Shohei Ohtani continues to redefine what is possible on a baseball diamond. On Tuesday night against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar added yet another remarkable feat to an already unmatched career résumé.
With one swing in the eighth inning, Ohtani launched a solo home run that placed him among the most exclusive groups in baseball history: players who have hit 50 home runs in back-to-back seasons. The shot marked his 50th of the year, building on the 54 he crushed last season. In 2024, Ohtani became the first player ever to combine a 50-homer campaign with 50 stolen bases. Now, in 2025, he has backed it up with another half-century in long balls — and did so on a night when his pitching brilliance also took center stage.
The Historic Company He Keeps
The list of names Ohtani just joined underscores how rare the achievement is. Babe Ruth (1920–21), Mark McGwire (1996–99), Ken Griffey Jr. (1997–98), Sammy Sosa (1998–2001), and Alex Rodriguez (2001–02) are the only other players to accomplish consecutive 50-homer seasons. Each of those sluggers is legendary in their own right, though several later saw their legacies clouded by performance-enhancing drug scandals. Ohtani, by contrast, has built his résumé cleanly, with power and versatility that continue to astonish even in today’s home run-heavy era.
Ohtani’s two-way dominance sets him apart even further. Ruth was the last player who attempted to bridge the gap between elite pitching and elite hitting, but he largely abandoned the mound before his greatest home run years. Ohtani has managed to do both simultaneously, producing record-shattering numbers at the plate while still performing at a high level on the mound.
A Night of Dual Brilliance
The milestone home run came after Ohtani dazzled as a pitcher. He held the Phillies hitless through five innings, striking out five and allowing only a single baserunner — a first-inning walk to Bryce Harper. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pulled him after 68 pitches, sticking to the plan of limiting Ohtani to no more than five innings per outing as he continues his return from injury.
At the time Ohtani departed, the Dodgers led 4-0. But the game spiraled out of control after his exit. Rookie pitcher Justin Wrobleski gave up a big inning in the sixth, and the Phillies quickly seized the lead. The Dodgers briefly tied it in the eighth thanks to Ohtani’s historic blast, only for reliever Blake Treinen to unravel in the ninth. Philadelphia stormed back for a 9-6 victory, continuing a rough patch for the Dodgers’ bullpen.
The collapse was as rare statistically as Ohtani’s achievement was historic. According to Josh Dubow of the Associated Press, the Dodgers became the first team since 1906 to have a starter throw at least five no-hit innings only for the bullpen to surrender nine or more runs.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">HR No. 50 for Shohei Ohtani after he threw five no-hit innings earlier vs. the Phillies 🙌<br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLB</a>) <br><br> <a href="https://t.co/oMVrpuhN5t">pic.twitter.com/oMVrpuhN5t</a></p>— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/YahooSports/status/1968170877150957957?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Bigger Picture: A Fourth MVP Push
Despite the team’s loss, Ohtani’s individual performance only strengthens his case for yet another MVP award. If he secures it, this would mark his fourth career MVP and his second in the National League. That would place him alongside Barry Bonds as the only players in history with at least four MVPs. Bonds, of course, holds the record with seven.
Equally significant, Ohtani would become the first player to win multiple MVPs in both the American and National Leagues, an accomplishment that reflects not only his extraordinary talent but also his seamless transition from the Angels to the Dodgers.
His bat has somehow grown even more potent since joining Los Angeles. With the Angels, he was already an MVP in 2021 and 2023, and a runner-up in 2022 when Aaron Judge hit 62 home runs. Now with the Dodgers, Ohtani has elevated his production yet again while also fulfilling the enormous expectations that came with his record-setting $700 million contract.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shohei Ohtani, Wicked 90mph Slider. 🤢<br><br>5th K thru 5...and 🤫 <a href="https://t.co/jYvHjua994">pic.twitter.com/jYvHjua994</a></p>— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) <a href="https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1968154178653700126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
2025: A Rare Year for Power
Ohtani is not alone in the 50-homer club this season. He joins Cal Raleigh and Kyle Schwarber, making 2025 just the third season in MLB history to feature three players with 50 or more home runs. The previous times were in 1998 and 2001, years remembered for their offensive explosions — though both later became tainted by revelations of steroid use.
That distinction matters. This season’s trio of 50-homer hitters represents the first time in baseball history that such a group has emerged without the specter of performance-enhancing drugs hanging over it. Ohtani’s role in that achievement is particularly symbolic, as he embodies the modern player who can dominate cleanly, athletically, and in more than one dimension.
A Career Like No Other
At 31 years old, Ohtani’s résumé is already so stacked with firsts and onlys that adding “back-to-back 50-homer seasons” almost feels like just another line. Yet that perception only underscores how extraordinary he has been. He is the only player ever to combine 50 homers with 50 stolen bases in a single season, and he is the only player to hit 50 homers while also recording 50 strikeouts as a pitcher in the same year.
Ruth may have been the closest comparison, but even he didn’t straddle both sides of the game to this degree once his bat truly took over. Ohtani is carving a space that no one else has occupied before — a role model for a new kind of baseball superstar.
What Comes Next
The Dodgers are still managing his innings carefully, but Ohtani has shown enough dominance to suggest that his pitching form is returning. If Los Angeles’ bullpen can stabilize and complement his efforts, the combination of Ohtani’s power and his presence on the mound could make the Dodgers one of the most dangerous teams in October.
For now, though, the night will be remembered less for the Dodgers’ bullpen woes and more for Ohtani’s place in history. Another 50-homer season, another unprecedented milestone, and another reminder that Shohei Ohtani is not simply the face of baseball — he may be its most unique talent of all time.