Shohei Ohtani has founded two different 50-50 clubs over the past two seasons. In 2024 he became the first player in the history of baseball to cross the half-century mark in both home runs and stolen bases. For an encore, he did what he always does and found a new way to amaze by becoming the sole member of the 50-homer, 50-strikeout crew. There was no rust in his return to the mound after being forced to pause his dual-threat dominance while he recovered from a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder.
This season, at full health and clearly inspired to keep pushing the boundaries of what is capable, Ohtani is making an argument to be called the best hurler in the sport. Seven scoreless innings against the Giants on Wednesday night earned Ohtani his third victory of the year and dropped his ERA to 0.82. No one in the National League has been stingier when it comes to surrendering runs and no one has a better ERA+. Ohtani has collected 50 strikeouts compared to 11 walks and has held opponents to two home runs in 44 innings.
