(CNN) — Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani etched his name in Major League Baseball history on Thursday, becoming the inaugural member of the 50-50 club on Thursday against the Miami Marlins.
A 50-50 season consists of 50+ home runs and 50+ stolen bases in a single season.
Ohtani, who became the fastest player to record 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season, hit his 50th homer of the season in the top of the seventh inning after stealing his 50th and 51st base earlier in the game.
The Japanese two-way sensation is 6-for-6 with 10 RBI in the game, giving the Dodgers a 14-3 lead with his historic home run. Incredibly, he homered again in his next at-bat in the 9th inning, giving him three for the game. The Japanese superstar entered the record books in unreal fashion, hitting two doubles, a single, three home runs and stealing a base – one of the most prolific offensive performances of the season by any player.
The game was Ohtani’s first three-home-run game of his career and his first 10 RBI game of his career.
The Dodgers ended up winning the game 20-4 over Miami, clinching a spot in the playoffs.
The closest anyone has come to the 50-50 mark was Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr., who stole 73 bases and hit 41 home runs in 2023, and Alex Rodriguez, who as a member of the Seattle Mariners hit 42 home runs and stole 46 bases in 1998.
Ohtani starred for six seasons with the Angels as both a slugger and a pitcher, twice winning the American League’s Most Valuable Player Award. This past offseason, he signed a historic $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers.
The historic accomplishment comes after Ohtani faced a personally difficult start to his time in Los Angeles. His longtime longtime interpreter Ippei Mizuhara pleaded guilty in court in June to fraud and tax charges for stealing almost $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger to pay off gambling debts, a revelation that came just hours after Ohtani’s debut in a Dodgers uniform during the season-opening game in South Korea.
Speculation swirled around Ohtani for weeks after the revelation of Mizuhara’s gambling as questions were asked about what the superstar knew and when he knew it. Ohtani – as well as Mizuhara himself – maintained that he knew nothing of his friend and interpreter’s gambling addiction and theft. When Mizuhara pleaded guilty, Ohtani said he had closure from the sad revelation.
“This has been a uniquely challenging time, so I am especially grateful for my support team – my family, agent, agency, lawyers, and advisors along with the entire Dodger organization, who showed endless support throughout this process. It’s time to close this chapter, move on and continue to focus on playing and winning ballgames,” he said in a statement.
The Japanese star is the odds on favorite to win the NL MVP award, despite not pitching this season due to offseason elbow surgery. He has 50 home runs, with a .293 batting average this season while helping lead the Dodgers to a 91-62 record, good for first in the NL West division.
With the win against Miami, the Dodgers are guaranteed a spot in the playoffs and give Ohtani his first chance to shine in October. In his time as an Angel, Ohtani’s teams never once reached the postseason.