It was a performance that will forever be etched in baseball lore: Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani delivered what many are calling the greatest single-game in Major League Baseball history on Thursday against the Miami Marlins.
Ohtani’s stat line reads like a video game cheat code: 6-for-6 at the plate, three home runs, two stolen bases, and a franchise-record 10 RBIs.
In the process, he became the first player in MLB history to achieve 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season, shattering the boundaries of what was thought possible on a baseball field.
The Japanese phenom started his historic day by stealing his 50th base in the first inning. He then proceeded to put on a hitting clinic, launching his 49th homer in the sixth inning, his milestone 50th in the seventh, and capping off the performance with his 51st in the ninth. Each home run was more impressive than the last, with two reaching the second deck of loanDepot Park.
“To be honest, I’m the one probably most surprised,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “I have no idea where this came from, but I’m glad that it was going well today.”
Ohtani’s teammates were left in awe.
“That has to be the greatest baseball game of all time. It has to be,” second baseman Gavin Lux remarked. “I think we all know in here that we’re watching the greatest player to ever play the game.”
Even opposing manager Skip Schumaker couldn’t help but marvel at Ohtani’s near-otherworldly talent.
“He is doing things that I’ve never seen done before in the game. And if he has a couple more of these peak years, he might be the best ever to play the game,” Schumaker said.
This historic performance comes in Ohtani’s first season with the Dodgers after signing a record-breaking $700 million contract. Despite being limited to designated hitter duties due to elbow surgery, Ohtani has exceeded all expectations, breaking the Dodgers’ single-season home run record and helping the team clinch their 12th straight postseason berth.
As baseball fans and historians debate where this game ranks in the sport’s storied history, one thing is certain: Shohei Ohtani has once again redefined what’s possible in baseball, cementing his status as a future Hall of Famer and a once-in-a-generation talent.
Take a look at the highlights —
What a night.
What a ballplayer.Relive Shohei Ohtani's historic performance 👏 pic.twitter.com/0dntraRhXB
— MLB (@MLB) September 20, 2024