Can Shohei Ohtani get caught by Aaron Judge & Bobby Witt Jr. in total bases race before end of 2024 regular season?
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani's recent uptick in home runs has seemingly made him a firm favorite for a third MVP title, his first in the National League.
Shohei Ohtani struck his 53rd home run of the season in the Dodgers' come-from-behind win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. While he trails New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge at the home run leaderboard, Ohtani leads the AL MVP frontrunner in total bases this season.
Ohtani also leads Judge's MVP competitor Bobby Witt Jr. in total bases despite the Kansas City Royals' sublime form at the plate this season. The Japanese superstar has 391 total bases compared to Judge's 379 and Witt Jr.'s 369.
Although the two AL superstars are very close, it seems unlikely they will be able to catch up to Ohtani's numbers with five games remaining in the regular season for Judge (Yankees) and six for Witt Jr. (Royals).
Total bases take into account the bases a slugger earns after a hit. The hitter is credited with 1 total base if it's a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run. While it takes into account the advancement on the basepaths, it does not include steals or other non-hit plays.
Shohei Ohtani on the cusp of another MLB record
Shohei Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to reach the elusive 50-50 club (50 home runs and 50 stolen bases). While his milestone is still fresh in the memories of baseball fans, the Japanese slugger is closing in on another impressive record.
During his team's come from behind win over the Rockies in the series finale on Sunday, Ohtani stole base for the 55th time of the season. He is just one stolen base away from tying former MLB All-Star Ichiro Suzuki's record of 56, the most by a Japanese-born player in the major leagues.
Shohei Ohtani is likely to reach the feat in the Dodgers' upcoming series against the San Diego Padres, starting on Wednesday. He is also in pursuit of an unprecedented 60-60 mark with six games remaining in the regular season.