Although starting pitchers only see the field roughly every five games, from throwing bullpens, recovery, studying opposing hitters and intense workouts, there is a lot of action going on between outings. Other players focus on their position, practicing nearly every day to be as sharp as possible with both the ash and the leather. Few players are adept at doing both. 

And then there’s Shohei Otani.

Recently, Shohei Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to reach 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season; achieving this feat in what could arguably be the single best baseball game of all time. In six at bats, Ohtani recorded six hits with a single, two doubles and three home runs, and became the first Dodgers player to record 10 RBIs (Runs Batted In). In addition, he also had two stolen bases. As of Sept. 26 he exceeded his newly-established record, with 53 home runs and 56 stolen bases. 

The closest that anybody has ever come to reaching the record before Ohtani was Atlanta Braves Ronald Acuña Jr, where in 2023 Acuña Jr stole 70+ stolen bases while hitting 41 home runs. 

  Pitcher and DH (Designated Hitter) Shohei Ohtani has continued to impress fans ever since he left Japan to play Major League baseball. Since then, he has had an otherworldly career. Here are just a couple of Ohtani’s achievements:

• Two Time NL (National League) MVP
• Nine time All Star (Five in Japan, Four in MLB)
• 2023 World Baseball Classic Champion 
• Most recently the creator of the 50 HR (Home Run)/50 SB (Stolen Base) club.

However, not all of Ohtani’s career was sunshines and rainbows. Coming out of high school, Ohtani wanted to start playing in the MLB right away. Nevertheless, he ended up getting drafted and playing for the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Nippon Ham Fighters because they would allow him to pitch and hit. After a rough rookie campaign, Ohtani showed greatness in both the 2015-2017 seasons, posting up a sub 2.50 ERA as a pitcher and above .320 batting average as a hitter, while leading the Ham Fighters to a championship. 

After his success in the NPB, Ohtani joined  the MLB’s Los Angeles Angels for his 2018 campaign. With this decision, he quickly became the most hyped up Japanese prospect since Ichiro Sizuki. 

Since joining the MLB, he has failed to disappoint. In his six years in the league, Ohtani had 30+ home runs in four of them, and has a career .278 batting average.Furthermore, on the mound he has a career 3.00 ERA (Earned Runs Average), which is over a point below the league average for starters.  

With all of Ohtani’s success as both a hitter and a pitcher, at the end of the 2023 season, tragedy struck. While pitching, Ohtani sustained torn elbow ligament, meaning he would not be able to pitch for the 2024 season. He received surgery shortly after the injury, but had “heavy emphasis on the bigger picture” of his career. 

Regardless of him not being able to pitch and as a free agent during the 2023 offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers offered Ohtani the largest contract in the history of sports, with $700 million dollars for ten years. Ohtani ended up signing, but fans questioned if he would be as valuable to the team as just a Designated hitter. 

Ohtani, like he’s done time and time again, proved everyone wrong, showing fans that he had yet another astounding attribute: Speed. To put this into context, during days off, pitchers need to preserve their bodies, and especially the legs because that is what they use to drive. Thus, what made Ohtani’s 2024 season so special was when he just focused on hitting, he can do much more than just hit home runs. This special season was capped off on September 19th here in Miami, at Loan Depot park where the 50/50 season came into fruition.

Of course, records are meant to be broken, but the mark Shohei Ohtani has left on the baseball world is truly remarkable and tough to match.