Why Shohei Ohtani’s latest record isn’t as impressive as it seems

Los Angeles Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani is an otherworldly talent. But his latest feat is not as extraordinary as it appears.

Ohtani recently broke a record set by Hugh Duffy in 1894 , when he had 85 extra-base hits and 45 stolen bases. After a two-double game on Sunday, Ohtani reached 86 multi-bag knocks and 48 nicked bases. The Japanese powerhouse is also closing in on the first 50-50 season in history, standing at a mere two homers and two swipes away.

What Ohtani is doing is amazing — but it’s also era-based. No one wants to talk about the real reason he’s been able to run for this record: MLB rule changes in 2023 made stealing bases 4.5 inches easier than it ever has been.

As soon as the league increased the size of the bases, players took advantage. The 2023 MLB stolen base total of 3503 makes it one of the top 10 seasons for base stealing in history . And seven of the other top 10 came before 1920, when home runs weren’t really a thing and small-ball was the name of the game. The other two modern seasons on the steals leaderboard are 1987 and 1999.

But even the high-steal seasons in the 1980s and 1990s don’t compare. While base thieves nabbed 3585 bases in 1987, they were also caught 1529 times. In 2023, baserunners were caught stealing only 866 times. Baserunners in today’s era have a clear advantage.

Yet another reason Ohtani’s record isn’t all it’s cracked up to be is his position. As a full-time DH in a season he’s recovering from a pitching injury, he doesn’t have to waste any energy in the field, giving him well-rested legs every time he’s on base.

So, Ohtani, whose previous career high was 26 stolen bags — to go along with a league-high 10 caught stealings — seems to have seen an opportunity and gone for it. Good on him, but maybe there should be an asterisk next to any stolen-base-related records he sets.