Shohei Ohtani's latest feat might be most impressive yet

Atlanta Braves Hall of Famer Hank Aaron became the first player in MLB history to post multiple 40-home run, 20-stolen base seasons in 1966. No one accomplished the feat again until Oakland A's Jose Canseco in 1991. Five years later, the San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds became the third player to join the list, opening up a small window for others like the Houston Astros' Jeff Bagwell and Seattle Mariners' Ken Griffey and Alex Rodriguez, who joined in 1999. 

To add even more perspective to Ohtani's unique accolade, only 22 players have had one season of 40-plus homers and 20-plus stolen bases, let alone multiple. Furthermore, Ohtani's the first to do it multiple times since former outfielder Shawn Green became the seventh to do so in 2001 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

At only 29 years old and on the cusp of signing perhaps the largest contract in baseball history, Ohtani will have a chance to record the most 40-homer, 20-stolen base seasons ever. Only Rodriguez, Bonds and Canseco produced those numbers over three seasons or more, with A-Rod leading the way with four such campaigns in 1998, 1999, 2005 and 2007, per Stathead. 

Part of what makes Ohtani such a special player is his versatility. That took a significant hit in August after he suffered a UCL tear in his throwing arm, which will keep him off the mound for the rest of 2023 and perhaps all of 2024. However, after his latest historic marker at the plate, he's proving his value is still higher than arguably any other player in the majors.