The last player to record 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases, or 40-40, in the major leagues was Alfonso Soriano of the 2006 Washington Nationals. Established in 1988 by Oakland Athletics Jose Canseco (42 homers, 40 stolen bases), 40-40 was inherited by San Francisco Giants’ Barry Bonds (42 homers, 40 stolen bases) in 1996 and Seattle Mariners’ Alex Rodriguez (42 homers, 46 stolen bases) in 1998. , Soriano became the first member of the 21st century.
Unlike the other three, Soriano has never been involved in a steroid scandal. Soriano is the only ‘clean’ 40-40. Of course, it is worth noting that this was after the MLB and the Players Union made drug regulations in March 2006. Soriano marked 46 homers and 41 stolen bases for the Washington Nationals that year.
However, over the next 16 years, 40-40 went out of business. The so-called Hotajun tribe disappeared. It is not irrelevant to the trend of the times where the number of ‘Junjok’ is decreasing rather than ‘Hota’. The average stolen base per game has steadily decreased to 1.58 in 1988, 1.42 in 1996, 1.36 in 1998, and 1.14 in 2006. For the past three years, it has been about 0.98 → 0.92 → 1.02, about one. So it became even more difficult to see Geopo stealing bases. Geopo’s hustle play also has a relatively high risk of injury.
However, from this season, thanks to the changed rules, stealing is expected to increase significantly. In other words, there will be more runners attempting to steal bases.
The new regulations related to stealing are the limit on the number of checks by the pitcher on first base and the expansion of the base size. Starting this year, a pitcher can check a runner on first base twice in one at-bat. Taking your foot off the pitch is also considered a check action. If the runner is not put out during the third check, the runner automatically advances to second base. It is a kind of game speedup rule.
Pitchers have no choice but to be careful in checking runners, and the number of attempts by runners on first base to steal second base increases. This rule was applied in the minor leagues last year, and according to MLB.com, stealing attempts per game in 2019 increased from 2.23 in 2019 to 2.83 in 2022, and the stolen base rate also increased significantly from 68% in 2019 to 77% last year.
Enlarging the base is to prevent injuries to fielders and runners, but it slightly increases the chance that runners will be safe. As the length of one side of the square base increases from 15 inches (38.1 cm) to 18 inches (45.7 cm), the distance between 1st and 2nd base decreases by about 4½ inches (about 11.43 cm), and the width of the base that can be reached by runners is 3 inches. (7.62 cm) widens. This naturally favors the runner.
MLB.com published an article on the 31st (Korean time) stating that based on these rule changes, a 40-40 record will be possible again this year. MLB.com selected five candidates as 40-40 leading candidates, including Atlanta Braves Ronald Acuna Jr., Seattle Mariners Julio Rodriguez, Atlanta Michael Harris II, Kansas City Royals Bobby Witt Jr., and Miami Marlins Jazz Chisholm Jr. . 스포츠토토
Acuna has come very close to these records in 2019 with 41 home runs and 37 stolen bases. Last season he had 15 home runs and 29 stolen bases in 119 games. Rodriguez won the American League Rookie of the Year last year with 28 home runs and 25 stolen bases. Harris was also named National League Rookie of the Year with 19 home runs and 20 steals in 114 games last year. Witt debuted last year and showed off his strong talent with 20 home runs and 30 steals, while Chisholm showed his qualities with 18 home runs and 23 steals in 2021.
MLB.com mentioned Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels when adding four other candidates. ‘He stole 26 bases in 2021, and hit more than 30 home runs in the last two years in a row’ ran the week.