Of Course This Is How Shohei Ohtani Makes History

The FanGraphs Newsletter, September 24, 2024 [READ IN BROWSER]( September 24, 2024 In retrospect, of course he was going to do it. On Thursday, Shohei Ohtani became the first player in history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season, and he did it loudly. His 6-for-6, three-homer, two-steal game would be among the best single-game lines by any player all year even if it hadn’t simultaneously helped him achieve a feat that no one has ever done before. Sometimes you just have to marvel at the greatness. Ohtani wasn’t supposed to be at his peak this year. He’s rehabbing from UCL repair surgery and thus not pitching. His two-way prowess has always been part of the Ohtani mystique, and 2024 felt like a warmup for next year, his first fully operational campaign with the Dodgers. But instead, Ohtani reached new heights as a hitter this year. He’s already set career bests for every counting stat imaginable. He’d have highs in every rate stat too, if it weren’t for his offensive breakthrough in 2023 (.304/.412/.654 for a 179 wRC+). Ohtani always felt like a threat to hit 50 homers – he hit 46 in 2021 and 44 last year — but 50 steals felt like a pipe dream; he’d swiped only 86 total bases in 716 games before this year, and even with last year’s rule changes that increased stolen base attempts and success rates, he swiped only 20 bags in 135 games. The diagonal line is the required pace to get 50 of a given stat in a full season. As you can see, the steals side of the equation was very much in doubt until he got going – and it’s been smooth sailing ever since. [READ MORE]( [Hello, Bye: Checking in on the Races for Playoff Seeding]( Unfortunately, on-field tiebreakers are dead and gone, but here’s what to watch for in the battles to avoid playing those pesky best-of-three series. | by Jay Jaffe [Clinching Season Comes Late This Year]( All 12 playoff spots were up in the air until Wednesday. Does that mean we're in for a competitive pennant race? | by Michael Baumann [Top of the Order: Previewing the Option Decisions for AL Teams and Players]( After covering National League teams and players earlier this week, let’s run through the club and player options over in the American League. | by Jon Becker [The Orioles Ran Out of Time To Fix Craig Kimbrel]( The nine-time All-Star was very effective through the first three months of the season, but struggled to get anyone out thereafter, even in low-leverage duty. | by Jay Jaffe [The Robles Traveled]( A baffling baserunning decision is worthy of examination. | by Michael Baumann [I Insist That You Gaze Upon My Toe Forthwith]( Forgive me for my tone; I’m quite vexed. | by Davy Andrews [Anthony Santander Talks Hitting]( The switch-hitting Orioles outfielder is one of baseball's most underrated sluggers. | by David Laurila 🎧 [Effectively Wild Episode 2219: The Potential Playoff Fumbles]( [DOWNLOAD THE FANGRAPHS APP]( [FanGraphs & Effectively Wild Merch Is Now Available at BreakingT!]( [ORDER HERE]( [Breaking down Shohei Ohtani's historic 50/50 season]( by David Schoenfield, ESPN ($) [How the Tigers got creative to get back in the race]( by Mike Petriello, MLB [Did Shohei Ohtani just play the single greatest baseball game ever?]( by Fabian Ardaya, The Athletic ($) [12 MLB Draft Picks Who Could Pitch In The Majors In 2025]( via Baseball America ($) [@fangraphs]( [FanGraphs]( [FanGraphs]( [RSS]( [FORWARD]( [SUBSCRIBE]( Copyright © 2024 FanGraphs Inc, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the FanGraphs Newsletter. Our mailing address is: FanGraphs Inc 3017 N Underwood StArlington, VA 22213 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](