Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Closing in on Historic 50-50 Season

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani put the baseball world on 50-50 watch Monday, when he stole three bases in opposition to the Arizona Diamondbacks. With 46 stolen bases, 44 residence runs, and 24 video games to play, the one factor standing between Ohtani and MLB‘s first 50-50 season is his well being.

At his present tempo, Ohtani is about to complete the season with 51 homers and 54 steals.

Followers, writers, managers, coaches, and teammates have been heaping superlatives on Ohtani for therefore lengthy, there is not a lot left to say.

Nonetheless, 50-50 watch is exclusive. Solely Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Alfonso Soriano, and Ronald Acuña Jr. have ever reached the 40-40 mark earlier than Ohtani did so on Aug. 24.

Learn extra: Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Joins 40-40 Club in Dramatic Fashion

Ohtani was requested concerning the potential for a 50-50 season lately. He advised reporters, together with Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain, “A very powerful factor is to contribute to successful the sport, and the nearer I get to 50/50, the extra I am contributing to the crew successful.”

Ohtani is already the inaugural member of the 43-43 club. Chasing that distinctive threshold wasn’t sufficient to earn a devoted phase on ESPN’s SportsCenter on the high of the 6 p.m. ET hour Tuesday — which Ohtani’s 50-50 chase was.

Ohtani is predicted to be again within the leadoff spot Tuesday when the Dodgers go to the Angels. Will probably be the primary common season sport Ohtani performs in Anaheim as a member of an opposing crew. He spent his first six seasons (2018-23) with the Angels earlier than signing a document 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers final December.

With 50-50 on the road, Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts used the event to insert slightly levity within the dialogue Monday.

“I used to be excited about giving him an off-day tomorrow,” supervisor Dave Roberts advised reporters in Phoenix, via MLB.com’s Michael Reynolds. “How would that go? Would that go over OK?”

Will the Angels Acknowledge Shohei Ohtani on Tuesday?

Ohtani’s first official sport again in Anaheim has prompted a query: how will the Angels acknowledge the event?

A greater query is likely to be “if.”

Though they already acknowledged Ohtani previous to the Angels’ residence exhibition sport in opposition to the Dodgers in March, the Angels had no plans to honor Ohtani earlier than Tuesday’s sport, according to a new report Tuesday from Sam Blum of The Athletic. A crew spokesman famous to Blum that it is doable that might change.

Ohtani told Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times on Monday that he is moved on from pondering questions on what would have occurred if the Angels had matched the Dodgers’ contract supply to him final December.

Maybe the Angels have moved on, as nicely.