The Los Angeles Dodgers and their fans are still in a honeymoon period, enjoying the fruits of Shohei Ohtani's incredible game on Thursday night. In that unforgettable 20-4 win over the Miami Marlins, he became the founding member of the 50-50 club, becoming the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.
Ohtani's unreal single-game performance ended with him going 6-for-6 with three home runs, two doubles, four runs, 10 RBI, 17 total bases and two stolen bases. The lucky fan who ended up with Ohtani's 50th home run ball was offered $300,000 by Dodgers' reps, according to Andy Slater of Fox Sports 640. The fan rejected the offer and kept the ball, according to Craig Mish of the Miami Herald.
After the game, Ohtani felt relieved in wanting to reach the milestone for so long during the season, according to Alanis Thames of the Associated Press.
“It was something I wanted to get over as quickly as possible. And, you know, it’s something that I’m going to cherish for a very long time,” Ohtani said through an interpreter in a televised interview.
“To be honest, I’m the one probably most surprised,” Ohtani said. “I have no idea where this came from, but I’m glad that it was going well today.”
Now sitting at 51 home runs and 51 stolen bases, the chase is over. But the Dodgers are still vying to be the No. 1 seed in the National League. They are tied with the Philadelphia Phillies with a record of 91-62, and each team has nine games remaining on their schedule.
Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani: World Series or bust
The chase for the 50-50 club soaked up so much attention that it's easy to forget the Dodgers' larger goal: a World Series title. Considering the team's payroll in recent years, it's hard to believe the Dodgers have only come away with one championship (2020) since 1988.
That's why the Dodgers signed Ohtani in the first place, to win it all. The investment has paid off so far. The 30-year-old is having his best season at the plate with career bests in plate appearances (689), at-bats (599), runs (123), hits (176), doubles (34), home runs (51), runs batted in (120), stolen bases (51), total bases (377) and countless other stats.
If the playoffs began today, the Dodgers would have a first-round bye. Their four-game lead in the NL West over the Padres should hold, though we won't know for sure until the Dodgers complete their three-game series against San Diego from September 24 to 26.