Ranking the 10 most memorable games of Shohei Ohtani, the MLB superstar who founded the 50-50 club in astonishing fashion
Thursday afternoon, Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani He became a founding member of the 50-50 clubHe hit his 49th, 50th and 51st home runs of the season, and also stole his 50th and 51st bases of the season, in a blowout win over the Miami Marlins (LA 20, MIA 4). No player had hit 50 home runs and stolen 50 bases in the same season until Ohtani.
In all, Ohtani went 6-for-6 with two doubles, three homers, two stolen bases and 10 RBIs in Thursday's game. It's the latest masterpiece in Ohtani's Hall of Fame career (you're kidding yourself if you don't think Ohtani is a first-ballot Hall of Famer) and one of the greatest performances in baseball history. Ohtani is simply extraordinary.
Here now we're going to rank the top 10 games of Ohtani's career based primarily on vibes and overall excellence.
1. September 19, 2024: The 50-50 Club
Thursday was, quite possibly, the greatest game in baseball history. Ohtani went 6-for-6 with two doubles, three homers, two stolen bases and 10 RBIs against the Marlins to join the 50-50 club. The 51-51 club, actually.
The Dodgers have secured a spot in the postseason With Thursday's win, Ohtani will be able to play baseball in October for the first time this year, giving him a chance to truly see out his legendary career.
2. March 21, 2023: The decisive triumph of the World Baseball Classic
Something about loanDepot Park in Miami brings out the best in Ohtani. He joined the 50-50 club on Thursday, and last year Ohtani struck out Angels teammate Mike Trout to secure the World Baseball Classic championship for Japan. What a thrilling at-bat, too. Two world-class talents competing for their countries:
Ohtani was named World Baseball Classic MVP for his efforts. He hit .435/.606/.739 with four doubles, one home run and 10 walks in the tournament, while also pitching to a 1.86 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings. Ohtani was the top hitter. and The best pitcher in the WBC.
3. July 27, 2023: Double round trip
Two games and two incredible performances in one day. In the first game of a doubleheader against the Tigers at Comerica Park, Ohtani struck out eight batters in a one-hit shutout. In the second game, he went 2-for-3 with two home runs. Ohtani became the first player in history to pitch a shutout in one game of a doubleheader and hit a home run in the other. Not a bad day at the ballpark.
Ohtani’s doubleheader performance came at a time when trade rumors were circulating at the deadline. The Angels ultimately debunked them (general manager Perry Minasian came out and explicitly said Ohtani would not be traded) and Ohtani finished out what would be his final season in Anaheim.
4. and 5. June 21 and 22, 2022: Professional highs on consecutive days
We’re cheating here and including two games, but, my goodness, what back-to-back performances. On June 21, Ohtani went 3-for-4 with two homers and eight RBIs against the Royals at Angel Stadium. A day later he struck out 13 and limited the Royals to two hits and one walk in eight scoreless innings. One day he set a career high in RBIs as a hitter and the next a career high in strikeouts as a pitcher. Brilliance at the plate and brilliance on the mound on consecutive days.
6. September 29, 2022: Almost no hits
In his second-to-last start of 2022, Ohtani took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the A's at Angel Stadium. He lost it on Conner Capel's two-out single in the eighth inning. Ohtani was four outs shy of the no-hitter.
Ohtani finished the game with two hits and one walk allowed in eight scoreless innings. He struck out 10. It is the longest Ohtani has ever thrown a no-hitter.
August 23, 2024: Ohtani joins the 40-40 club in grand style
Before you can get to 50-50, you have to get to 40-40, and Ohtani joined the 40-40 club in spectacular fashion. On Aug. 23, he stole his 40th base of the season in the fourth inning and then hit a game-winning grand slam for his 40th home run. The man has a flair for the dramatic, doesn't he?
Ohtani reached 40-40 in just 129 games per team, by far the fewest in history. No one else in the 40-40 club reached that level in fewer than 153 games per team.
8. June 13, 2019: Ohtani hits for the cycle
A home run in the first inning, a double in the third, a triple in the fifth and a single in the seventh gave Ohtani the cycle at Tropicana Field. That made him the first Japanese-born player to accomplish the cycle. “I'm just very happy that I was able to accomplish this. There have been so many other great Japanese players that have preceded me. To be the first to accomplish this makes me very happy, and it will give me a lot of confidence going forward,” Ohtani said afterward (via MLB.com).
9. July 13, 2021: All-Star Game
You know you’re good when they rewrite the rules to fit you. In 2021, Ohtani was voted into the All-Star Game as the American League’s starting designated hitter, and he was also selected as the league’s starting pitcher. MLB changed the rules so that Ohtani could remain in the All-Star Game as a designated hitter after he left as a pitcher. That rule later became official for regular-season games. Previously, Ohtani had to leave the game as a hitter once he was removed as a pitcher. Ohtani pitched a scoreless first inning to start the 2021 All-Star Game at Coors Field, and he also had two at-bats as the AL’s leadoff hitter.
10. April 3, 2018: Home debut
The Angels signed Ohtani during the 2017-18 offseason and he had a rough spring training in 2018, tough enough that there was speculation they might have to send him down to the minors to get more acclimated. That didn't happen, of course. Ohtani made his home debut at Angel Stadium on April 3 and, naturally, hit a home run in his first at-bat.
Ohtani hit .285/.361/.564 with 22 homers and pitched 51 2/3 innings with a 3.31 ERA and 63 strikeouts that season. This earned him the American League Rookie of the Year Award.
