On August 24th (Japan time), Shohei Ohtani, batting leadoff as the designated hitter for the Dodgers, stole his 40th base of the season against the Rays. Later, in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and the bases loaded, he hit his 40th home run of the season—a walk-off grand slam—becoming the sixth player in history to achieve the 40-40 milestone. Remarkably, Ohtani became the first player ever to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same day. He also set a new record by achieving this feat in just 126 games. With the Dodgers having completed their 129th game of the season, Ohtani is on pace to achieve an unprecedented 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases.
In the long history of Major League Baseball, Shohei Ohtani became just the sixth player to join the prestigious “40-40” club, following in the footsteps of Jose Canseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Alfonso Soriano (2006), and Ronald Acuña Jr. (2023). Ohtani shattered the previous record for the fastest achievement of this milestone, which Soriano had set at 147 games played (148th for the team). Ohtani reached the 40-40 mark in just 126 games (129th for the team), a historic pace.
Before Acuña Jr. achieved the unprecedented 40-70 last season, with 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases, there had been a 16-season gap since the last 40-40 accomplishment. The new rules introduced last season, such as expanding the base size and limiting pickoff attempts, have made stealing bases easier, which complicates direct comparisons with pre-2022 records. However, the achievements of both Acuña Jr. and Ohtani remain extraordinary.
Ohtani’s 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in the team’s 129th game put him on pace for 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases over a full 162-game season. While Acuña Jr. reached 40-70 last season, no player has ever achieved the elusive 50-50. With 33 games remaining, all eyes will be on Ohtani to see if he can come close to this unprecedented feat.
