Shohei Ohtani normally sits on the finish of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ bench closest to residence plate, removed from first-base coach Clayton McCullough, who likes to lean in opposition to the railing on the opposite facet. However Ohtani will frequently stroll the total size of the Dodger Stadium dugout, pill in hand, and faucet McCullough on his again. “Take a look at this,” Ohtani will say, after which he’ll reveal his newest discovering — a brand new sample to assist him decide when an opposing pitcher may try a pickoff or start his supply. A shift of his weight. A tilt of his head. A twitch of his glove. Something to offer the slightest edge for one more stolen base.
These interactions have taken place numerous occasions as Ohtani marched towards 50 stolen bases this season, a milestone he reached within the early levels of a dominant efficiency that solidified a 50/50 season on Thursday. To McCullough, they seize Ohtani’s instinct and reveal how a lot he cares concerning the nuances of baserunning.
In addition they converse to what makes him distinctive.
Designated hitters are historically among the many slowest gamers on a group. And earlier than Ohtani, no full-time DH had ever a lot as sniffed 40 stolen bases, not to mention 50. The earlier chief was Paul Molitor, who stole 31 in 1992, in line with ESPN Stats & Info.
Ohtani — who turned the primary 50/50 (and first 51/51) participant in baseball historical past with a six-hit, three-homer recreation in a 20-4 rout of the lowly Miami Marlins — has tapped into one other realm of singularity by profiting from a circumstance offered to those that solely hit. Whereas his teammates are on protection, Ohtani is usually plotting his subsequent steal.
“It isn’t an accident that he is gotten right here,” mentioned McCullough, who runs the Dodgers’ baserunning program. “This man places in numerous work.”
Ohtani entered this season with a profession excessive of 26 stolen bases, set in 2021. The previous two years have seen him mix for 31. And but Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts says Ohtani was “on a mission” to succeed in 40/40, and doubtlessly even 50/50, relationship again to spring coaching, when he frequently navigated by intense speed-training workout routines with energy coach Travis Smith. Understanding he would not bear the burden of performing as a two-way participant, given the elbow surgical procedure that required a complete season of rehab, appeared to slender his focus.
“There’s nothing to avoid wasting since you’re not pitching,” Roberts mentioned. “So I do suppose that this was the 12 months he focused the offensive manufacturing.”
Ohtani set a normal for himself offensively in 2023, when he slashed .304/.412/.654 with 44 residence runs and 95 RBIs in 134 video games — earlier than one other tear of his ulnar collateral ligament and a subsequent indirect pressure prevented him from enjoying past Sept. 3. His slash line this 12 months has dropped barely, to .293/.375/.624. His residence run charge, which has him on tempo for a career-high 53, has hardly modified. However he is stealing bases like by no means earlier than.
What stands out to McCullough is not a lot the quantity however the effectivity. Ohtani has transformed 92.7% of his stolen-base makes an attempt, almost 25 share factors increased than his charge from 2021 to 2023. Among the many 133 40-plus-steal seasons since 2000, solely Ichiro Suzuki (95.7% in 2006), Jimmy Rollins (94% in 2008), Carlos Beltran (93.3% in 2004) and Jacoby Ellsbury (92.9% in 2013) have been extra environment friendly. Ohtani has stolen 28 bases in a row, his final caught stealing occurring on July 22. McCullough remembered it vividly and blamed himself. Blake Snell, a lefty, was pitching to Patrick Bailey, thought of one of many recreation’s higher throwers, however McCullough wished Ohtani to push the envelope early. It took an ideal throw and tag to barely get him.
“If you are going to have numerous stolen-base makes an attempt, there’s going to be occasions when guys are going to place it on you,” McCullough mentioned. “You need to be OK with that. And I feel as soon as he is settled in, to being right here, you get off to a reasonably good begin and also you get just a few, it is form of such as you belief what you are seeing and it is go-go-go. And I feel his confidence has simply grown.”
The Dodgers instantly gave Ohtani free reign to principally steal when he wished, however the charge did not decide up till about midseason. Ohtani completed June with 16 stolen bases, then collected 27 in July and August. Eight extra have adopted within the first 17 video games of September. The uptick coincided together with his transfer into the leadoff spot, but additionally spanned a time when the Dodgers missed key offensive gamers like Mookie Betts and Max Muncy for extended stretches.
Ohtani, who may turn into the primary full-time DH to win an MVP Award if he can edge out New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, is on tempo to be simply the third participant to rank a minimum of second within the majors in each residence runs and stolen bases in the identical season — becoming a member of Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb, stars from greater than 100 years in the past. Ohtani reached the 40/40 mark a minimum of 21 video games quicker than anyone else and have become the primary participant to succeed in even 43/43 earlier than the beginning of September.
New guidelines that enlarged bases, launched a pitch clock and restricted pitcher disengagements starting in 2023 have undoubtedly fostered a extra favorable stolen-base atmosphere. The league mixed for 3,503 stolen bases in 2023, the very best complete since 1987 and 1,017 greater than the 12 months earlier than it; the 2024 season has already produced the second-highest complete since 2000. However solely Elly De La Cruz (64) has stolen extra bases than Ohtani this season, though there are much more who’re quicker. Ohtani’s common dash pace (28.1 ft per second) is effectively above common however nonetheless ranks 154th among the 556 players with at least 10 opportunities.
“It is extra than simply pace,” McCullough mentioned. “He places numerous work into the preparation side of it.”
Earlier than every collection, McCullough pores by video of the opponents’ relievers and scheduled starters from the stretch place in hopes of selecting up patterns for his baserunners to use. He’ll usually discover that Ohtani has accomplished his personal finding out and can discover tells he didn’t decide up on. Ohtani’s expertise as a pitcher, McCullough believes, has offered a significant benefit in that realm.
“He is acquired an excellent eye for issues,” McCullough mentioned. “After which additionally I feel in actual time, he sees issues and he simply acts.”