Shohei Ohtani: Major League Baseball’s Supernova

If you have had even the slightest exposure to baseball news this month, then you undoubtedly have heard about the otherworldly exploits of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ designated hitter, Shohei Ohtani. If he wasn’t the biggest star in Major League Baseball before now (the New York Yankees’ slugger Aaron Judge might have gotten some votes) Ohtani now commands center stage.

Already a legend by virtue of being the only MLB player in history — besides the immortal Babe Ruth — to be both a dominant pitcher and a feared slugger, Ohtani has rewritten the record books for hitters this season. Last week, he became the first major leaguer ever to hit at least 50 home runs and to steal at least 50 bases in the same season. Sluggers are not known for their base-running excellence, and base-stealers are not known for their slugging prowess, but Ohtani is such a gifted athlete that he excels at both skills.

How impressive an achievement is it to be the first member of the “50-50 club?” Before this season, only five players in history had joined the “40-40 club” — a minimum of 40 homeruns and 40 stolen bases in a season. A few weeks ago, Ohtani became only the sixth player ever to reach that milestone — and he did it with a flair worthy of a superstar. Ohtani cracked his 40th homer of the season as a walk-off grand slam (a bases-loaded homerun in the home team’s last at-bat, ending the game instantly). You can bet that everyone in attendance at that game will remember it for the rest of their life. (One other detail about joining the 40-40 club: Ohtani achieved that feat in 26 fewer games than the next-fastest member of the five previous members of that exclusive club.)

As dramatic as Ohtani’s heroics were when he joined the 40-40 club, the game when he reached the 50-50 levels was even more memorable. Entering the game with 48 homeruns and 49 stolen bases, fans wondered if he would reach 50 in either of those statistics that night. In a display of offensive excellence that may never be exceeded, Ohtani went 6-for-6 with three homeruns, two doubles and a single, drove in ten runs, and also stole two bases, leaving him at 51-51 at the end of the game. (And the fact that the Dodgers’ victory in that game clinched a playoff spot underscores once again Ohtani’s flair for coming through in the clutch when his team needs him.) It was only the 16th time since RBIs (runs batted in) became an official statistic in 1920 that a major league ballplayer hit double digits in RBIs in a single game. None of the previous 15 players had a stolen base in their big game, but Ohtani stole two bases. Even though the Dodgers were the visiting team, playing in Miami, the crowd went wild cheering for Ohtani. How could they not? They were treated to an offensive exhibition the likes of which had never before been seen in MLB history.

It is difficult to overstate Ohtani’s greatness and the international fame that goes with it. He is, of course, an icon and national hero in his native Japan. In fact, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, officially commended Ohtani’s achievement of becoming the inaugural member of the 50-50 club. Ohtani is even immensely popular in the baseball-loving country of South Korea, despite the tradition of hostilities between the two countries. And if you want to try to gauge his popularity in monetary terms, Ohtani will earn almost 10 times as much money this year in endorsements as the No. 2 Major League Baseball player. Ohtani’s annual endorsement income currently approximates $65 million — a level reached by only one other athlete, basketball’s LeBron James. Now that is popularity!

In addition to reaching the exalted 50-50 level, Ohtani is leading the National League in both RBIs and runs scored. Just a couple of games after reaching 50-50, Ohtani both homered and stole a base in the same game for the 14th time this season — another feat that never had been accomplished before.

It seems likely that Ohtani will win the Most Valuable Player award in this, his first season as a National Leaguer. He already has won the MVP award twice in the American League while playing for the Los Angeles Angels. In those years, he took turns pitching and playing as the Angels’ designated hitter in other games. This year, due to an elbow injury, he has not pitched, so he focused on going from great to super-great as an everyday player.

Looking ahead, it seems certain that Ohtani will be inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame someday. Meanwhile, we will hear debates about whether he is the greatest player of all time. Indeed, only Babe Ruth shared Ohtani’s mastery at both pitching and hitting. Here are a couple of statistics to keep in mind: On the all-time career ERA (earned run average) list, Ruth ranks 17th (2.27) and Ohtani 33rd (3.01) And in the vital OPS batting statistic (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage), Ruth ranks first all time (1.1636) and Ohtani 33rd (.9421). Since one could make the argument that the level of competition is much higher today, I will remain neutral about who the greatest baseball player of all time is. If you are a true baseball fan, though, if there is one player you would want to go to the ballpark to watch today, it would be Shohei Ohtani, and if there is one player that you would fly back in time to watch, it would be Babe Ruth. They are the two greatest players in the history of baseball.

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