Shohei Ohtani’s Historic Night Taunts Phillies Fans on What Could Have Been

Philadelphia Phillies fans can only look at what Shohei Ohtani did this season and wonder what that could have been like if he was on their favorite team.

Sep 19, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts to a standing ovation from the fans after hitting his 50th home run of the season against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at loanDepot Park / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

This past offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies had an opportunity to make a massive statement.

After coming one game short of reaching the World Series in back-to-back years, ownership and the front office went to work on what they needed to do so this team could bring home a championship for the first time since 2008.

There wasn't a whole lot that needed to be done considering the amount of talent already on this roster, but the best player in baseball was on the open market and could have been signed by any team.

Perhaps Shohei Ohtani was always going to become a Los Angeles Dodger, so the pipedream of him joining the Phillies is exactly that, but it was hard not to dream about what the phenom could do in this lineup for the next decade.

Ultimately, Philadelphia was never in the Ohtani sweepstakes as he signed his historic 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.

While the Phillies have certainly enjoyed an incredible season so far, what the superstar slugger has done in 2024 is something that may never be duplicated in the history of Major League Baseball again.

On Thursday, Ohtani became the inaugural member of the 50 home run and 50 stolen bases club when he stole two bases and blasted three homers during his 6-for-6 performance with 10 RBI.

SHOHEI OHTANI HAS DONE IT

50 HOME RUNS | 50 STOLEN BASES

HISTORY pic.twitter.com/GRVJUCbpja

— MLB (@MLB) September 19, 2024

The history-making moment came in the top of the seventh inning when he hit his 50th home run of the season, following his 50th stolen base of the year in the first inning, his 51st stolen base in the second, and his 49th homer in the sixth.

This came on the same day that Philadelphia dropped their second game in a row, failing to officially clinch a spot in the playoffs after they stumbled out of the gates following the All-Star break.

The Phillies will be in the playoffs, that's not a question, but as there continues to be more holes prevalent on this roster than initially expected coming into the season, it's fair to wonder how this team might have looked with Ohtani on their roster in 2024 and beyond.

Yes, it would have been virtually impossible to keep Kyle Schwarber in the designated hitter spot while Ohtani recovers from his Tommy John surgery, and yes, it would have cost owner John Middleton a lot of money to get this done, but it's hard not to be infatuated with idea of him next to Trea Turner and Bryce Harper in the lineup for years to come.

Philadelphia prioritized re-signing Aaron Nola and extending Zack Wheeler to keep this nucleus together during this World Series window, opting not to truly go after the best player in the sport.

The Phillies can still win the championship this season without Ohtani, but during his historic performance in Miami, he gave fans just one more reason to think about what could have been.