Shohei Ohtani becomes fastest to baseball’s 40-40 club with walk-off grand slam
Shohei Ohtani has time to make more history this season.
The Japanese superstar hit a two-out grand slam in the ninth inning for his 40th home run after stealing his 40th base earlier to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.
Ohtani accomplished the feat in his 126th game and the team’s 129th, the fastest in Major League history and the sixth player ever to reach 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in a season. He is also the first Dodgers player to do so.
“It’s more about winning,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “Of course the record is part of the process, but I think the most important thing is to win the match.”
No player has ever hit 50 home runs and stolen 50 bases in a single season.
With just a month left in the regular season and the Dodgers atop the NL West, Ohtani could expand his story even further.
“I think it’s possible,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I hope he keeps playing and winning baseball games and getting good at-bats and taking the walks when they’re given to him. But yeah, if they’re giving him strikes, anything’s possible with Shohei.”
Ohtani broke the previous record, set by Alfonso Soriano in Game 148 for the Washington Nationals in 2006. Soriano had 46 home runs that year — the most of anyone in the exclusive club — and 41 stolen bases.
In addition to Soriano, Ohtani joins Ronald Acuña Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds and Jose Canseco in the 40-40 club. Acuña holds the stolen base record with 73 last year, when he also hit 41 home runs.
It was the first walk-off home run and third grand slam of Ohtani’s career.
“It’s just a fairytale – 40-40 on the same night,” Roberts said. “I don’t know if that’s ever been done and for him to win it with a grand slam. He’s definitely known for his drama and this is something I’ll remember for a long time.”
It’s Ohtani’s third season with 40 or more home runs, a milestone he achieved in 2021 and 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels.
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge leads the majors with 49 homers. He is favored to win the AL MVP award, and Ohtani is expected to do the same in the NL.
Ohtani’s 389-foot shot broke a 3-3 tie. Rays center fielder Jose Siri chased it down and the ball bounced back onto the field. He then threw it into the stands, so Ohtani didn’t end up with the souvenir, according to Ohtani’s translator, Will Ireton.
Ohtani took the starting gun as the crowd of 45,556 cheered. Teammates Miguel Rojas and Teoscar Hernández doused him with water.
“It means so much to me to be able to do this in front of my home crowd,” said Ohtani.
In the fourth inning, Ohtani reached on an infield single to lead off and stole second during Freddie Freeman’s at bat. He is the first Dodgers player to steal that many bases in a season since Dee Gordon in 2014. Gordon finished with 64.
Ohtani never reached the postseason in his six seasons with the Angels, but he is now in contention for the pennant with the Dodgers, who hold a four-game lead over the Diamondbacks in the NL West.
“The main goal is to get to the postseason and win the World Series,” he said.