Shohei Ohtani Will Surpass Babe Ruth With New Milestone

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Zach Kaplan | Last updated Sep 16, 2025 11:28 PM ET

Shohei Ohtani has been doing his thing, coming as a shock to no one, in 2025. Yet, the Dodgers are only two and a half games up on the Padres for first place in the division, and Los Angeles' championship repeat ambitions seem more muted than they were at the start of the year.

In the midst of this, Ohtani is putting up yet another elite season that makes baseball fans feel lucky to be able to witness his spectacle.

The reigning MVP is slashing .281/.395/.608 with 6.3 wins above replacement and 49 home runs, to go along with a respectable 3.75 ERA entering his Tuesday start against the Phillies.

And lo and behold, the dual-threat magician is ready to etch himself into more history and trail-blaze another club of his own.

One season after becoming the first member of the 50-50 club, with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases, Ohtani is set to form another 50-50 club, not on homers and stolen bases but on home runs and strikeouts thrown as a pitcher.

According to MLB's Sarah Langs, Ohtani is just one home run away from becoming the first MLB player to bash 50 home runs and strike out 50 batters in a single season.

The only player to have any strikeouts on the mound in a season where they hit 50 home runs was Babe Ruth, who struck out just three batters in 1921 while hitting 59 bombs.

Ohtani is a unicorn, there's no other way to say it. There has not been a player in recent memory who is this adept on the mound and at the plate, and it's very fun to watch.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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