The miracle of Shohei Ohtani is his extraordinary ability stage at the whole lot a baseball participant does. Seven seasons right into a profession like no different, he hasn’t even proven all of them.
“What he’s doing, he’s a freak of nature,” mentioned Andruw Jones, who completed his standout profession a decade in the past in Japan. “I noticed this child at 18, 19 years outdated and I knew what sort of participant he was. He didn’t stand out a lot as a hitter but, however defensively, as an outfielder, he was very, superb. I might exit after batting follow, after they have been taking infield, simply to see him throw. He was that spectacular.”
Perhaps sometime, Ohtani will play outfield in Main League Baseball and unleash throws like we’ve by no means seen. This season, although, has been an entirely distinctive showcase for his pace. Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ wondrous designated hitter, has 48 dwelling runs and 48 stolen bases via Tuesday, and will quickly develop into the founding member of the 50/50 membership.
48/48 FOR SHOHEI OHTANI! pic.twitter.com/QoXCvhkrHI
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 17, 2024
It’s one other mind-bending trick from baseball’s grasp magician, who had by no means recorded greater than 26 steals in a season, within the majors or Japan. And it’s much more wonderful, maybe, to gamers who’ve finished one or the opposite, or each.
Simply two gamers in MLB historical past have hit 50 homers and stolen 50 bases in any season, not to mention the identical one. One is Barry Bonds, who swiped 52 bases for Pittsburgh in 1990 and clubbed a file 73 homers for San Francisco in 2001. The opposite is Brady Anderson, who had 53 steals in 1992 and 50 dwelling runs 4 years later, each for Baltimore.
Traditionally, far fewer gamers have hit 50 homers in a season than have stolen 50 bases. Even Ohtani has not finished both simply but.
“After I did it, I feel there have been 14, and there’s in all probability over 30 now,” Anderson, who maintains a deep curiosity in baseball historical past, mentioned of his 50-homer season. “However even when it’s 30 or 40, it’s nonetheless only a few. I’m positive the variety of guys stealing over 50 bases is within the a whole lot. So the homer half is the arduous half. After which, usually, guys which have 50 homers are greater guys.”
Anderson was, certainly, the 14th completely different participant to hit 50 dwelling runs in a season. (Properly greater than 100 have stolen 50 bases.) Whereas 31 gamers have now reached the mark, a few of the recreation’s most celebrated sluggers — Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Albert Pujols — by no means did.
“It’s received to be a synched-up yr the place numerous issues go proper,” mentioned the New York Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton, who linked 59 occasions for Miami in 2017, his solely season with greater than 37 dwelling runs.
“You must hold your stability and timing the entire yr, not too many lulls. And even whenever you’re not feeling good, you’ve received to have the ability to have your few hits be homers; as an alternative of getting two singles in your 2-for-20-something stage, you’ve received to squeak out these as homers. The entire rhythm of your season has to go proper.”
In 2021, the primary of Ohtani’s two MVP seasons for the Los Angeles Angels, he homered simply twice in his final 21 video games to complete with 46. Final yr, when he was MVP once more, Ohtani hit his forty fourth and last homer on Aug. 23, earlier than an elbow damage ended his season.
That damage, which required reconstructive surgical procedure, has stored Ohtani from pitching or enjoying the sector in 2024. It has made this the right season — and maybe the one one — to maximise his pace.
“I feel there’s going to come back a degree the place the Dodgers are like: ‘We just like the stolen bases, however reduce it all the way down to 25 or 30 and we are able to nonetheless win,’” mentioned Juan Pierre, who had 5 seasons of fifty steals, tied with Carl Crawford for probably the most within the 2000s.
“It’s one thing I feel (the Atlanta Braves) will do with (Ronald) Acuña (Jr.) as properly. I don’t suppose he’ll steal 73 bases once more. Together with his knees, they’re going to be like, ‘Look, you’re invaluable to us, we’ll get someone else to steal the bases.’ Lots of guys begin out that means — like Matt Kemp — however as you become older, guys simply shut it down, particularly in case you can hit for energy. There’s no cause to be on the market with an opportunity to get harm.
“And as soon as Ohtani begins pitching once more, do you actually need him working, perhaps mess up his shoulder? I don’t suppose he may put up these numbers and pitch.”
Good assumption. As Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts advised The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya on Sunday, “It’s a giant, bodily toll. I don’t see how he’d be capable of do that if he have been pitching. I don’t suppose he would.”
When Pierre stole 64 bases for the Dodgers in 2007, he hit zero dwelling runs. Fourteen others have stolen 50 for the Dodgers, and probably the most homers by any of them was Davey Lopes’ 10 in 1974.
When Jones performed for the Dodgers, in 2008, he had primarily stopped stealing bases. He had 56 steals in 1995, his final full minor-league season, however topped out at 27 within the majors. Just one Atlanta participant — Otis Nixon in 1991 — ever had 50 steals throughout Bobby Cox’s quarter-century as Braves supervisor, and Jones prioritized protection, anyway.
