Shohei Ohtani reaches 47-48: Dodgers star clobbers HR, adds another SB to continue campaign for 50-50

Shohei Ohtani is three homers and two stolen bases away from history, with 16 more games to go.

The Los Angeles Dodgers star hit his 47th homer of the season against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. With 47 stolen bases already on the board, it sealed MLB’s first 47-47 season. The homer also gave him a new career high in long balls, surpassing his previous best of 46 in 2021.

With two more homers, Ohtani would tie Shawn Green’s Dodgers record for most homers in a season. The former All-Star hit 49 in 2001.

Ohtani’s homer was only the start of the fireworks for the Dodgers on Wednesday, though. After a Cubs two-run rally in the top of the first, the Dodgers got on the board via Ohtani then had Tommy Edman, Will Smith and Max Muncy hit back-to-back-to-back homers off Chicago starter Jordan Wicks to go up 5-2.

That rally left Ohtani as the leadoff batter for the second inning too. After working a full-count walk, Ohtani swiped his 48th base of the season to inch closer to the mythical 50-50.

Wednesday was the 12th time Ohtani recorded both a homer and a steal in the same game, one game short of the MLB record for most such games set by Rickey Henderson.

Is Shohei Ohtani on pace for 50-50?

Yes. With 47 home runs and 48 stolen bases and 16 games left on the Dodgers’ regular-season schedule after Wednesday, Ohtani is on pace for 52 homers and 53 steals by the end of the regular season.

Ohtani would need seven consecutive games without a homer to fall below a 50-homer pace.