Shohei Ohtani’s 50/50 hunt is a spectator blessing for weak Marlins

The Miami Marlins, who rank 29th in MLB in attendance, should get the boost they need on Wednesday and Thursday as Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani approaches the historic milestones of 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases.

Just weeks after becoming the fastest player to reach the 40/40 mark, Ohtani and the Dodgers are playing in the final two games of a three-game series against the Marlins at LoanDepot Park, with the DH entering Wednesday’s game with 48 home runs and 48 steals.

Although he didn’t steal a base, Ohtani hit his 48th home run — a 400-foot smash to the right upper field deck — in the third inning of an 11-9 loss to the Marlins on Tuesday night. The 29-year-old designated hitter is second in all of MLB in home runs and stolen bases and has 11 games left to reach the 50/50 mark.

The struggling Marlins saw a 37% increase in attendance for Tuesday night’s game, with 17,902 people coming into the stadium. On Wednesday night, when Ohtani stole his 49th base in the Dodgers’ 8-4 win, Miami surpassed the 1 million mark this season as another 17,138 people went through the turnstiles.

When a visiting player reaches a milestone, the game is traditionally stopped and the home team and crowd recognize the achievement. Sport has reached out to the Marlins for comment on their possible plans.

In 76 home games this season, the Marlins have drawn 989,901 fans to LoanDepot Park, an average of 13,025 per game. Only the Oakland A’s, who will play in Sacramento next season before making their long-planned move to Las Vegas, have done worse at the box office: 728,438 fans came to the stadium this year (an average of 9,843 per game).

If Ohtani doesn’t reach the 50/50 quota in Miami, he will have a chance to do so in front of his home crowd in LA when the Dodgers return for six home games.

Ohtani’s first year in Dodger blue couldn’t have been more eventful. The two-way star signed a 10-year, $700 million contract last December, the most lucrative free agent deal in MLB history. However, Ohtani agreed to an unprecedented salary deferral – 97% of the salary ($680 million) is deferred salary – which will be paid in $68 million installments between 2034 and 2043, interest-free.

However, the season almost fell apart as quickly as it began in March, when it was revealed that his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, had allegedly stolen millions from his client to pay off his gambling debts. In July, Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank fraud and signing false tax returns.

Ohtani, however, still earns $65 million in endorsements, more than anyone else in the game. In late August, he signed an exclusive global trading card deal with Topps, the traditional card maker now owned by Fanatics, which will produce products in the U.S. and his native Japan. The brands he sponsors also include New Balance and Rapsodo.

(This has been updated with information about Wednesday night’s game.)