“I needed to save lots of runs,” mentioned Jones, who hit 51 homers for Atlanta in 2005 and received 10 Gold Gloves. “At my younger age, I stole 20 yearly, principally. However the older you get, it’s like, ought to I proceed stealing or save my legs to run down fly balls in heart discipline? My crew counted on me for that.”
No participant has ever had greater than 24 stolen bases whereas additionally hitting 50 dwelling runs. In Anderson’s huge energy season, he mentioned, a torn quadriceps muscle restricted him to 21 steals. Had Anderson been extra of a working risk, although, pitchers may need worn him down with repeated throws to first.
“The beating was means worse on pickoff makes an attempt than stolen bases,” Anderson mentioned. “Ohtani’s a giant man and that might have worn him out, repetitive pickoff makes an attempt.”
Since final season, pitchers have been restricted to 2 disengagements from the rubber; if they fight a 3rd with out selecting off the runner, it counts as a balk. But even with that rule — and the larger bases, which gamers imagine has had little impression — simply three gamers stole 50 bases final season, and solely Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz has finished so this season.
Baseball can change the foundations, however not the risk-averse nature of the trendy recreation. Two of the final 4 Dodgers with 50-steal seasons (Steve Sax in 1983 and Eric Younger Jr. in 1999) had success charges of lower than 70 %.
“I’ll ask some guys in the present day, ‘Hey, man, why don’t you steal extra? The bag’s greater, they’ll solely throw over twice,’” mentioned Pierre, who had a 75.1 % profession success price however led the league in caught stealing seven occasions.
“And their greatest factor — and it’s not from the crew, it’s from the man — they’re like, ‘It’ll harm my WAR if I get thrown out, so I don’t even wish to take the chance.’ Wow, that’s one thing I might have by no means considered. These stats weren’t even round once I performed, perhaps on the again finish of my profession. However that is (Ohtani) saying, ‘If I’m gonna steal a base, I’m gonna make it.’”
To Anderson, Ohtani’s success price — 48 for 52, for 92.3 % — stands out most. Solely two gamers in historical past (Max Carey in 1922 and Jacoby Ellsbury in 2013) have stolen 50 in a season with out being caught at the least 5 occasions.
“If he doesn’t steal one other base this whole yr, 47 and 4 — that’s uncommon within the historical past of this recreation,” Anderson mentioned final week, earlier than Ohtani stole his forty eighth base. “I imply, 40 and 10 is nice, and he’s 47 and 4. That’s Carlos Beltran stuff.”
Beltran — who had 312 profession steals with an 86.4 % success price — peaked at 42 steals in 2004 and 41 homers two years later. With in the present day’s disengagement guidelines, Anderson mentioned, Beltran may need had a 50/50 season. However the perfect candidate, maybe, was Eric Davis.
Davis had all of it — besides sturdiness. After a 27-homer, 80-steal season for Cincinnati in 1986, he slammed 37 homers with 50 steals in 1987. However in a 17-year profession, Davis by no means performed greater than 135 video games. He spent his prime on the unforgiving AstroTurf of Riverfront Stadium.
“It was a double-edged sword, as a result of that outdated turf, that’s the perfect factor ever for stealing bases,” Anderson mentioned. “You’re a lot sooner with that little artificial turf laying on prime of cement. It beats you up, however undoubtedly it’s a sooner observe.”
Primitive turf surfaces are lengthy gone, after all, and Dodger Stadium has pure grass. Ohtani’s spikes by no means contact it in honest territory, since he by no means performs protection, however that presents its personal problem as a base stealer.
Juan Pierre stole 50 or extra bases in 5 of his 14 MLB seasons. He completed his profession with 18 whole dwelling runs. (Gary A. Vasquez / USA In the present day)
“He doesn’t must run on the sector and stand out within the components, however what he does, I feel, can be arduous as properly — sitting after which having to go on the market and run,” Pierre mentioned. “I’m positive he rides the bike and does his train, nevertheless it’s nonetheless not like on protection to maintain you unfastened.”
No pitching, no fielding, no AstroTurf, no countless pickoff makes an attempt — irrespective of. To these with the ability or pace to place a 50 on their stat sheets, it’s nonetheless a stupendous feat to deploy each abilities so prodigiously directly.
And bear in mind this: All these homers value Ohtani some steals, too.
“Hitting 50 dwelling runs, that’s 50 much less occasions you’ve received to do something on the bases,” Pierre mentioned. “He’s simply trotting, so he’s good.”
Pierre laughed. The Dodgers are in Miami this week, not removed from Pierre’s dwelling. He’s by no means seen Ohtani play, and thinks he would possibly take a look at the present.
“You virtually get jealous, like how may you be that quick after which hit the ball 500 toes?” mentioned Pierre, who hit 18 dwelling runs in 14 seasons. “It’s simply not honest, the issues he’s doing. He’s actually altering the sport.”
(High picture of Shohei Ohtani: Todd Kirkland / Getty Photographs)
