LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani on Friday became the fastest player in Major League Baseball history and only the sixth MLB player ever to achieve 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season.

The 30-year-old baseball sensation also became the first Japanese player in the MLB to achieve this feat.

At Friday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Ohtani in the fourth inning stole second base, securing his 40th stolen base of the season.
He then ended the game with a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning, clinching his 40th home run.

Ohtani became the fastest major leaguer to join the “40-40” club, doing so in his 126th MLB game.

Past achievers are Jose Canseco in 1988, Barry Bonds in 1996, Alex Rodriguez in 1998, Alfonso Soriano in 2006 and Ronald Acuna Jr. in 2023.

There are expectations for Ohtani to reach 45 home runs and 45 stolen bases in a season, something no one in the history of MLB has achieved, or even 50 homers and 50 stolen bases.

JIJI Press