Right now, everybody in baseball is asking one thing—is there anything Shohei Ohtani cannot do? Just a week back, the Japanese star made headlines for reaching the exclusive 40-40 club. Plus, he even did it in record time. But even then the questions of–whether Ohtani can even reach 50-50 were raised, something no player has ever done. But if there’s one thing Ohtani loves to do, it’s proving he’s not just here to make a name but to rewrite the history books.
Take his recent game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, for example. He stepped in with one goal—another stellar performance—and he delivered. He hit his 44th homer and drove in two runs and secured an 8-6 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday. And as far as records go from Alex Rodriguez to Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig, he has surpassed them all. And now he has even crossed the legend, Willie Mays.
Shohei Ohtani busy creating new benchmarks
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Shohei Ohtani led the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with his 44th home run. Later Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman touched home too. The big three hit over 1200 feet worth of homers in just four pitches—a testimony to where the team stands. For the Japanese star, this was his 12th home run of the month. And this means he hit the most home runs in the National League. But it’s not just that.
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Ohtani is also on top when it comes to stealing the most bases in the National League. This is the first time anyone has led in both home runs and stolen bases ever since Willie Mays. And that was in 1956! Mays, of course, finished the season with insane stats with 36 homers and 40 steals. But Ohtani, he’s already past that number and it’s important to note that there are 27 games yet to play.
Shohei Ohtani is at a pace like no other. The Los Angeles Dodgers star reached the 40-40 club faster than anyone in that club. Ohtani, given his pace and the amount of game left, is surely on his way to do something no one has ever done—make it to 50/50 this season. The only thing holding him back from even more stolen bases? The fact that he keeps hitting home runs!
But well, fans are not just mad for Ohtani the baseball player, but another Ohtani is soon becoming a fan-favorite — so much so that he has caused a traffic jam with fans flooding to see him!
Ohtani’s thunder was stolen by his closest friend?
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Decoy, Ohtani’s furry sidekick, has become a baseball sensation in his own right. The proof—the Dodger’s Ohtani’s bobblehead featured him! Yes, and thousands of fans flocked to the stadium before the first pitch against the Baltimore Orioles. No, they weren’t there just for the game; they were there to get their hands on the limited edition merch. There was a traffic jam triggered because people were gathered hours ahead, almost 8 hours ahead!
USA Today via Reuters Aug 28, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) carries his dog Decoy after he delivered the first pitch before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
But little did they know, they would witness the unthinkable! The fans got to witness Decoy and Ohtani perform the ceremonial first pitch. It was the cutest sight as Decoy ran with the ball to Ohtani. Recently, even Mookie Betts talked about he described it as the coolest thing he ever saw- “That was one of the coolest things in the world.”
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Moreover, the bobbleheads featuring Decoy and the Japanese star, only 40,000 fans who made it first, got their hands on those. And some of the fans listed them on eBay. It would boggle everyone, but those bobbleheads are selling as high as $20000—talk about the Ohtani craze.
Right now Ohtani is three homers away from tying with his career high of 46, which he set in 2021. So, are you an Ohtani fan? If you are, let us know what your favorite thing is about him.