ARLINGTON — It’s not that Josh Jung obsessively follows each and every baseball game that he’s not involved in. It’s just that, well, how could anyone have missed this one?
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani made baseball history Thursday when he became the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season. Ohtani founded the 50-50 club in spectacular fashion with three home runs, two stolen bases, six total hits and 10 RBIs in the Dodgers’ 20-4 win over the Miami Marlins.
“He’s in a category of his own,” Jung said Friday. “We don’t really know how to classify that.”
Ohtani, who now has 51 home runs and 51 stolen bases this year, signed a record-breaking $700 million contract with the Dodgers this offseason after six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels in the American League West. He posted a 3.92 ERA in 43⅔ innings vs. the Rangers as a pitcher during his tenure with the Angels and has hit 21 home runs, including five last season and two this year, against them as a hitter.
“It’s historic,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “We haven’t seen it. It’s really amazing what he is doing and how easy he makes it look. Not just the home runs, but stealing the bases. He went oppo yesterday, it looked like he was playing in a Little League park; that’s how easy it looks like he swung it.”
Ohtani won his second AL MVP award last season and is the favorite to win his first NL MVP award this year despite operating as a hitter only after he underwent Tommy John surgery last fall. Rangers shortstop Corey Seager finished second in the award’s voting last season behind him.
“It’s hard not to be impressed, right?” Seager said. “It’s a really cool accomplishment for him, really excited for him. It’s just a good spot for baseball.”
Jung caught wind of Ohtani’s exploits on social media and saw that the 30-year-old had already hit two home runs and stolen two bases. Ohtani had already hit his third home run — off Miami second baseman Vidal Bruján in the ninth inning — by the time Jung went to find the game’s box score.
“The third homer, to me, was most impressive,” Jung said. “Off of a position player, it goes 110 [mph], halfway up the second deck in Miami. You’re just like, ‘Oh my god.’”
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