LA Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani records first-ever 50 home run, 50 stolen base season

The GIST: Believe it or not, the penultimate MLB regular-season weekend has arrived, with history being made and squads clinching playoff spots before the postseason swings into action on October 1st. Batter up!

LA Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani records first-ever 50/50 season: Entering the day with 49 stolen bases and 48 home runs, Ohtani stole two bases and blasted not one, not two, but three towering dingers in yesterday’s incredible 20–4 win over the Miami Marlins, making him the first player in MLB’s long history to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.

• It’s rare a player has both the power and speed to achieve such lofty marks in both categories, nevermind the fact that Ohtani also pitches (and might even do it in the postseason as he continues his return to the mound following offseason elbow surgery).

• From breaking record after record on the field to inking the largest contract in North American pro sports history to being the best dog dad around, there’s truly only one Shohei Ohtani. How lucky are we to bear witness?

Four teams clinch playoff berths: That victory earned the Sho-Time Dodgers a spot in the 12-team postseason field, joining the Milwaukee Brewers, NY Yankees, and Cleveland Guardians, who all secured spots in the last 48 hours.

• The series to watch over the weekend? The Detroit Tigers vs. Baltimore Orioles, with both squads squarely in the hunt for an American League Wild Card spot. October baseball, you’re on deck.