The newest member of the 40-40 club in Major League Baseball
Shohei Ohtani is the newest member of the 40-40 club in Major League Baseball; a formidable fact for a player who throws, hits and is an excellent pitcher.
Perhaps in this break with the arm, so decided by his team, the Dodgers, it is a sign to think that the man should be more of a hitter.
What is certain is that Shohei Ohtani is the newest member of the 40-40 club in Major League Baseball and becomes, without a doubt, the best performing player in recent years.
Even without playing in both facets of baseball, Shohei Ohtani continues to do unprecedented things in impressive fashion.
To accomplish this achievement, Ohtani connected for a golden grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning to become the sixth member of the 40-40 club, leading the Dodgers to a thrilling 7-3 win over the Reds on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
Ohtani spliced a 389-foot blast off Reds left-hander Colin Poche into the right-center field wall for the milestone, leading his team to its fifth straight win.
He had stolen his 40th base in the fourth chapter.
August 23 is a date of great joy for the newest member of the 40-40 club in Major League Baseball.
“One of my most memorable moments,” Ohtani expressed.
But in addition, Ohtani, the newest member of the 40-40 club in Major League Baseball, made history by being the fastest player to reach the 40-40 mark, achieving it in the 126th game of the season, surpassing the previous mark by 21 games. Here’s how this stat goes:
- Shohei Ohtani, 2024 Dodgers: 126th game (129th team game).
- Alfonso Soriano, 2006 Nationals: 147th game (148th team game)
- Jose Canseco, 1988 Athletics: 151st game (154th team game)
- Ronald Acuña Jr., 2023 Braves: 152nd game (154th team game)
- Alex Rodriguez, 1998 Mariners: 153rd game (153rd team game)
- Barry Bonds, 1996 Giants: 158th game (160th team game)
After 17 years passed without any player achieving a 40-40 season, it has now happened in consecutive years for the first time.
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Ohtani followed in the footsteps of Venezuela’s Acuña, who did it in his 2023 MVP campaign, in which he slammed 41 homers and swiped 73 bases – the most steals by a member of the 40-40 club.
The newest member of the 40-40 club in Major League Baseball undoubtedly puts himself on the path to a surefire MVP, something that will be easier if Ronald Acuña is on the way.
The newest member of the 40-40 club in Major League Baseball: Will he be the first 50-50?
If Ohtani succeeds in winning the NL MVP, it would be the first time a 40-40 has won the award in consecutive years.
The other to win the MVP in a 40-40 season was Canseco with the Athletics in 1988.
The Dodgers have 33 games remaining in the season, so Ohtani has a chance to continue making history.
“I think the most important thing of all is to keep helping the team win,” Ohtani said. “Obviously, the closer I get to 50-50, the more I’ll be helping the team. And if that’s the case, I’m happy with that.”
