Shohei Ohtani reached milestone achievements in spectacular fashion throughout the 2024 season.

When he became only the sixth player in Major League Baseball history — and the fastest ever — to achieve 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases, he did it with the first walk-off grand slam of his career.

Later, when he became the first player in MLB history to achieve 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases, he accomplished it with a three-home-run game.

The “40–40” moment was especially unforgettable because it happened at Dodger Stadium.

After delivering the dramatic victory, Ohtani was mobbed by teammates in celebration, and during a live television interview afterward, he was drenched in an enormous water shower.

The entire stadium seemed to erupt with excitement as fans celebrated both the historic achievement and the win he had delivered for the Dodgers.

Ohtani has never been the type to become overly emotional about records.

In many cases, he barely acknowledges them.

But this time, he openly admitted:

“It became one of the greatest memories of my life.”

Even so, he immediately added:

“But I want to keep winning from here and work hard enough to surpass even that memory.”

That response perfectly reflected Ohtani’s mindset.

No matter how extraordinary the accomplishment may be, he never treats it as the finish line.

For him, records are milestones — not goals.

And above all else, team victories always matter more than personal achievements.

During that remarkable season, Ohtani continued rewriting his memories one after another:

50–50, a league championship, and finally, a World Series title.

Source

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

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