The Los Angeles Dodgers own a piece of baseball history as Shohei Ohtani became the sixth person to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases on Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Ohtani also became the first Dodgers player to accomplish the rare feat.
Entering Friday night’s game, Ohtani had 39 home runs and 39 stolen bases. That all changed in the 9th inning. Ohtani hit a walk-off grand slam to help the Dodgers beat the Rays by a score of 7-3.
What Ohtani has been able to accomplish in his first season with the Dodgers has been incredible. He has joined Ronald Acuña Jr., Alfonso Soriano, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, and Jose Canseco as some of Major League Baseball’s elite.
He has also done it quicker than any of his predecessors.
Canseco stole his 40th base on Sept. 23, 1998. Bonds reached 40 steals on Sept. 27, 1996. Rodriguez hit his 40th home run on Sept. 19, 1998. Soriano stole his 40th base on Sept. 16, 2006. And Acuña slugged his 40th homer on Sept. 22, 2023.
Coming into the nine-game homestand, Ohtani was feeling a little “off.”
Ohtani has hit .223 (27-for-121) in his past 30 games through Sunday, a slump that has intensified recently. He is 12-for-69 (.174) in August and 6 for his last 39 (.154) through Sunday.
“I think having the right posture when I’m looking at the pitcher is something that’s really important. I feel like it’s a little off,” he said.
Manager Dave Roberts noticed something similar.
“I think the plate discipline is just not what it is when he’s right. His walk percentage, I’m sure, in the last three weeks is considerably down,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think the swing decisions aren’t as good as they have been.
“At times, I think he’s out front. At times I think he is getting beat a little bit. He might be a little bit in between. … He’s losing his foundation, his base, his connection to the ground. That’s never a good sign for a hitter. Where you’re more into the ground, I think that’s when all hitters are best. I do think there’s a little bit of, on ice skates a little bit more than he typically is.”
Ohtani eclipsed 40 home runs last season with the Los Angeles Angels and he finished with 44. He only finished with 20 stolen bags but he was 10-5 on the mound with a 3.14 earned run average.
His career-high season for both homers and stolen bases was in 2021 when he had 46 and 26. He now stands alone in Dodgers history.
Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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Source: The Wall Street Journal
