Shohei Ohtani continues to show he has a flair for drama in his historic first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Japanese superstar on Thursday became the first player in league history with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases as part of a series of milestones.
Ohtani hit his first three-homer game — in the sixth inning — of his first six-hit game in which he also had a career- and franchise-record 10 RBIs Thursday against Miami. No one else in MLB history had done it. He finished the day with 51 home runs and 51 stolen bases.
“Going for the home run is not the ideal way for me to hit home runs, so I try to focus on quality at bat,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.
In the same game he stole two bases and came close to the cycle, but was thrown out at third when he tried to extend his second double into a triple.
Ohtani will look to continue his improvement on Friday against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. His career-high mark was 46 homers and 26 stolen bases in 2021, when he won the first of his two American League MVP titles with the Angels.
He is once again the favorite to win the MVP, but now in the National. It seems there are no limits for Ohtani.
He was the fastest player to reach the 40-for-40 mark with a ninth-inning grand slam against Tampa Bay on Aug. 23 in his 126th game of the season.
He now has nine games left to see what else he can do in the regular season.
The Dodgers confirmed their place in the postseason for the 12th consecutive season with a 20-4 victory over the Marlins. It’s nothing new for the team, but it is new for Ohtani. The Japanese has played 865 games without making the playoffs, more than any active player.
Ohtani made it clear when he signed his 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers in December that his goal was to win a championship.
“The No. 1 goal is to make the postseason and win the World Series,” he said last month. The NL West-leading Dodgers are trying to win their 11th division title in 12 seasons.
Ohtani’s great feats come in a season in which he was betrayed by a friend and in which he is not pitching while rehabbing his elbow after undergoing surgery.
By not pitching, Ohtani keeps his arms and legs fresher and quicker, and allows him to focus on improving other parts of his game. He has perfected the art of running and stealing bases, learning to better jump over opposing pitchers by studying their tendencies on film.
Dodgers fans are apparently witnessing a unique part of Ohtani’s game. Once he goes back to pitching every five days next year, his legs will likely not allow him to steal as many bases.
