Shohei Ohtani’s first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers is going about as well as anyone could have hoped, and his consistent dominance is a key driver for a team that has been decimated by injuries to both its pitching staff and lineup. .
He’s the current betting favorite to become the first designated hitter to win the MVP award, and it’s because of his historic pace that he figures to be the first player to accomplish the impressive statistical feat.
The Athletic pointed out how Ohtani is quickly becoming the first player in MLB history to hit 45 home runs and steal 45 bases in the same season, and Fabian Ardaya wrote,
Shohei Ohtani is the first player in MLB history to have a 45-45 season.
“He tries to dominate every edge.”@FabianArdaya: scouts Ohtani, recasting himself as a base stealer ⤵️https://t.co/4KF6Vt1fh8 pic.twitter.com/1hllFEJxEd
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) August 16, 2024
Ardaya added: “The power was given. The speed was coming. And even in a year when Shohei Ohtani doesn’t play, his offense in the record books continues.”
Only five players in MLB history are in the 40-40 club: Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano and Ronald Acuna Jr.
Rodriguez’s 46 steals in 1998, Soriano’s 46 homers in 2006 and Acuna’s 73 steals in 2023 were the only times a player hit or stole more than 45 homers in a 40-40 season, as all five players cleared 40-40. : just a little in at least one of the two categories.
Ohtani is currently on pace for 49 homers and 46 steals, so going 40-40 should be easy at his current pace.
If he really pushes for it, he has a legitimate chance to become the first player in the 50-50 club.
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