Shohei Ohtani is baseball’s fastest 40-40 man and has time to be the first member of 50-50 club
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’s also the first Dodgers player to do so.
“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.
“I think it’s possible,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I hope he continues to play to win baseball games and take good at-bats and take the walks when they’re given to him. But yeah, if they throw him strikes, anything’s possible with Shohei.”
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 Conseco 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 don’t know if that’s ever been done and then he wins it with a grand slam. He’s definitely known for the dramatics and this was something I’ll remember for a long time.”
It’s Ohtani’s third season with 40 or more homers, having achieved the mark with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and 2023.
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge leads the majors with 49 homers. He’s favored to win AL MVP honors with Ohtani predicted to do the same in the NL.
Ohtani’s 389-foot shot snapped a 3-3 tie. Rays center fielder Jose Siri gave chase and the ball bounced back onto the field. He then threw it into the stands, so Ohtani didn’t end up with the keepsake, according to Ohtani’s interpreter, Will Ireton.
Ohtani took a curtain call as the crowd of 45,556 cheered. Teammates Miguel Rojas and Teoscar Hernández soaked him with water.
“It means a tremendous amount for me to be able to do this in front of the home crowd,” Ohtani said.
In the fourth, Ohtani reached on an infield single leading off and stole second during Freddie Freeman’s at-bat. He’s the first Dodgers player since Dee Gordon in 2014 to swipe that many bases in a season. Gordon finished with 64.
Ohtani never made the postseason in his six seasons with the Angels, but he finds himself in a pennant race with the NL West-leading Dodgers.
“The number one goal is to get to the postseason and win the World Series,” he said.
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