Shohei Ohtani had already made history at the plate and on the mound. Now, he has set a record with his work on the basepaths.
The Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way sensation reached a historic 50-50 season with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases, completing the milestone in spectacular fashion in Miami on Sept. 19 with three home runs, 10 RBIs, six hits and two stolen bases in a beatdown of the Marlins.
Only five other players made up the 40-40 club before Ohtani joined the group in late August. He is now in exclusive company as the founder of the 50-50 club.
Ohtani has long been a power-hitting threat, but he has truly taken off as a baserunner in 2024. He has left his previous career high of 26 stolen bases in the dust, finishing with 59 and becoming one of MLB's most stealthy runners once he gets on.
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While Ohtani made history with his combined hitting and baserunning prowess, he is still well behind the all-time record for stolen bases in a season.
Here's a look at how Ohtani stacks up against the best base-stealing seasons in MLB history.
Most stolen bases in an MLB season
The all-time record for stolen bases in a season belongs to Hugh Nicol, who picked up 138 in 1887.
As for the modern era (post-1900), Rickey Henderson is king of the basepaths. The "Man of Steal" stole 130 bases in 1982 with the Oakland A's, demolishing the previous record of 118 set by Lou Brock in 1974.
Here is a look at the players with the most single-season stolen bases in MLB's modern era:
1. Rickey Henderson, 1982: 130
2. Lou Brock, 1974: 118
3. Vince Coleman, 1985: 110
4. Vince Coleman, 1987: 109
5. Rickey Henderson, 1983: 108
6. Vince Coleman, 1986: 107
7. Maury Wills, 1962: 104
8. Rickey Henderson, 1980: 100
9. Ron LeFlore, 1980: 97
T-10. Ty Cobb, 1915: 96
T-10. Omar Moreno, 1980: 96
Most stolen bases in MLB history
Henderson ran away with MLB's stolen base crown, and no one will catch him anytime soon. His 1,406 stolen bases are nearly 500 more than second-place Brock.
Here is where Henderson and Brock stack up against the top 10 stolen base leaders in MLB's modern era.
1. Rickey Henderson: 1,406
2. Lou Brock: 938
3. Ty Cobb: 897
4. Tim Raines: 808
5. Vince Coleman: 752
6. Eddie Collins: 741
7. Max Carey: 738
8. Honus Wagner: 723
9. Joe Morgan: 689
10. Willie Wilson: 668
Ohtani's 145 career stolen bases put him in a tie for 580th all-time.
MLB stolen base leaders for 2024
Ohtani finished second in MLB with 59 stolen bases in 2024, trailing only Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, who led the league with 67.
