In 2024, Shohei Ohtani stole 59 bases and hit 54 home runs, becoming the first player in Major League history to achieve the unprecedented “50–50” milestone.

Reaching that level of base-stealing success required extensive training and strategic adjustments, but Ohtani’s awareness of the importance of stealing bases began to sharpen in 2021.

That season, alongside 46 home runs, he recorded 26 stolen bases—a significant jump from the roughly 10 steals he had averaged in his first three MLB seasons.

One major reason for this shift was how opposing teams chose to pitch to him.

At the time, the Los Angeles Angels were not a strong team, often finishing third or fourth in their division. With Mike Trout frequently sidelined due to injury, opponents realized that pitching around Ohtani—issuing walks—was often the safest option.

Ohtani understood this dynamic and adapted accordingly:

“If I increase my stolen bases, pitchers feel the pressure that I might run once I’m on base.
If a walk could easily turn into a double, they might decide to pitch to me instead.
That’s why stealing bases matters.”

In other words, by becoming a legitimate base-stealing threat, Ohtani forces pitchers into a dilemma:
walk him and risk him advancing into scoring position—or challenge him at the plate.

For Ohtani, stealing bases isn’t just about speed or extra bases.
It’s a strategic weapon that helps him earn better pitches and protect his opportunities as a hitter.

Source

This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.

Baseball Youth II: MLB Edition 2018–2024 – Shohei Ohtani Long Interview, p.165