Shohei Ohtani is getting closer to making himself the sole member of an exclusive club.
He’s already the sixth player in major league history and the fastest ever to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases, needing just 126 games.
He’s the only player to hit the 40-40 mark in the same game. He did it in style, too, on a game-winning grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning on Aug. 23.
“He’s very goal-oriented,” Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He likes to take down records.”
On the horizon for Ohtani is potentially becoming the first member of the 50-50 club.
He blasted his 48th homer on Tuesday and stole his 49th base on Wednesday with less than two weeks remaining in the regular season.
Ohtani signed a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers last December. The two-way Japanese superstar hasn’t pitched this season — his first with the Dodgers after six years with the Los Angeles Angels — as he rehabilitates after surgery for an injured elbow ligament that he had a year ago. That has allowed Ohtani to focus on his hitting.
Los Angeles leads the National League West and will be headed to the postseason in October, which will be another first for Ohtani. He didn’t reach the postseason with the Angels, and they never had a winning record during his tenure in Anaheim.
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