Total bases is not a commonly mentioned statistic. Accumulating a total of 400 bases in a season doesn’t have the flair of, say, hitting .400.
Leave it to Shohei Ohtani to achieve another rare milestone and prompt statisticians to dive back into the digital record books. He became the first player in 23 years and just 19th in baseball history to reach a total of 400 bases on Thursday night as the Dodgers captured the National League West title.
So, do total bases make sense?
Bill James, the godfather of modern baseball analysis, thought so. He incorporated the statistic into the groundbreaking Runs Created formula he devised in the 1970s, which simply counts times on base, multiplied by advanced bases, divided by probabilities.
The number of bases advanced is, in a nutshell, the total number of bases: a single counts as one, a double as two, a triple as three and a home run as four. Reaching a total of 400 bases reflects unusual strength and relentless offensive production.
Ohtani reached the milestone on Thursday with his final hit, a bloop double in the eighth inning of a 7-2 victory over the San Diego Padres. He became the first player to reach 400 since four players did so during the steroid-fueled onslaught of 2001.
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The previous 18 players to reach 400 achieved it 29 times among them. It was relatively common in the 1920s and 1930s, after more vibrant baseball was introduced, and then rarely achieved until the steroid era.
Babe Ruth set the record of 457 total bases in 1921 and collected 417 in 1927, the year he hit 60 home runs. His New York Yankees teammate Lou Gehrig eclipsed 400 bases a record five times, and fellow Hall of Famers Jimmie Foxx, Chuck Klein and Rogers Hornsby each accomplished the feat twice.
The milestone was rarely reached after that. Stan Musial was the only player to reach 400 in the 1940s and Henry Aaron was the only player in the 1950s. Jim Rice posted 405 bases in 1978 and Larry Walker, playing home games in the thin air of Coors Field, had 409 in 1997.
Walker’s teammate with the Rockies, Todd Helton, eclipsed the 400 twice, as did Sammy Sosa. Helton, Sosa, Barry Bonds and Luis Gonzalez all reached the 400 in 2001, and no one else did until Ohtani. Aaron Judge is hot on his heels with 392 after hitting his 58th home run on Thursday, one more base than he finished with in 2022.
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Ohtani already set records in his first season as a Dodger, becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season. He currently has 53 home runs and 56 stolen bases to go with a .305 batting average and NL-leading totals of 126 runs batted in, 131 runs scored, a .387 on-base percentage and a .643 slugging percentage as the Dodgers close out the game . regular season with a three-game series at the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.
It came when the Dodgers needed it most as they fended off a surge from the Padres in recent weeks. In his last seven games, Ohtani has accounted for 40 total bases by going 20 for 29 – including five home runs and five doubles – with 16 RBIs and 13 runs.
If he stays this hot all weekend, it could potentially lead to him winning the triple crown. His batting average is third behind the Padres’ Luis Arráez (.312) and the Atlanta Braves’ Marcell Azuna (.310).
While onlookers marvel at Ohtani’s litany of dazzling feats, it’s easy to overlook his 400 total bases. But he is affiliated with a club that is more exclusive than that of pitchers who have thrown a perfect game (24 members).
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Ohtani still has a lot of climbing to do to rise to the top of the career total bases list. He has 1,781 after four consecutive seasons of over 300, but the all-time record is a daunting 6,856 by Aaron.
Which of the active players has the most bases? Ohtani doesn’t have to look far. It is his teammate, Freddie Freeman, with 3,866. The veteran first baseman has eclipsed 300 bases a total of six times and his career high is 361, set last season.
Total Basic Leaders for one season
Name, total bases, year
1. Babe Ruth, 457, 1921
2. Rogers Hornsby, 450, 1922
3. Lou Gehrig, 447, 1927
4. Chuck Klein, 445, 1930
5. Jimmy Foxx, 438, 1932
6. Stan Musual, 429, 1948
7. Sammy Sosa, 425, 2001
8. Hack Wilson, 423, 1930
9. Chuck Klein, 420, 1932
10. Lou Gehrig, 419, 1930
10. Luis González, 419, 2001
12. Joe DiMaggio, 418, 1937
13. Babe Ruth, 417, 1927
14. Babe Herman, 416, 1930
14. Sammy Sosa, 416, 1998
16. Barry Bonds, 411, 2001
17. Lou Gehrig, 410, 1931
18. Lou Gehrig, 409, 1934
18. Rogers Hornsby, 409, 1929
18. Larry Walker, 409, 1997
21. Joe Medwick, 406, 1937
21. Jim Rice, 406, 1978
23. Todd Helton, 405, 2000
23. Chuck Klein, 405, 929
23. Hal Trosky, 405, 1936
26. Jimmy Foxx, 403, 1933
26. Lou Gehrig, 403, 1936
28. Todd Helton, 402, 2001
29. Hank Aaron, 400, 1959
30. Shohei Ohtani, 400, 2024
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
