The player becomes the first in MLB to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers made Major League Baseball (MLB) history by becoming the first player in league history to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.
Ohtani hit three home runs and raised his steals tally to 51 in the Dodgers' 20-4 victory over the Miami Marlins on Thursday.
The win sent the Dodgers to the playoffs, a first for Ohtani.
“To be honest, I'm probably the most surprised,” the Japanese player said through a translator about his spectacular performance. “I have no idea where this came from, but I'm glad I played well today.”
It's been an eventful year for Ohtani, who joined the Dodgers in December on a 10-year, $700 million contract after spending six seasons with the crosstown rival Angels.
He is not pitching this season because he is recovering from reconstructive surgery on his pitching elbow and has also been plagued by a scandal in which his former friend and performer, Ippei Mizuhara, stole millions of dollars from him to pay off sports gambling debts.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, addressing his players in the clubhouse as they celebrated the victory, highlighted the achievement.
“This is a game that has been played for over 200 years,” Roberts said. “And this is something that has never been done before.”
Ohtani, 30, tried to stay focused on the team.
“I'm glad the team won,” he said, admitting that with so much attention focused on their 50-50 chase, “it was something I wanted to get over as quickly as possible.”
“It’s something I’ll cherish for a long time.”
Earlier this season, Ohtani became MLB's all-time leader in home runs among Japanese-born players when he surpassed Hideki Matsui's 175 with 222 career homers.
