Shohei Ohtani 50-50 stats tracker: How Dodgers star made MLB history with home run, stolen base totals in 2024

Just when you think Shohei Ohtani has done it all, he does something never before seen in MLB history.

Ohtani is on the verge of joining MLB's 50/50 club, which at the moment is a club of zero. No one has ever recorded 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season, but the Dodgers star is on track to hit both milestones before the end of the season at his current pace.

The Dodgers knew Ohtani's value might be more limited than usual in 2024 because he couldn't pitch after undergoing elbow surgery last September, but the four-time All-Star is well-positioned to win his third MVP award anyway. A 50/50 season would be the final stamp on another season for the ages for the Japanese superstar.

The Sporting News is tracking Ohtani's chase for a 50/50 season. Follow along below with his pace as he pursues history. 

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Shohei Ohtani stats 2024

Shohei Ohtani home run pace

Ohtani hit his 50th (and 49th) home run on Thursday against the Marlins, securing the first 50-50 season in MLB history. He's on pace to finish the season with 53 home runs.

For all he's accomplished over the last four years, 50 home runs is a first for Ohtani. His career-high entering 2023 was 46, coming in 2021 with the Angels. Ohtani already soared past that mark before reaching 50, and he's now in a club of his own with a 50-50 season.

Ohtani is the first player in Dodgers history to hit 50 home runs in a season; Shawn Green previously held the franchise record with 49 in 2001.

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Shohei Ohtani stolen base pace

Ohtani has 51 stolen bases, putting him on pace for 54 by the end of the season. 

Ohtani reached the vaunted total in the first inning of Los Angeles' Sept. 19 clash with the Marlins, strutting into second via lead-off double before swiping third on a double steal during Will Smith's at-bat. Smith subsequently drove him in with a sacrifice fly.

The stolen base that gave Shohei Ohtani his 50th of the season!

He has been successful on his last 27 stolen base attempts 🤯 pic.twitter.com/rsSHCsG27L

— MLB (@MLB) September 19, 2024

He always seemed likely to hit the 50-steal mark given his on-base skills. Just reaching base, whether via walk or another type of hit, gives Ohtani a chance to steal. He walks plenty, and his recent home run binge will likely keep teams pitching around him down the stretch.

There might be more steals to come in Ohtani's future, as well. Los Angeles holds a moderate lead in the NL West and could wrap up the division several days before the end of the regular season, giving Ohtani a chance to have some fun.

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MLB 50-50 club

Ohtani is the first member of the 50-50 club. No player in MLB history had ever hit 50 home runs and stolen 50 bases in the same season, putting the Dodgers started in uncharted after he hit his 49th and 50th home runs of the year on Thursday.

Ohtani was already the first player to record a 46-46 season, as well as everything above those two marks. 

The closest misses before Ohtani can be found in the similarly thin 40/40 club — and they weren't very close at all.

Alex Rodriguez stole 46 bases in 1998 but still finished eight home runs shy of 50 with 42. Alfonso Soriano hit 46 home runs in 2006, but his 41 stolen bases didn't seriously threaten the milestone he needed. In 2023, Acuna fell well short of 50 home runs when he finished with 41.

Most home runs in an MLB season

50 home runs would be a terrific feat for Ohtani, but 50 or even a few more wouldn't come close to the top of the all-time leaderboard for a single season.

Barry Bonds remains the single-season home run leader with 73 in 2001. If you want to find a player who didn't admit to or isn't strongly suspected of using steroids, you would have to go all the way down to seventh on the list with Aaron Judge's 62 home runs from 2022.

Ohtani simply doesn't have enough time to catch up to Judge, but 50 home runs is rare in itself.

Since 2008, only a handful of players have hit 50 home runs in a season: Judge, Matt Olson, Pete Alonso, Giancarlo Stanton, Chris Davis and Jose Bautista. To hit 50 with 50 stolen bases, which Ohtani is on track to do, is unprecedented. 

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Most stolen bases in an MLB season

50 stolen bases would also be quite the accomplishment for Ohtani, but it wouldn't come close to the single-season record of 138 or the modern era record of 130.

While many stolen base records were set in the 1800s when the game was vastly different than it is today, three players exceeded 50 stolen bases in 2023, including Ronald Acuna Jr.'s total of 73 on his way to the NL MVP award.

Elly De La Cruz is set to lead the league this season with more than 60, and players who have stolen at least 60 bases since 2010 include Dee Strange-Gordon, Michael Bourn and Jonathan Villar.

The inescapable fact, however, is that no one had done this with 50 home runs until Ohtani. A 50/50 season puts Ohtani in a class of his own.

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