Why Does Shohei Ohtani’s 50–50 Feat Resonate so Much in Baseball?

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after hitting a double against the Miami Marlins during the first inning of the game at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida on Sept. 19, 2024. Megan Briggs/Getty Images

Among the roughly 23,000 men who played Major League Baseball over the past century-and-a-half, none had a season with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases—until now.

Shohei Ohtani became the first 50–50 player on Thursday when the Los Angeles Dodgers star hit his 50th and 51st home runs and stole his 50th and 51st bases.

Why does Ohtani’s Feat Resonate So Much Among Fans?

Home runs and steals are among the more popular baseball records—if not the most revered in the history of the game—whether it be most home runs (73) in a season or the modern-day mark for most stolen bases (130) in a season. So when one player reaches the once-unthinkable half-century mark in both, it stands out.