesOhtani is currently on pace to finish the year with 51 home runs and 53 stolen bases, which would make him the first-ever member of the 50-50 club.
Prior to Ohtani, only one other player in the 40-40 club had exceeded 42 home runs – Alfonso Soriano, who had 46 homers and 41 stolen bases with the Washington Nationals in 2006. Ohtani's 46 stolen bases are tied with Alex Rodriguez for the second-most in the 40-40 club, trailing only Ronald Acuña Jr. and his 73 steals with the Atlanta Braves in 2023.
The two-time AL MVP is seemingly on pace to win NL MVP in his first season since signing a record-breaking 10-year, $70 million contract with the Dodgers last winter. Should he do so, he would become the 12th player ever to win three MVP awards. Barry Bonds is the only player ever to win more. Ohtani and the Dodgers are scheduled to continue their series with the Guardians at 9:10 p.m. ET on Saturday. The two first-place teams are both looking to secure a bye through the first round of the postseason, bringing extra meaning to the possible World Series preview.Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Joins Former Teammate Mike Trout in MLB HistoryShohei Ohtani is now up to 35 home runs, 32 stolen bases and five triples as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, putting up a stat line that had only ever been achieved by Mike Trout.
Read more »
Los Angeles Dodgers' Star Shohei Ohtani Just Keeps Making Insane History in 2024Shohei Ohtani has put together a season's worth of numbers and it's only mid-August!
Read more »
Los Angeles Dodgers Star Shohei Ohtani Now Chasing Seattle Mariners Legend in HistoryNow that Shohei Ohtani has reached the 40/40 mark, he has his sights on the historic season put together by Seattle Mariners legend Alex Rodriguez in 1998.
Read more »
Los Angeles Dodgers Superstar Shohei Ohtani Continues Historic Power SurgeShohei Ohtani wasn't done hitting home runs just because he joined the 40-40 club on Friday, going deep yet again in the Los Angeles Dodgers' showdown with the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.
Read more »
Shohei Ohtani Puts on Historic Show During Bobblehead Night For Los Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night as Shohei Ohtani put on another special performance.
Read more »
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Showed Off Historic Talents Again in AugustShohei Ohtani already has 10 home runs, 14 stolen bases and 21 runs this months, earning the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar a spot in the MLB history books.
Read more »