Shohei Ohtani moved one step closer to joining the 50-50 club after hitting his National League-leading 47th home run in Wednesday’s game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs.
It was a new career high for Ohtani, whose previous best was 46 home runs he recorded in 2021 while with the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani’s career-best home run was a striking liner that most players would have missed the park, showcasing a unique power that few can match.
“When he hits the ball with that velocity, 118 mph, it’s usually a double, but for Shohei it’s a home run. He’s playing great baseball. You can see him helping us grow a lot,” manager Dave Roberts said after the game.
Ohtani increased his career major league home run total to 218, tying him with Choo Shin-Soo for the most home runs by an Asian player. Ohtani is two home runs away from tying Shawn Green, who holds the record for most home runs by a Dodgers player in a season.
Ohtani also stole his 48th base of the season on Wednesday, tying him behind Cincinnati Reds All-Star Ellie de la Cruz for the most stolen bases in major league history with 64.
This was Ohtani’s 12th game this year with at least one home run and one stolen base, matching the MLB record of 13 games set by Rickey Henderson in the 1986 season.
What’s most unique about Ohtani’s historic season is that he hit 26 home runs and stole 26 bases at Dodger Stadium, making him the first player in MLB history to hit 25 or more home runs and steal 25 or more bases at home and away.
The Dodgers will be hoping Ohtani continues to improve his record with 16 games remaining in the regular season. He is batting .292/.375/.617 with 84 home runs and 104 RBIs in 143 games this year.
Dave Roberts won’t rest Shohei Ohtani in 50-50 chase
Ohtani has appeared in all but three of the Dodgers’ 146 games this season and his minutes aren’t expected to decrease anytime soon, with manager Roberts suggesting recently that he has no plans to rest the two-way star as long as Ohtani keeps trying to improve his record.
If Ohtani reaches the 50-50 milestone by the end of the season, perhaps a day or two of rest will be planned, but for now, Ohtani is focused on chasing history.
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