What is there that Shohei Ohtani can't do?
The Dodgers superstar is a unicorn in today's MLB. The Japanese slugger is a menace with the bat in his hands, as Ohtani always has the chance to smash the ball out of the park. However, Ohtani also does damage with his arm, as he is a Cy Young candidate whenever he takes the mound.
The pitching took a hiatus this season. Ohtani underwent major elbow surgery this offseason, which meant that he would not be in the Dodgers' pitching rotation in 2024. It was a tough blow for Los Angeles, especially after signing him to a massive contract in free agency, but he is expected to take the bump again in 2025.
With his arm sidelined for the season, Ohtani is showing off another skill — his speed. The phenom isn't just impacting the Dodgers' offense with his bat. He's also using his legs to steal bases, something that was a smaller part of his repertoire in previous years but has taken a major leap forward this year without the pitching aspect of his game in play.
Ohtani isn't just swiping a bag here and there. His speed has matched his power this year, and he was able to become just the sixth player in MLB history to join the 40-40 club.
The Sporting News tracked Ohtani's path to the 40-40 club. Here's how he was able to join the exclusive group in 2024.
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How many home runs does Shohei Ohtani have?
On Aug. 24, Ohtani reached 40 home runs for the 2024 season. He did so by cracking a walk-off grand slam to give the Dodgers a win over the Rays.
Ohtani can now set his sights on reaching a new career high in homers. His current single-season best is 46, a mark he reached during the 2021 season. He is currently averaging just under 0.32 homers per game, so if he plays Los Angeles' remaining 33 games, he will have a good chance to best his previous record.
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How many stolen bases does Shohei Ohtani have?
Ohtani stole his 40th base of the 2024 season on Aug. 23.
He already set a new career-high for stolen bases in a single season. His previous best was 26, which happened in the 2021 campaign. This is the first time he's ever swiped 30 or 40 bags in a season.
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What is the 40-40 club?
The 40-40 club in the MLB refers to when one player hits 40 home runs and steals 40 bases in a single season.
It's an incredibly rare feat in today's MLB. It's not common to find a player with a mix of power at the dish and speed on the base paths that results in 40 homers and stolen bases.
Only five players had joined the exclusive club before Ohtani achieved the feat on Aug. 23 against the Rays. Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. was the most recent player to join the club before Ohtani.
Acuna completed the feat last season, finishing the 2023 season with 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases. He was the first player since 2006 to join the 40-40 club.
Now, MLB has seen players achieve the feat in back-to-back years. And Ohtani became the fastest player to reach the 40-40 club, doing so in 126 games. The previous record belonged to Alfonso Soriano, who achieved the feat in 147 games during the 2006 season, per MLB Network's Sarah Langs.
Here is a look at everyone who is in the exclusive group:
| Player | Team | Season | HRs | SBs |
| Shohei Ohtani* | Dodgers | 2024 | 40 | 40 |
| Ronald Acuna Jr. | Braves | 2023 | 41 | 73 |
| Alfonso Soriano | Nationals | 2006 | 46 | 41 |
| Alex Rodriguez | Mariners | 1998 | 42 | 46 |
| Barry Bonds | Giants | 1996 | 42 | 40 |
| Jose Canseco | Athletics | 1988 | 42 | 40 |
Ohtani will be able to add to his season totals in homers and stolen bases over the last month-plus of the season. Perhaps he will have a shot to become MLB's first-ever 50-50 club member if he continues his end-of-summer power surge.