5 players in the illustrious 40-40 club as Shohei Ohtani challenges for this rare statistic amid MVP-worthy season

Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani has been a formidable force since joining Major League Baseball with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018. The 30-year-old has achieved several milestones, including winning the AL MVP award twice and the Edgar Martínez Award three times.

Ohtani surprised everyone by signing the largest sports contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December, especially since the two-way superstar can only bat in the 2024 season. Ohtani, who will return to pitching in 2025 due to surgery, has focused entirely on his hitting this season.

The four-time All-Star’s focus is clearly reflected in his stats, many of which he is leading or is in the top three. He has become the third Dodger to record 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a single season.

However, Ohtani continues to score more and march toward the elite 40-40 club. If he manages to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases, he will become the sixth player in Major League history to achieve this feat.

Here is the list of all the members of the 40-40 club, starting with the very first who achieved this feat.

Five players who made it to the elite 40-40 club

Jose Canseco

Although many have missed the list by a very narrow margin, the first player to achieve the 40-40 milestone was Jose Canseco. In 1988, while playing for the Oakland Athletics, Canseco recorded 42 home runs and 40 stolen bases.

Barry Bonds

The second player to join the club came almost eight years after Jose Canseco. Former San Francisco Giants player Barry Bonds, who spent 15 seasons with the team, hit 42 home runs and stole 40 bases in 1996.

Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez, who was at the time playing with the Seattle Mariners, also made it to the 40-40 list in 1998. By the end of the season, he stood at 42 home runs and 46 stolen bases.

Rodriguez spent 22 seasons in the MLB and is considered one of the greatest baseball players ever.

Alfonso Soriano

Alfonso Soriano was also among the players who made it to the 40-40 list. While playing for the Washington Nationals in 2006, Soriano recorded 46 home runs along with 41 stolen bases.

He came very close to making it to the list in 2002 but missed after hitting 39 home runs and stealing 41 bases.

Ronald Acuna Jr.

The most recent addition to the list was Ronald Acuna Jr., who joined it last year. While playing for the Atlanta Braves, Acuna hit 41 home runs and stole an impressive 73 bases. He narrowly missed the list in 2019 when he hit 41 home runs and stole 37 bases.