On a day filled with great MLB action across the league, they saved the best for last. It is only fitting in the country’s largest market, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani is baseball’s fastest 40-40 man.
The Japanese two-way sensation blasted a two-out grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning for his 40th home run after earlier in the contest stealing his 40th base, lifting the Dodgers to a 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.
Ohtani achieved the remarkable feat in his 126th game and the team’s 129th, which is the quickest in major league history and sixth ever to reach 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in a season. He is also the first player in this historic franchise to ever 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.”
He obliterated the previous mark set by Alfonso Soriano in Game 148 for the Washington Nationals in 2006.
“It’s just storybook — 40-40 on the same night,” manager Dave 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.”
Ohtani’s 389-foot moon shot broke 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 did not end up with the keepsake, according to Ohtani’s interpreter Will Ireton.
Embed from Getty ImagesDodgers starter Bobby Miller, who was done for the night, was in the clubhouse watching on television when Ohtani made history.
“I kind of called that one,” he said. “I was like how cool would this be just to get that 40-40 on a walk-off grand slam? He’s a really special player.”
Ohtani took a curtain call and tipped his helmet as the sellout crowd of 45,556 stood and cheered. Teammates Miguel Rojas and Teoscar Hernández drenched him with water on the field.
“It means a tremendous amount for me to be able to do this in front of the home crowd,” Ohtani said.
Ohtani joins five other great in the elite club, Soriano, Ronald Acuna Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds and Jose Canseco. Acuna became a member in 2023, when he belted 41 homers and swiped 73 bags.
After missing out on the postseason in his six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani finds himself in a pennant race and a chance to win a World Series with the NL West-leading Dodgers.
“The number one goal is to get to the postseason and win the World Series,” he said. “Whatever the outcome is for my record, that’s part of the process.”
In the fourth, Ohtani reached on an infield single leading off against Tyler Alexander and stole second during Freddie Freeman’s at-bat.
His 12 stolen bases in August without being caught are the most in a month by a Dodger since Rafael Furcal’s 12 for 12 in September and October 2007.
“I know that he’s taking very good care of his legs to be able to do it and be that dynamic player,” Roberts said. “He’s doing his homework on opposing pitchers and he’s getting great jumps. He’s a much better base stealer. He’s very efficient.”
Roberts noted that earlier in the season and going back to when the Dodgers faced the Angels, Ohtani was anxious on the basepaths and his stolen base percentage was not high.
“He’s an elite base stealer with a high success rate,” the manager said. “I’m sure there’ll be more dramatics to come.”
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge leads the majors with 49 homers and four in the last four games. He is the front runner to win AL MVP honors with Ohtani projected to follow suit in the NL.
“I just don’t see anyone any better, obviously Judge is in the conversation, but man, I’d take Shohei,” Roberts said.
