Dodgers Superstar Shohei Ohtani Joins Exclusive 40-40 Club

Shohei Ohtani blasted a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning on Friday night, August 23, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a dramatic 7-3 home victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

In doing so, Ohtani became the sixth player in MLB history with 40 or more home runs and 40 or more stolen bases in the same season.

The others: Jose Canseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Alfonso Soriano (2006) and Ronald Acuna Jr (2023).

Ohtani reached the 40-40 milestone in his 126th game of the 2024 season ― faster than anyone else. It was the Dodgers' 129th game.

Playing for the Washington Nationals when he reached the 40-40 mark, Soriano did so in his 147th game of the season, which was the team's 148th game.

Shohei Ohtani Showcases His Speed on the Basepaths

Ohtani stole his career-high 40th base in the fourth inning after leading off the home half of the inning with an infield single. His previous career high: 26 stolen bases for the Los Angeles Angels in 2021. He was caught stealing 10 times that season.

This season, Ohtani has a success rate of 90.9% on stolen-base attempts.

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz leads MLB in stolen bases (60), while Ohtani is second.

In the bottom of the ninth with a 3-3 tie, two outs and the bases loaded, Ohtani faced Rays left-handed reliever Colin Poche. Ohtani bashed the first pitch from Poche, an 84.3 mph (135.6 kph) slider, over the fence in center field for his National League-leading 40th homer of the season.

The Dodgers improved to 77-52 with their fifth straight win.

Shohei Ohtani Reflects on Record-Breaking Accomplishment

After the game, Ohtani offered his thoughts on the dramatic win and reaching 40 homers and 40 steals this season.

"Of course I am happy about that, but more than anything, being able to hit at the end and win is my most memorable moment with the Dodgers so far," Ohtani said after the game, according to NHK. "When I was at bat, I didn't think anything of it, I just wanted to hit one, and I realized that [it was the 40th homer] when I came home."

Before an announced crowd of 45,556 on Friday night, Ohtani delivered a potent reminder of his dynamic baseball skills. And he admitted that achieving the 40-40 feat in front of the home crowd made it even more special.

"I think it's a big deal that I was able to make that kind of record as a means to win, rather than the record itself becoming an end in itself," Ohtani was quoted as saying by NHK.

"My first goal is to advance to the postseason and win the World Series, so my numbers will come later. I've always wanted to play in front of so many fans in a situation like this, so it was a really good memory for me."

RELATED:

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• Shohei Ohtani Surpasses Hideki Matsui for Most MLB Homers by a Japanese Player

Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.