Shohei Ohtani is three home runs and two stolen bases away from history with 16 games left.

The Los Angeles Dodgers star hit his 47th home run of the season on Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs. With 47 stolen bases already under his belt, he sealed the MLB’s first 47-47 season. The home run also gave him a new career record for long balls, surpassing his previous best of 46 in 2021.

With two more home runs, Ohtani would tie Shawn Green’s Dodger record for most home runs in a season. The former All-Star hit 49 in 2001.

Ohtani’s home run was just the start of the Dodgers’ fireworks on Wednesday. After a two-run rally by the Cubs in the first inning, the Dodgers got on the scoreboard through Ohtani, then Tommy Edman, Will Smith and Max Muncy Hit one home run after another against Chicago’s starter Jordan Wicks and took a 5-2 lead.

After this comeback, Ohtani was the first batter in the second inning. After managing a full-count walk, Ohtani got his 48th base of the season and got ever closer to the mythical 50-50.

On Wednesday, Ohtani recorded both a home run and a steal in the same game for the 12th time, putting him just one game away from breaking the MLB record for most such games set by Rickey Henderson.

He added another single in the third inning, but with no stolen bases. He had to settle for two more RBIs to put the Dodgers ahead 7-3. Things only got more eventful from there, and the Dodgers eventually won 10-8 with some help from a two-run home run game by Edman.

Is Shohei Ohtani on a 50-50 course?

Yes. With 47 home runs and 48 stolen bases and 16 games remaining in the Dodgers’ regular season schedule after Wednesday, Ohtani is on pace to have 52 home runs and 53 steals by the end of the regular season.

Ohtani would need seven games in a row without a home run to get under the 50-home run mark.

The Dodgers travel to Atlanta for a four-game series against the Braves starting Friday.

Shohei Ohtani has already made a lot of history with the Dodgers

Whatever happens in his quest to achieve a 50-50 season, Ohtani has already done enough to make his first season with the Dodgers a memorable one.

Ohtani has broken new ground when it comes to hitting specific numbers in home runs and stolen bases. In August, he became the sixth player ever to reach 40-40 – joining Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodríguez, Alfonso Soriano and Ronald Acuña Jr. – and did so in record time. The earliest of these players to reach both thresholds was Soriano on September 16, 2006.

Ohtani’s 40th home run was something special: a walk-off grand slam.

Rodriguez previously held the record for most home runs in both categories with 42 home runs and 46 stolen bases in 1998. Ohtani matched that season’s record at 42-42 on his own Bobblehead night on August 28 and surpassed it just two days later on August 30.

His total home runs and stolen bases are also personal bests. Ohtani’s home run total surpasses his previous career high of 46 in 2021, his first MVP year, and he has already surpassed his previous best in steals (26, also in 2021). He currently leads the NL in home runs and trails only Elly De La Cruz in steals.

And of course, Ohtani set records in both contract size ($700 million) and deferred contract payments ($680 million) when he signed with the Dodgers before the season.

Ohtani has built his career on unprecedented accomplishments, and even in a season where he won’t be able to pitch due to major UCL surgery set to take place in late 2023, he’s still doing things the MLB has never seen.