Shohei Ohtani gets 50/50 season memorial in Dodger Stadium

Shohei Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to join the 50/50 club, hitting 54 home runs and stealing 59 bases in his debut season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani would go on to lead LA to a championship and unanimously win his third-career MVP Award.

To memorialize Ohtani’s historic first season with the Dodgers, the team has created a display celebrating his incredible 50/50 campaign. The exhibit, which can be found on the Club Level of Dodger Stadium, features Ohtani’s jersey, batting gloves and custom Decoy cleats, per the team’s official account on X.

The 2024 season couldn’t have gone much better for Ohtani, after he left the Los Angeles Angels for their crosstown rivals. And he’s off to another hot start in 2025. Although Ohtani went 0-4 on Friday night, he’s still slashing .293/.406/.552 with four home runs, 15 runs scored and three steals in 15 games.

Can the Dodgers repeat as champions?

Apr 2, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) is greeted at home after hitting a walk off solo home run against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium. — Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Dodgers raised eyebrows with a wild spending spree this offseason that angered some fanbases around baseball as LA significantly improved on its World Series-winning team. Some analysts felt it was a foregone conclusion that the Dodgers would win another championship this season. And the team looked the part early on.

Los Angeles won its first eight games of the season, culminating in a walk-off home run by Ohtani to beat the Atlanta Braves. The 8-0 start is the best ever by any reigning champion, surpassing the 1933 New York Yankees.

However, since then, the Dodgers are just 3-4 and the team dropped three straight games this past week. LA is currently tied for second in the NL West, half a game behind the first-place San Diego Padres.

Still, the Dodgers will likely only improve once Ohtani is cleared to resume pitching and joins the rotation. He’s been forced to put pitching on pause as he recovers from elbow surgery. Ohtani last pitched in August of 2023 and the team is approaching his return to the mound with extra caution as he’s already undergone two surgical procedures on his pitching elbow. He initially required Tommy John surgery after his rookie season in 2018.