Los Angeles Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani is an otherworldly expertise. However his newest feat just isn’t as extraordinary because it seems.
Ohtani just lately broke a record set by Hugh Duffy in 1894, when he had 85 extra-base hits and 45 stolen bases. After a two-double recreation on Sunday, Ohtani reached 86 multi-bag knocks and 48 nicked bases. The Japanese powerhouse can also be closing in on the primary 50-50 season in historical past, standing at a mere two homers and two swipes away.
What Ohtani is doing is wonderful — nevertheless it’s additionally era-based. Nobody needs to speak about the true motive he’s been in a position to run for this file: MLB rule modifications in 2023 made stealing bases 4.5 inches easier than it ever has been.
As quickly because the league elevated the dimensions of the bases, gamers took benefit. The 2023 MLB stolen base whole of 3503 makes it one of many top 10 seasons for base stealing in history. And 7 of the opposite prime 10 got here earlier than 1920, when residence runs weren’t actually a factor and small-ball was the secret. The opposite two trendy seasons on the steals leaderboard are 1987 and 1999.
However even the high-steal seasons within the Nineteen Eighties and Nineteen Nineties don’t evaluate. Whereas base thieves nabbed 3585 bases in 1987, they have been additionally caught 1529 occasions. In 2023, baserunners have been caught stealing solely 866 occasions. Baserunners in at this time’s period have a transparent benefit.
But another excuse Ohtani’s file isn’t all it’s cracked as much as be is his place. As a full-time DH in a season he’s recovering from a pitching harm, he doesn’t must waste any power within the discipline, giving him well-rested legs each time he’s on base.
So, Ohtani, whose earlier profession excessive was 26 stolen luggage — to associate with a league-high 10 caught stealings — appears to have seen a possibility and gone for it. Good on him, however perhaps there ought to be an asterisk subsequent to any stolen-base-related information he units.
