The way Shohei Ohtani’s 2024 season began, could anyone have imagined where he’d be come September? The Dodgers’ campaign began in South Korea while 28 other clubs strewn across Florida and metropolitan Phoenix were still in spring training.
Before the club made the return trip from their opening two-game series vs. the San Diego Padres, Ohtani found himself embroiled in a gambling scandal that — temporarily — had many wondering if he had literally bet money on himself. Yahoo Sports’ Jack Baer and Callie Lawson-Freeman outlined the timeline of the saga, which ended with the firing of and subsequent criminal charges against Ohtani’s longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.
Ultimately, Ohtani’s name was cleared, and he embarked on the first 50-home run, 50-stolen-base season in MLB history.
Here’s a timeline of Ohtani’s season for the ages:
March 20: Ohtani’s rewriting of the record books began with a 2-for-5 performance — and the first steal of his campaign — in a 5-3 Dodgers win over the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea. The game went off without a hitch, despite a bomb threat targeting Ohtani and others at the Gocheok Sky Dome just hours before first pitch.
On June 20th, Ohtani hit his 20th home run of the season in a win against the Rockies. The next day, he faced his former team and hit a homer and two walks. In July, Ohtani was named the NL starter at DH for the All-Star Game and hit his 200th career homer. He hit his 30th homer before anyone else in the NL, with a monster shot that nearly cleared the right-field pavilion.
In August, Ohtani stole his 29th, 30th, and 31st bases in a game against the A’s, becoming the third-fastest player to achieve a 30-30 season. He hit a walk-off grand slam for his 40th home run and became the fastest player to enter the 40-40 club. Ohtani also hit his 42nd home run and stole his 42nd base on bobblehead night featuring his dog, Dekopin. He set a record by becoming the first player to achieve a 43-home-run, 43-stolen-base season.
In September, Ohtani stole three bases in a game against the Diamondbacks and received a warm welcome from Angels fans in his return to Angel Stadium. He hit his 45th homer and was on his way to reaching the 50-50 milestone. By hitting his 46th homer on a scorching day in LA, Ohtani continued his impressive season.
Shohei Ohtani’s Historic Performance
During a recent broadcast, it was reported that Shohei Ohtani’s home run had an exit velocity of 116 mph, tying his single-season career high in homers set during his 2021 MVP season.
September 11: Ohtani’s stellar performance against the Cubs included a home run and a stolen base, bringing his season total to 47 home runs and 48 stolen bases. This marked the 12th time this season that Ohtani achieved both feats in a single game, falling just short of Rickey Henderson’s single-season record.
September 13: Despite his exceptional contributions to the Dodgers’ World Series aspirations, manager Dave Roberts hinted at the possibility of Ohtani pitching in the playoffs, stating that he is “not going to close the door 100%”.
September 19: In the final game against the Marlins, Ohtani continued his dominance by stealing two bases to surpass the 50-stolen base mark and hitting two home runs, reaching a total of 49 and 50 for the season. His first home run traveled an impressive 450 feet, reaching the upper deck in Miami. The second home run made history as Ohtani became the first player to achieve a 50-50 season. By the seventh inning, Ohtani’s stat line included going 5-for-5, hitting 2 home runs, stealing 2 bases, hitting 2 doubles, scoring 2 runs, and driving in 7 RBIs.