Shohei Ohtani Sets New Milestone as Baseball’s Fastest 40-40 Player

Shohei Ohtani's Historic Night

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani has time to make more history this season. The Japanese superstar hit a two-out grand slam in the ninth inning for his 40th homer after earlier stealing his 40th base, lifting the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night. Ohtani achieved the feat in his 126th game and the team’s 129th, the quickest in major league history and the sixth player ever to reach 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in a season. He also is the first Dodgers player to do so.

Focus on Winning

“It’s really more about the winning,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “Obviously the record is part of the process, but I think the most important thing is about winning the game.” No player has ever hit 50 homers and stolen 50 bases in a season. With just over a month remaining in the regular season and the Dodgers leading the NL West, Ohtani could add to his lore. Manager Dave Roberts expressed hope, saying, “If they throw him strikes, anything’s possible with Shohei.”

Joining the Elite

Ohtani broke the previous mark set by Alfonso Soriano in Game 148 for the Washington Nationals in 2006. Soriano had 46 homers — the most of anyone in the exclusive club — and 41 stolen bases that year. Besides Soriano, Ohtani joins Ronald Acuña Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, and Jose Canseco in the 40-40 club. Acuña owns the stolen base record with 73 last year, when he also hit 41 homers. It was the first walk-off homer and third grand slam of Ohtani’s career.

“It’s just storybook — 40-40 on the same night,” Roberts said. “I’ll remember this for a long time.” Ohtani's 389-foot shot snapped a 3-3 tie, showcasing his prowess. He took a curtain call as the crowd of 45,556 cheered. Ohtani expressed gratitude, stating, “It means a tremendous amount for me to be able to do this in front of the home crowd.”

Aiming for the Postseason

He is the first Dodgers player since Dee Gordon in 2014 to swipe that many bases in a season. Ohtani never made the postseason in his six seasons with the Angels, but he finds himself in a pennant race with the Dodgers, who maintained a four-game lead in the NL West over the Diamondbacks. “The No. 1 goal is to get to the postseason and win the World Series,” he noted.