<figure id="attachment_375989" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-375989"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="8119063a"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/06/1f95e9696ffd6a122a5834c96a76f88a.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-375989" class="wp-caption-text">On May 17th, he was hit in the left thigh by a pickoff throw. In subsequent games, he refrained from sprinting at full speed, but now he has regained his speed.</figcaption></figure>
On June 2nd (Japan time) at a packed Dodger Stadium, Shohei Ohtani (29) of the Dodgers drew a walk in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Anticipating the motion of Rockies&#8217; right-hander Cal Quantrill (29) as Freddie Freeman (34) stepped up to bat, Ohtani stole second base smoothly. He slid in gracefully, marking his 100th stolen base in MLB. 
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81.3%. This is the stolen base success rate of Ichiro Suzuki (50), the greatest leadoff man in Japanese baseball history, who accumulated 509 stolen bases over his 19-year MLB career. Among MLB players with over 500 stolen bases, Ichiro&#8217;s success rate ranks fourth all-time, with Tim Raines (64) topping the list at 84.7%. Even legendary base stealers rarely exceed a 90% success rate in a season.
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However, this season, Shohei Ohtani has attempted 15 stolen bases with only 1 failure. As of June 4th, his success rate stands at an incredible 93%. Why is Ohtani able to steal bases at such a high rate? 
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="Rule changes in favor of runners"></div>
One of the first reasons is likely the rule change favoring runners.
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&#8220;In MLB, starting from last season, the &#8216;pitch clock&#8217; was introduced, requiring pitchers to deliver the ball within 20 seconds when a runner is on base. Additionally, significant rule revisions such as &#8216;failure to pick off the runner after three attempts results in a balk&#8217; and &#8216;expanding the base dimensions by approximately 7.6 cm&#8217; were implemented. This season, the pitch clock has been further reduced by 2 seconds to 18 seconds. With consistent pitching intervals, runners find it easier to steal bases.&#8221; (sports newspaper reporter)
Still, Ohtani&#8217;s success rate is about 10 points higher than the legends. Former MLB player Keiichi Yabu analyzed, &#8216;His team affiliation has been beneficial.&#8217;
“This season, Ohtani focuses solely on batting, so he can run without worrying much about injury risks. Moreover, the presence of first base coach Clayton McCullough (44) is crucial. He&#8217;s known as an experienced analyst. Before every game, they meticulously discuss pitchers&#8217; pickoff moves, quick delivery times, and tendencies. This season, there have been more instances where he&#8217;s taken off with a &#8216;perfectly stolen&#8217; start. Additionally, Freeman batting behind him isn&#8217;t the kind of hitter who holds runners, naturally causing pitchers to overlook Ohtani.”
His leg strength has also noticeably improved. During camp, Coach McCullough worked closely with him on &#8216;running techniques and body posture.&#8217; He recorded his fastest base-to-base time this season at 3.83 seconds, marking 14th overall in the league and tops in his team.
“In addition to speed, his understanding of pitcher psychology poses a threat to opponents. As a pitcher himself, Ohtani can read situations like when the batter thinks this pitch is appropriate in this situation&#8217; or the focus is on the batter now, allowing him to attempt steals at low-risk timings. With around 60 games played and 14 home runs and steals each, expectations for him to become the first Japanese player to achieve 40-40 are rising.”
When he competes, it&#8217;s a long hit, and when he walks, it&#8217;s a stolen base. This year, no one can stop Ohtani.
From the June 21, 2024 issue of FRIDAY
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 AFLO

 Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers has successfully stolen his 100th base in the majors! His success rate is an astonishing 93%! Why is Ohtani able to get on base at such a high rate? An expert analyzes.

Shohei Ohtani’s 93% Success Rate in Chasing 40/40 History!

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