Last season for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani made MLB history by being the first MLB player ever to record a 50/50 season (50 home runs and 50 stolen bases_.
This season, the Japanese star has already surpassed the 10-10 club and has recorded 12 home runs and 10 stolen bases. He is well on his way to another MVP award, but can he reach the 50-50 club again this season?
Will Shohei Ohtani join the 50-50 club again in 2025?
On September 20th, 2024, Ohtani joined the 50-50 club while playing in his 150th game in the season.
At this point in the season, Ohtani has played in 40 of the Dodgers' 42 games. That means he's on pace for roughly 47 home runs and 40 stolen bases, assuming he remains healthy. A second consecutive 40/40 season would be mighty impressive, but it would fall short of the lofty standard he set for himself in 2024.
The good news is Ohtani has shown no signs of regression with his bat this season. He's sporting a ridiculous xwOBA of .483, which ranks in the 100th percentile among all hitters. In addition, his xSLG (.753), average exit velocity (97 miles per hour), barrel rate (24.5%), and hard-hit rate (66.4 %) also rank in the 100th percentile.
One other factor to keep in mind is that Ohtani spent all of last season exclusively as a designated hitter. Though he'll continue to spend most days in the lineup in that spot, this season was the expected return for Ohtani on the mound.
Ohtani has not pitched in the starting rotation this season, but he has thrown multiple bullpen sessions. He's thrown around 30 pitches, indicating that he is building up his pitch count and progressing with his rehab.
His latest workload on May 10th consisted of him throwing around 35 pitches. If Ohtani does return to the mound this season, it will likely boost his chances of earning the NL MVP. The Japanese slugger and pitcher is a three-time MVP as well as a three-time Silver Slugger.
But when will Ohtani make his return to the mound this season? His exact timeline is unclear, but it likely won't be at least until the second half of the season. When it comes to the nature of his injury, the 30-year-old's return shouldn't be pushed. He hasn't pitched since 2023, when he had season-ending surgery to repair a right UCL tear.
It was the second significant surgery he's had on his pitching elbow. Rushing him to the mound is the last thing the Dodgers want to do as he can't afford to have any setbacks or injure his pitching arm again.
If and when he returns to pitching, the likelihood of another 50/50 season will plummet, assuming he isn't already well on pace for it. The closest Ohtani has ever come to replicating a 50/50 campaign during a season in which he pitched was 2021, when he hit 46 home runs, stole 26 bases, and posted a 3.18 ERA in 130 1/3 innings.
Even if he doesn't reach the milestone again in 2025, his MVP case is as airtight as anyone in the league. Just don't expect Ohtani to rejoin the club he founded this season as he focuses on making his return to the mound.