Baseball genius Shohei Ohtani (L.A. Dodgers) has tremendous pace. As he has already won the MVP title and the home run king title, it is hardly surprising. However, 40 home runs and 40 steals, which were made only five times in the history of the Major League, is another story.
Ohtani started the 2024 Major League Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on the 22nd (Korea time) and started as the designated hitter, recording two hits, one RBI, two runs and two steals from four times at bat.
Despite not having a chance to win his team, Ohtani’s presence was remarkable. In the bottom of the first inning, with no outs and a runner on the first base, Ohtani had a tenacious game going up to the eighth pitch with Arizona starter Brandon Pot, but he left the game after being struck out by a sweeper that was far out of the strike zone. His first hit was his second at-bat. As a leadoff hitter in the bottom of the fourth inning, when his team was losing 0-2, Ohtani hit a fastball 95 miles (about 152.9 kilometers) on the first pitch to the left field. He had a hit in three consecutive games.
Ohtani’s presence shone only when he was a runner. At the batter’s box by Freddie Freeman, Ohtani boldly ran toward third base and managed to steal the base. Then, a pitch thrown by Arizona catcher Gabriel Moreno was pulled out, and Ohtani drove home while he was at it, making the Dodgers’ first run. And Ohtani hit a changeup, this time with one out, to make a timely hit, and recorded his 13th stolen base of the season while Freeman was struck out.
In the last at-bat of the eighth inning of the regular inning, Ohtani stuck his bat out on Arizona’s new pitcher Joe Mantiply’s first pitch curve, but he was forced to leave the game with two hits in four at-bats. And the Dodgers also failed to lead their team to victory by kneeling 3-7, but they showed brilliant performances despite the defeat, such as stealing the base twice and linking it to the score by running actively enough to tear the uniform. As a result, Ohtani rose to third place with a total of 99 steals, beating Norichika Aoki (currently Yakult Swallows).
Ohtani, who is only focusing on at-bats this year due to elbow surgery, is having a monstrous season. It shows how great a baseball genius can perform when he focuses on one area. He has not been able to draw an arch in four consecutive games since he hit his 13th home run of the season against the Cincinnati Reds on the 17th, but he has played in 49 games this season, hitting 69 hits, 13 homers, 34 RBIs, 39 runs, 13 steals, and a batting average of 0.366 OPS 1.080.
In particular, Ohtani added two steals on the day, allowing him to join the club with 40 home runs and 40 steals. Currently, Ohtani has 41.3 home runs and steals. As he shot 46 home runs in the 2021 season and drew 44 arches last year, Ohtani can aim for his third 40 home run of his career. Compared to the previous season, there are also more stolen bases. Ohtani is also continuing his stormy run as he has created an environment where runners can easily steal bases due to restrictions on the number of checks and the expansion of the base size.
Ohtani had the most stolen bases in the 2021 season, with 26 stolen bases. If he had added four more steals at the time, he could have targeted a 30-30 club, but unfortunately, he had to settle for 20 homers-20 steals. But this year, he could be aiming to join the 40-40 club while giving up 13 steals in 49 games. If Ohtani achieves the 40-40 mark, it will be his sixth major league-record feat since Ronald Acuna Jr. (Atlanta Braves).
According to the Sponichi Annex of Japan, manager Dave Roberts said, “Otani is an amazing baseball. He plays well at bat, and if necessary, he also walks. He builds energy in his team by stealing bases and gives a positive feeling that he can go anytime. Today’s first stolen base induced a catcher’s bad pitch, and he scored a point by himself. He also hit a double and a timely hit with his bat. In the last at-bat, he almost became a home run. With his bat and feet, he can change the course of the game. Especially in base running, he used his brain to run aggressively.”
He also puts a big smile on Ohtani’s 40-40 pace. Roberts said, “The batting lineup is not in a very good condition right now, and Ohtani’s speed creates offense. And Ohtani is also showing a willingness to run. He will not pitch this season, so he puts all his energy into the offense. With this trend, even with a bat, you can leave a great result with your feet. It will be a special season.” 메이저놀이터
Ohtani does not play very often, but he is showing a 100% success rate by trying to steal 13 times. Although he has created numerous records based on “double flow,” he will surely surprise the world again if he manages to steal 40 home runs and 40 steals when he only plays as a batter.
