Shohei Ohtani Makes Dodgers History With Incredible Friday Performance

Shohei Ohtani is the gift that keeps on giving, the legendary superstar in his first year wearing Dodgers Blue has already proven that he is one of the greatest on the team and around the world.

August 23rd, 2024. The day that no Dodgers fan could ever forget, The team was down by three and soon enough, a tied game came down between the Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays who were trying their hardest to make sure history was not struck on them by one of the greatest players to do it.

Shohei Ohtani Becomes First Dodger in 40-40 Club

Ohtani was up at-bat, with the bases loaded, and not a single doubt in his mind when the first pitch came. He nuked the ball into the crowd to hear the roar of the fans who celebrated the late-great birthday of Kobe Bryant and got to witness one of, if not the greatest Grand Slam in LA Dodgers history as Ohtani became the sixth man in MLB history. The first man in Dodgers Blue to join the illustrious 40-40 club.

The legendary five names that Ohtani now joins the list of are Jose Canseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Alfonso Soriano (2006), Ronald Acuna Jr (2023), and now Ohtani is forever immortalized in baseball history with forty home runs and forty stolen bases in his first-ever season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ohtani joined the club in 126 games, he shattered the previous record that was held by Soriano in 147 games when he played for the Washington Nationals in 2006. It's one thing to join the 40-40 club, but it's another thing when you do it with a walk-off grand slam for the team you signed a 10-year deal with that season.

Will Smith, Tommy Edman, and Max Muncy will never forget the moment either as the three hitters stood on the bases that were loaded as Ohtani, the two-time MVP entered Friday's game looking to become the fastest player to reach the accolade after joining the 30-30 club earlier this month in a blowout game against the Oakland Athletics. He accomplished that feat faster than A-Rod did during his time with the Seattle Mariners in '98.

The most surprising thing about Ohtani doing this is the fact that he is coming off of elbow surgery that has restricted him from coming on to the mound to pitch for the Dodgers. Instead, he has used that as motivation to prove that he is the Most Valuable Player in the National League with his case of being the absolute best around the league.

The motivation factor for Ohtani with more than a month left of baseball is the fact that no one has ever reached the 50-50 club. Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said following the game against the Rays that he thinks it's possible that we can see Ohtani reach it if he can stay healthy and they can remain as a dominant unit heading into Ohtani's first postseason push in his entire MLB career.

The Dodgers will battle the Rays to extend their winning streak when Clayton Kershaw takes the mound on Saturday night as the Boys in Blue suit up on Mamba Day while Ohtani looks to continue dominating the league in a way no one has seen in a very long time.

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