Shohei Ohtani’s Stolen Base Puts Him On the Brink of Dodgers History

Shohei Ohtani is just one stolen base and one home run away from becoming the fastest player in Major League Baseball history to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases.

He will also make franchise history when he becomes the first Los Angeles Dodgers player to accomplish the rare feat.

Matt Kemp came close but was one home run shy as he finished the 2011 season with 39 home runs and 40 stolen bases.

This extraordinary feat has only been accomplished five times in baseball history, as it’s unusual for a player to combine such explosive power with exceptional speed. It’s even more rare when the player is also a pitcher.

However, Ohtani is not pitching this season due to his recovery from a second Tommy John surgery.

The possibility that the Japanese star could reach this milestone before September adds another layer of amazement to his already remarkable season. At this point, though, baseball fans should be prepared for anything Ohtani accomplishes on the field.

Reaching the 20-home run and 20-stolen base milestone was impressive, but it’s more common than one might think. In 2023, nearly 20 players achieved those marks which were likely influenced by MLB’s rule changes on base size and pitcher pickoff moves.

However, joining the 30-30 club, which Ohtani did for the first time earlier this season, is significantly more challenging. In MLB history, only 47 players have managed to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a single season.

Among the more than 20,000 players who have competed in professional baseball since 1876, only five have ever achieved the rare 40-home run, 40-stolen base season. This highlights just how exceptional this feat is.

Entering Friday’s game, Ohtani has 39 home runs and 39 stolen bases. The Dodgers welcome the Tampa Bay Rays to Dodger Stadium for a three-game weekend series where fans and baseball enthusiasts will be glued to his at-bats.

Ohtani could make history with one swing and that alone is exciting but what about the next milestones? Could he become the first to have a 45-45 season? What about 50-50?

With Ohtani, anything is possible.

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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