Los Angeles Dodgers’ star Shohei Ohtani is inching closer to a historic 50-50 season, showcasing his remarkable talent on Wednesday night. Ohtani hit his 47th home run of the year and swiped his 48th base during the Dodgers’ 10-8 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. With 16 games left in the season, Ohtani aims to reach this unprecedented milestone.
Dodgers catcher Will Smith commented on Ohtani’s performance, stating, “We all definitely know what’s going on. It’s fun to watch. It’s exciting to see it every night. I think he’ll do it. I’m just trying to enjoy it as he tries to get there, but more importantly, he’s trying to help us win games.”
Ohtani’s 48 stolen bases this season surpass his previous personal best of 26, achieved before 2024. His home run on Wednesday also marked a new career high, exceeding the 46 he struck in 2021, during his first MVP season with the Los Angeles Angels. He has hit at least 44 home runs in three of the last four years.
This season, Ohtani has accomplished the rare feat of hitting a home run and stealing a base in the same game 12 times, leading the league ahead of Francisco Lindor, who has accomplished this seven times. The all-time record for such games is 13. The top players in this category are:
Rickey Henderson, 1986: 13 Bobby Bonds, 1973: 12 Ronald Acuña Jr., 2023: 12 Shohei Ohtani, 2024: 12 Four tied with 11 (including Christian Yelich in 2019)
Ohtani entered the exclusive 40-40 club with a walk-off grand slam on August 24 and did so in just 129 team games, the quickest in history. This marks the sixth 40-40 season ever, joining the ranks of Acuña (2023), Alfonso Soriano (2006), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Bonds (1996), and Jose Canseco (1988). Remarkably, Ohtani is the first player to reach 47 homers and 48 stolen bases in a single season.
Following Wednesday’s game, Ohtani’s batting statistics improved to .292/.375/.617 in his inaugural season with the Dodgers. He leads the National League in several categories, including home runs (47), runs (116), slugging percentage (.617), OPS (.992), total bases (353), and WAR (7.2).