Unicorn. Superstar. Five-tool player. “Showtime.” The greatest of all time? Pick a nickname or adjective, and maybe it describes Shohei Ohtani.
One of the most exciting players in Major League Baseball's 100-year history, Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers are 88-61, leading the National League West by 3.5 games and two games behind the Phillies for home-field advantage through the playoffs.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has not ruled out the possibility of Ohtani, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery last May, returning to the mound as a relief pitcher in the postseason. He is a modern-day Babe Ruth and arguably the greatest player to ever put on a uniform.
Ohtani is on the verge of achieving a historic feat that even Ruth never came close to.
Shohei is on his way to becoming the first player in MLB history to join the 50/50 club (50 home runs and 50 stolen bases). He's three home runs away from achieving the milestone and two stolen bases away from doing so with 13 games to go.
Ronald Acuña Jr. became the first player ever to reach the 40/70 mark last year. 50/50 is different. Of all the great players and athletes to step on a baseball field, a two-way star still recovering from injury could be the first.
Not Rickey Henderson, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr. or Mike Trout have done that in the last 150 years. The combination of power and speed is extraordinary.
Henderson never hit more than 28 home runs in a season, despite stealing 50 or more bases 11 straight years, and Bonds stole 52 bases but hit just 33 home runs during his 1990 NL MVP season; Bonds never came close to 30 stolen bases at the turn of the century.
Griffey hit 50 or more home runs twice — 56 in each of the 1997 and 1998 seasons — but never stole more than 20 bases during those years. Trout's best chance came in 2012, when he was 20 years old and recorded an MLB-best 49 stolen bases and 30 home runs. Ohtani accomplished this at age 30 in his seventh MLB season.
Ohtani is batting .289, on-base percentage .373, slugging percentage .610, and OPS .983. His batting average is 8th in the National League, while his hits (166) are third, RBIs (104) are second, stolen bases are second, and he is first in home runs and runs scored. He is a threat in every aspect.
Shohei Otani is the best baseball player I have ever seen. This Japanese superstar is a global phenom who has contributed greatly to the development of baseball overseas through the World Baseball Classic. As the DH for the Dodgers, he ranks in the top 5 in almost every offensive category.
This is even more impressive when you consider that Ohtani only gets about four at-bats per game and remains focused despite not playing defense.
Aaron Judge hit 63 home runs in 2023, breaking Roger Maris' AL single-season home run record (61). This record is also said to be a “clean” season record. At one point, it looked like Judge might set a new record. He has hit 52 home runs in 147 games so far.
It's hard to make history. It's hard to maintain peak performance and health for 162 games. Ohtani picked up where he left off with the Angels, but now it's different. It's the Dodgers. It's Los Angeles in the National League. He's playing for one of the most recognizable brands in sports. He's a cultural icon to many young fans. Ohtani is more recognizable than he's ever been, and baseball is better because of it.
Major League Baseball in 2024 is about two things: home runs and strikeouts. In a world that values hitting the ball out of the park more than small ball, speed and scoring, Ohtani is revolutionizing the game with both.
The most impressive thing about this record attempt is that Ohtani will make it to the top. It's not every day we get to see the greatest player of all time put on a uniform and shine on the grandest stage. I was too young to see Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and, of course, Babe Ruth.
There's no denying that not having a salary cap and minimum salary like the other three major sports leagues in the country creates an uneven playing field where all 30 teams can't achieve the same level of success. Some will point to the mighty Dodgers as an example and hope that Ohtani doesn't come close. Maybe not many, but some will.
Soak it up. Embrace greatness. I watched the Pirates-Dodgers series this season at PNC Park in front of a sellout crowd with Paul Skenes on the mound. It was an incredible night. Skenes struck out Ohtani in his first at-bat, swinging and missing on a 100 mph fastball. Ohtani fought back in his next at-bat, hitting a 400-foot home run to deep center field. It was a welcome to greatness. It was a game I'll never forget.
In addition to his home run and stolen base records, Ohtani also hit 30 doubles and seven triples in 575 at-bats. Rather than focusing on either power or speed, Ohtani's combination of both makes his historic run so unique. Baseball isn't what it was 30 years ago. It's not even the same as it was 15 years ago.
Ohtani has hit a total of 95 home runs and stolen bases. Ellie de la Cruz is next with 88, including 64 stolen bases. Next in the National League home run race is Marcell Ozuna, who is 10 homers back from the lead.
I don't think we fully understand what kind of player Ohtani is. He's got 70-grade power and speed. And when he's healthy, he's at the top of the starting rotation. That's not easy. It's hard. There's a reason no one has done it before. Power and speed don't usually go together.
I appreciate that Shohei Ohtani is chasing history, just like Judge did a year ago. Isn't it fun to watch history unfold? Maybe Judge didn't want to see Maris break a record that hadn't been broken in over 60 years. No one has come before Ohtani. He's in a league of his own. He's the one who sets the standard.
Ohtani does that with ease. His next challenge is to do it in the playoffs, but there was no light at the end of the tunnel in Anaheim. His first playoff game is a few weeks away.
Ohtani would be the first 50/50 pick. Why wouldn't anyone bet on him? Thirteen games isn't a big sample size, but who's going to doubt a player engineered in a lab who displays every skill imaginable?
This is a story made for Hollywood, but you can't write this script. If Shohei Ohtani improves on his first 50/50 season, he will further solidify his status as a top-five player of all time. There may not be anyone second, third, fourth or fifth.
