Most know Shohei Ohtani as being a top-notch batter and pitcher, but the question always remained: How good could he be if he focused on only one side of the equation?
Turns out, he’s the most complete offensive talent in the league and one of the most productive batters of all time.
The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar joined the elusive 40-40 club on Friday, reaching both 40 stolen bases and home runs in the same outing against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Better yet, he was also the fastest to ever do it, accomplishing the feat in only 126 games, 21 faster than when Alfonso Soriano did it in 147 games in 2006 — now the second fastest mark.
Batting lead-off for the Dodgers, Ohtani stole the 40th bag in the bottom of the fourth inning. He followed it up with his 40th homer later on at the bottom of the ninth inning, hitting a walk-off grand slam.
“It’s just storybook — 40-40 on the same night,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters after the game. “I don’t know if that’s ever been done and then he wins it with a grand slam. He’s definitely known for the dramatics and this was something I’ll remember for a long time.”
He joins Jose Canseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Alfonso Soriano (2006) and Ronald Acuna Jr. (2023). He’s the first Dodgers player to join the club.
Here are some of the best reactions from around the baseball world: