On Thursday, Shohei Ohtani etched his name in the annals of Major League Baseball by becoming the first player to get 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season. At the same time, the Los Angeles Dodgers booked their place in the playoffs with a 20-4 battering of the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park.
Shohei Ohtani delivered arguably the greatest-ever single-game performance from an offensive perspective in the history of the MLB to cap off his extraordinary achievement. The Japanese superstar went 6-6 on the night, which included two stolen bases, two doubles and three home runs to finish the game with 10 RBIs.
Later, Shohei Ohtani gave an interview with MLB Network host Greg Amsinger, who was also joined by former All-Star Harold Reynolds and Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez in the studio. The panel asked Ohtani how he compared his 50-50 achievement with winning the World Baseball Classic in 2022, which he had claimed to be the finest moment of his career.
"I'm equally ecstatic with both the experiences I had," Ohtani replied through his interpreter. "And, I think the biggest thing for me is being able to finally achieve the dream of playing in a postseason game.
"The 50-50 mark was kind of like a clean slate in terms of chasing for a record. The most important thing for us right now is that we are leading the division. Just winning the division is probably the most important thing now for me and the team," he added.
The Dodgers are top of the National League West standings with a 91-62 record and have a four-game advantage over their nearest rivals. Having secured their 12th straight postseason appearance, they are now on the cusp of earning their 11th NL West title in the last 12 years.
Shohei Ohtani seals his case for NL MVP
Shohei Ohtani is often termed a unicorn for being an elite performer at the MLB level both as a hitter and as a pitcher. However, the Japanese superstar has only started as a DH since joining the LA Dodgers at the start of the 2024 season, as he has been recuperating from an elbow reconstruction surgery that he underwent last year.
Nevertheless, the absence of pitching duties has allowed Ohtani to post career-best figures in a wide range of offensive categories. At the moment, he is batting .287/.371/.607 and he leads the NL in slugging, OPS, total bases, runs scored, RBIs and home runs.
Ohtani seems to be in prime position to claim his third MVP title at the end of the year and become the first player to win the award playing as a DH. He would also only be the second person to win the award in both leagues.