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NO STAT IS SAFE. NO ERA IS FORGOTTEN.
VOL. 1, NO. 47 · JANUARY 18, 2027 · EVERY MONDAY
ISSUE #047 · MODERN
Shohei Ohtani — The Player
Nobody Thought Was Possible
On September 19, 2024, Shohei Ohtani became the first player in baseball history to hit 50 HR and steal 50
📅 THIS DATE IN
BASEBALL bases in the same season.
THE STAT THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST 01
BASEBALL SAID A TWO-WAY PLAYER COULDN'T EXIST AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. OHTANI MADE BASEBALL APOLOGIZE.
50-50: 50 HR, 59 SB In 2024. Also A Legitimate Top-
10 Starting Pitcher When Healthy. Both.
OHTANI 2024 HR OHTANI 2024 SB OHTANI 2021-22 PITCHING ERA
2 Babe Ruth $70M/yr
UNANIMOUS MVPS LAST TWO-WAY STAR SALARY (2024)
Ohtani became the first player since Babe Ruth to be a legitimate starter AND a legitimate power hitter at
the major league level. In 2021-22 combined: 45 HR, 100 RBI as a hitter + 9-2 with 3.18 ERA as a pitcher. In
2024 he hit 50 HR and stole 59 bases. He is the only player in history to win MVP unanimously twice.
THE GAME YOU FORGOT 02
VS Miami Marlins SEPTEMBER 19, 2024
50 First 50-50 ever 50 HR / 59 SB
SEASON HR AT GAME SEASON SB AT GAME HISTORIC MILESTONE FINAL SEASON TOTALS
W
RESULT
BASEBALL'S FIRST 50-50 SEASON — HIT #50 AND STOLE #50 ON THE SAME NIGHT
On September 19, 2024, Ohtani hit his 50th home run and stole his 50th base in the same game — the first
50-50 season in baseball history. He finished the regular season at 50 HR and 59 SB. His signing with the
Dodgers for $700M over 10 years (the largest contract in North American professional sports history) had
been questioned by some after his Tommy John surgery. He answered with history.
ERA VS ERA 03
Is Ohtani The Greatest Baseball Player Who Ever Lived?
THE CASE FOR THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT
TWO-WAY VALUE CAREER WAR (THROUGH 2024)
No comparable in modern era ~55 — growing
50-50 SEASON PEAK RUTH COMPARISON
Never done in history VS Ruth was dominant pitcher AND
best hitter
UNANIMOUS MVPS
Twice — only player ever
SAMPLE SIZE
Still accumulating
Ohtani's two-way value is genuinely unprecedented in the modern game. Ruth was a comparable two-way
player from 1915-1919. Ohtani has done it for 7+ seasons. His career WAR is still accumulating. If he stays
healthy through 30+ years of age, the conversation about where he ranks historically becomes very serious.
Where does Ohtani rank in baseball history?
TOP 5 ALREADY — NOTHING LIKE HIM EVER TOP 10 — NEED MORE TIME TO ASSESS
THE TWO-WAY VALUE IS UNIQUE, HARD TO COMPARE WHEN HIS CAREER ENDS, WE'LL KNOW — ASK THEN
THE COLDEST MOMENT 04
DECEMBER 2023 · THE CONTRACT STRUCTURE
He Deferred $680M Of His $700M Contract For 10
Years So The Dodgers Could Build Around Him.
Ohtani signed a $700M contract with the Dodgers — the largest in North American sports
history. He deferred $680M of it, taking only $2M per year in salary for 10 years, allowing the
Dodgers to use their payroll flexibility to sign other players. He did it to win. The Dodgers won
the 2024 World Series in Ohtani's first year. The deferred money is now a liability that will be
paid when he's in his late 40s.
I want to win. Money can come later. A championship cannot.
— SHOHEI OHTANI
THE STAT VAULT 05
HR-SB IN 2024 UNANIMOUS MVP AWARDS
First 50-50 season in baseball history. He 2021 and 2023. The only player in history
finished at 50 HR and 59 SB. to win MVP unanimously twice.
CONTRACT VALUE — DODGERS 1918-
LAST COMPARABLE TWO-WAY PLAYER
$700M Largest contract in North American
Babe Ruth pitched and hit for 5 seasons.
professional sports history. $680M 19
Ohtani has done it for 7+.
deferred.
2024 WORLD SERIES RING — YEAR 1 IN LA
The Dodgers won the 2024 World Series in Ohtani's first season. He deferred $680M to make it possible.
THE FORGOTTEN MAN 06
OVERLOOKED · UNDERRATED · DESERVES MORE
Yu Darvish
MULTIPLE TEAMS · 2012-PRESENT
92 WINS · 3.52 ERA · 4 ALL-STARS
One Of Japan's Greatest Pitchers. 92 MLB Wins. Multiple All-Stars. Lost In
Ohtani's Shadow.
Yu Darvish has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since arriving from Japan in 2012 — winning 92+
games with a 3.52 ERA and making 4 All-Star teams. He came to MLB from the same NPB league as Ohtani.
He's an excellent pitcher who happens to exist in an era where a Japanese player is redefining what a
baseball player can be.
THE CONNECTION:
Darvish was the most famous Japanese pitcher in MLB before Ohtani arrived. They share a country, a
league of origin, and an era. Ohtani became the most famous baseball player on the planet. Darvish
became the answer to a trivia question about who came first.
COMING NEXT MONDAY
Next Monday: Aaron Judge hit 62 home runs in 2022. The AL record. Without the steroid asterisk. The cleanest
home run record in 61 years.
Who's Your Forgotten Man?
Reply with a player from any era who deserves more credit. Best answer gets featured next Monday.
All Eras. All Stats. No Debate.
Every Monday. No exceptions.