In December final 12 months, Japanese baseball sensation Shohei Ohtani signed the most important skilled sports activities contract ever.
Ohtani, signed a 10-year, $US700 million ($1 billion) take care of the Los Angeles Dodgers, toppling the eye-watering offers signed by Lionel Messi throughout his time at Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo’s profitable take care of Saudi membership Al Nassr.
Lower than 12 months later, Ohtani has already offered wealthy dividends on that deal for the Dodgers, finishing the primary 50-50 season in Main League Baseball historical past.
The feat has many consultants calling Ohtani, a two-time MVP, the best participant to ever swing a baseball bat, sure, surpassing iconic names similar to Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds.
What’s a 50-50 and has Ohtani ever come shut earlier than?
The 2 50s in a 50-50 stand for dwelling runs and stolen bases.
Even in case you’re not a baseball aficionado, you have doubtless heard of what a house run is, so we cannot spend time breaking that down.
A stolen base requires a bit of extra rationalization. A stolen base happens when a runner advances to the subsequent base with out assistance from every other actions.
Essentially the most typical prevalence for a stolen base is when a runner advances whereas a pitcher is making ready to pitch the ball.
Shohei Ohtani steals one in every of his two bases towards the Marlins throughout his historic efficiency. (Getty Photos: Megan Briggs)
Whereas a profitable stolen base could be a sport changer, it is usually a dangerous play and requires a runner who’s fast and has near-perfect timing.
Previous to this season, Ohtani’s earlier season excessive for dwelling runs was the 46 he hit whereas taking part in for the Los Angeles Angels in 2021. He additionally hit 44 homers in 2023, his final season for the Angels.
In his first 12 months with the Dodgers, Ohtani has grow to be a way more prolific base stealer. His 51 stolen bases for the season dwarfs his earlier season-best mark of 26 which got here within the 2021 season.
Has anybody else ever come near a 50-50?
Merely put, no. Over 23,000 gamers have taken the sphere within the MLB over the past century and a half, and never a single participant has reached the mark Ohtani has.
To place his achievement in perspective, Ohtani turned solely the sixth participant in MLB historical past to affix the 40-40 membership, that’s to attain 40 dwelling runs and steal 40 bases in the identical season.
Jose Canseco was the primary participant ever to do that when he hit 42 dwelling runs and stole 40 bases in 1988 for the Oakland Athletics.
Canseco and Ohtani are joined within the 40-40 membership by Barry Bonds (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Alfonso Soriano (2003) and Ronald Acuña Jr (2023).
The 40-40 membership is so uncommon as a result of only a few gamers possess each the facility to hit dwelling runs and the pace to steal bases frequently.
For instance, Hugh Nicol holds the MLB document for many stolen bases in a single season with 138 in 1887, however he hit only one dwelling run in that season.
Bonds holds the single-season document for many dwelling runs, having hit 73 in 2001, however stole simply 13 bases in the identical season.
There have been simply 72 30-30 seasons.
Ken Williams of the St. Louis Browns was the primary to realize the feat in 1922, the second season after the top of the Useless Ball Period. Nobody else reached 30-30 till the New York Giants’ Willie Mays in 1956 and ’57.
How did Ohtani convey up the magical mark?
It was solely proper that Ohtani set the document mark in a record-breaking efficiency for the Dodgers.
Ohtani hit three homers and stole two bases because the Dodgers thrashed the Miami Marlins 20-4 on Friday morning AEST. He hit his forty ninth homer for the season within the sixth inning, his fiftieth within the seventh and his 51st within the ninth.
The 30-year-old went an ideal 6-6 for the sport (six hits from six base appearances) and in addition had 10 RBIs (runs batted in, events the place a teammate on base was in a position to run into dwelling base courtesy of one in every of Ohtani’s hits).
Ohtani turned the primary MLB participant to hit three dwelling runs and steal two bases in a single sport.
The Japanese celebrity reached the second deck in right-centre on two of his three homers towards the Marlins. Within the sixth inning, he launched a 1-1 slider from George Soriano 133m for his forty ninth.
Ohtani hit his fiftieth homer within the seventh inning, an opposite-field, two-run shot to left towards Marlins reliever Mike Baumann. Then, within the ninth, his 51st travelled 134m to right-centre, a three-run shot towards Marlins second baseman Vidal Brujan, who got here in to pitch with the sport out of hand.
Ohtani took care of the stolen bases earlier within the sport, swiping his fiftieth within the first and his 51st within the second.
The Japanese celebrity led off the sport with double towards Edward Cabrera and swiped third on the entrance finish of a double steal with Freddie Freeman, who reached on a stroll.
Ohtani has been profitable on his final 28 stolen base makes an attempt.
He reached the 50-50 milestone in his one hundred and fiftieth sport. Ohtani was already the sixth participant in main league historical past and the quickest ever to succeed in 40 dwelling runs and 40 stolen bases in a season, needing simply 126 video games.
What has the response been to Ohtani’s historic feat?
Ohtani’s efficiency towards the Marlins set the baseball world alight on social media.
Dodgers author Noah Camras declared Ohtani’s sport towards the Marlins “one of many biggest” performances in MLB historical past.
Ohtani’s feat wasn’t misplaced on Canseco, the primary man to affix the 40-40 membership.
Already the consensus greatest participant in baseball whose accomplishments as a pitcher and batter outpaced even Babe Ruth, Ohtani reached new heights as an offensive participant whereas taking the 12 months off from pitching.
The 2-way star has performed solely at designated hitter this season as he rehabilitates after surgical procedure a 12 months in the past for an injured elbow ligament.
Preparation was a key to Ohtani changing into the primary member of the 50-50 membership. He frequently huddled with the staff’s hitting coaches and studied video of opposing pitchers to know their tendencies with hitters and baserunners.
“I see all of the work he places in,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith mentioned lately. “It isn’t like he goes on the market and it is too simple for him. He works tougher than anyone. He scouts actually onerous. He is taking part in a distinct sport so it is enjoyable to see.”
Ohtani appeared to make the 50-50 mark his mission. He elevated the frequency of his base-stealing makes an attempt and in flip his success charge went up.
However that is probably not the case subsequent 12 months when he returns to the mound.
“He is not pitching this 12 months so I believe he’s emptying the tank offensively,” supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “I do suppose the facility, the on-base (share), the typical, I believe he can try this as a pitcher. He is carried out one thing fairly comparable like that together with his OPS. However so far as the stolen bases go, I am unsure about that.”
Ohtani’s teammates have loved watching him crush dwelling runs and scamper across the bases.
“I am actually form of attempting to be taught from him simply seeing the way in which he goes about his day-to-day enterprise. He is very constant, the identical manner all through,” outfielder Tommy Edman mentioned lately. “I believe that is why he is such an excellent participant.”
Third baseman Max Muncy added, “Each night time I really feel like he does one thing that we’ve not seen.”
With AP
