5 major achievements by Shohei Ohtani in incredible 2024 season ft. first 50/50 record in MLB history
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani capped off his first year with his new team with a bang. Baseball's unicorn claimed the World Series title on Wednesday, beating the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 of MLB's biggest event.
Despite his struggles in the World Series, Ohtani accumulated a dossier of accomplishments during the 2024 regular and postseason that will cement his name in the MLB history books.
Shohei Ohtani's top five feats during the season
#1 Opening the 50/50 club
For the first time in MLB history, a player hit 50 home runs and stole 50 bases in the same campaign. On September 19, 2024 at LoanDepot Park (the same venue where the Japan national baseball team the 2023 World Baseball Classic) in Miami, Ohtani smashed a 391-foot blast off Marlins pitcher Mike Baumann to become the pioneer of the 50/50 club.
The superstar finished the season with an NL-leading 54 home runs to go along with 59 stolen bases.
#2 Most single-season games with a home run and stolen base
Just like in the game where he entered the 50/50 club, Shohei Ohtani also set the record for most games with a home run and stolen base in a season. Apart from the game with the Marlins, Ohtani replicated the feat 15 more times as he ended the year with 16 games with a homer and a stolen base.
#3 Top-2 finish in total home runs and stolen bases since 1909
Not since the major league Triple Crown-winning campaign of Hall of Famer Ty Cobb in 1909 has a player finished in the top two in both home runs and stolen bases. That year, the Detroit Tigers legend led the majors with a .307 BA, nine home runs and 76 RBIs.
Fast forward to the present, Shohei Ohtani replicated the rare feat after recording 54 homers, just behind New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge, and 59 stolen bases, good for second, behind Cincinnati Reds speedster Elly de la Cruz (67).
#4 First 400 total bases in a season since 2001
A feat that hasn't been done since the millena turned, Shohei Ohtani finished the season with 411 total bases.
There has never been an MLB season where a batter has reached 400 total bases since 2001. That year, Sammy Sosa, Luis Gonzalez, Barry Bonds and Todd Helton finished north of the 400 TB mark.
#5 World Series victory on postseason debut
Along with teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ohtani joins a prestigious list of Japanese players to win a World Series, a Japan Series, and the World Baseball Classic.
Ohtani and Yamamoto now share the honor with legend Daisuke Matsuzaka, Koji Uehara, Munenori Kawasaki and Norichika Aoki. Moreover, the duo also won it on their postseason debut.