On Thursday night, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani made MLB history by going 6-for-6 with three home runs, 10 RBI and two stolen bases. That unbelievable line helped him become the first-ever 50/50 player.
Ohtani followed that performance with another impressive display on Friday night, going 3-for-4 with one home run, two RBI and one stolen base. In the process, he again made MLB history, becoming the first player to homer and steal a base in the same game for the 14th time in a season. Rickey Henderson had previously held the record with 13 such games during the 1986 season as a member of the New York Yankees.
With all this history being made, it begs the question: Can Ohtani, who sits at 52/52, make more?
The Dodgers have eight games left on their schedule before postseason play, and given the hot streak Ohtani is currently riding, might he make a run at 60/60?
Eight home runs and eight stolen bases over an eight-game span seems like a tall order, but Ohtani has time and again proven himself to be on a different level. And if you look back over his past eight games, it may not be all that far-fetched.
Since September 13, Ohtani has clobbered five home runs and stolen four bases. If you add a ninth game to that same stretch, he’s hit six home runs and stolen five bases.
Although improbable, 60/60 is not impossible for Ohtani. He’s had multiple eight-game stretches this season where he’s hit five home runs or stolen five bases. A similar run over the final week of the regular season would, at the very least, put him within striking distance of that elusive 60/60 on the final day of the season.
It would take a few more huge single-game performances for Ohtani to get there but maybe… Just maybe.
