Shohei Ohtani made history on Friday night, becoming the first player in Los Angeles Dodgers franchise history to reach the illustrious 40-40 club with 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season.
With the game notched at 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth, Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Colin Poche walked the bases loaded before facing Ohtani. With two outs, Poche looped a slow slider toward the outer part of the strike zone, setting the stage for a majestic grand slam from Ohtani to end the game.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has had a front row seat to all Ohtani has showcased in his first season with the team, and that was no different when Ohtani joined the 40-40 club with a walk-off grand slam in a perfect moment.
“I mean, 40-40 in the same game, walk-off grand slam,” Roberts said. “I always say that you can’t script a game, but man, if there was a script, that couldn’t have been written any better. Shohei just never ceases to amaze.”
Ohtani notched his 40th stolen base in the fourth inning, setting the stage for the ninth inning homer. He reached the 40-40 club faster than any player in Major League Baseball history, requiring only 126 games.
“One of my top memorable moments, and I hope that I can do more and make more memorable moments,” Ohtani said.
He joins Jose Canseco in 1988 with the Oakland Athletics, Barry Bonds of the 1996 San Francisco Giants, Alex Rodriguez of the 1998 Seattle Mariners, Alfonso Soriano in 2006 with the Washington Nationals and Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2023 with the Atlanta Braves.
MLB has never before seen a player have a 40-40 season in consecutive years, but that has changed thanks to Acuña and Ohtani. Acuña wound up winning the MVP, and Ohtani is in clear position to do the same.
Could Shohei Ohtani reach the 50-50 mark?
Short answer, yes. Ohtani has the capability to go on insane runs at the plate, while also having a renewed sense for stealing bases this season.
The superstar is almost assuredly going to reach the 45-45 mark, which would make him the first player in league history to do so. In 2006, Alfonso Soriano hit 46 home runs with 41 stolen bases in 159 games, the closest anyone has come to touching that feat.
Ohtani is on pace to have the most historic season in MLB history.
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