During a season full of historic feats, Atlanta Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. accomplished another, stealing a base Wednesday to become the first member of the 40 home run/70 stolen base club.
In a 5-5 game against the Chicago Cubs, Acuna swiped bag No. 70 in the bottom of the 10th inning to etch his name in the record books yet again. In celebration of his history-making steal, Acuna ripped the base from the infield dirt and raised it over his head a la Rickey Henderson.
Acuna recorded another first with his unforgettable steal, becoming the first player to reach 70 stolen bags since Boston Red Sox’s Jacoby Ellsbury in 2009, per Stathead.
It’s been an unreal campaign for Acuna, who is posting stats that would seem ridiculous in a video game. Even more remarkable, the incredible is becoming old hat for Acuna as he’s also the first member of the 40/50 and 40/60 clubs.
Furthermore, he’s done all of this less than a week after smashing home run No. 40 to join Alfonso Soriano (2006), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Barry Bonds (1996) and Jose Canseco (1988) as only the fifth player in baseball history to hit 40-plus homers while stealing 40 or more bases in a single season.
The playoffs await for the Braves, and partially thanks to Acuna’s single and steal in the 10th on Wednesday, Atlanta posted a walk-off 6-5 victory to clinch home-field advantage through the National League Championship Series.
However, a World Series trophy might not be all Acuna is striving towards, as MVP hardware is likely in his future.
