Shohei Ohtani’s slow march towards his third MVP award is nearing its end, and he just so happened to make even more history along the way.
The Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter went 2-for-4 with a walk, a run and two RBI in Sunday’s 9-2 win over the Atlanta Braves. Both of his hits were doubles, bringing his season total to a career-high 32 and his extra-base hit count up to 86.
Ohtani is now batting .290 with 47 home runs, 106 RBI, 117 runs, 48 stolen bases, a .988 OPS and a 7.4 WAR on the year. The 30-year-old leads the NL in home runs, runs, slugging percentage, OPS, total bases and WAR.
According to StatsMuse Baseball, Ohtani’s two doubles on Sunday made him one of two players ever to record at least 85 extra-base hits and 45 stolen bases in a single season. Hugh Duffy was the last to achieve the feat, doing so with the Boston Beaneaters back in 1894.
That kind of record-breaking production is part of the reason why the Dodgers signed Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract last December. He has yet to appear in the field or on the mound since joining the club, due to the elbow surgery he underwent last fall, but the two-way star could dip into those waters sooner rather than later.
Ohtani is already one of 33 players ever to win multiple MVPs, earning the award with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and 2023, but he could join the list of 11 players with three MVPs if he makes it to the finish line in 2024.
The Dodgers also own a 3.5-game lead in the NL West with 13 games left to play, putting Ohtani on track to make his first postseason appearance since making it to MLB in 2018. Los Angeles can improve its seeding by salvaging a split with the Braves on Monday, with first pitch set for 7:20 p.m. ET.
