Baseball

Dodgers Star Shohei Ohtani Becomes 1st in MLB History with 43 HRs, 43 Stolen Bases

Jiji Press
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani hits a solo home run in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday in Phoenix.

By Tosiaki Obitsu / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

15:55 JST, August 31, 2024

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani became the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit 43 home runs and steal 43 bases in a single season after getting one of each on Friday.

Batting leadoff as the designated hitter against the host Arizona Diamondbacks, Ohtani reached base in the second inning when he was hit by a pitch, then swiped second for his 43rd stolen base of the season.

In the eighth inning, he clouted his 43rd home run, a solo shot over the left-center field fence. That turned out to be the difference when the Dodgers held on for a 10-9 victory.

Ohtani became the sixth member of the elite “40-40 club” when he achieved both of those numbers on Aug. 23, making him the fastest-ever to reach that milestone.

With 27 games remaining, Ohtani has a good chance of becoming the inaugural member of the “50-50 club” that has been previously regarded as unachievable.

The highest previous combination of the two categories was achieved by the Seattle Mariners’ Alex Rodriguez in 1998, when he hit 42 home runs and stole 46 bases.