There was a time the 30-30 club — 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases — was rarified air in Major League Baseball.
But that was decades ago. Then came the 40-40 club, which has been accomplished by six Big Leaguers.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani is making that look like child’s play.
The Japanese-bred superstar is closing in on the 50-50 club. Ohtani stands at 47 dingers and 48 stolen bases.
Ohtani has until Sept. 29, when the MLB regular season closes, to accomplish the feat.
ESPN has the story:
Shohei Ohtani could be on his way to another record-setting accomplishment.
In his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, after signing the largest contract in MLB history, Ohtani earned membership into the 40/40 club on Aug. 23 against the Tampa Bay Rays, when he stole a base in the bottom of the fourth and hit a walk-off grand slam.
Ohtani became the sixth MLB player to join the 40/40 club and the first since Ronald Acuna Jr. in 2023, when the Atlanta Braves star smashed his 40th home run in the final week of the regular season to go with 73 stolen bases.
Already the first player in MLB history to record 46 home runs and 46 stolen bases in a single season, Ohtani has now recorded a career-high 47 home runs.
With the MLB regular season ending on Sept. 29, we’re tracking Ohtani’s quest to become the first player with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases.