Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves, one of the league’s most dominant sluggers, has reached the 40-homer, 60-double milestone.
Starting at first base and playing right field, Acuña Jr. went 2-for-4 with a home run and one RBI in the Braves’ 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., on Sunday.
With one more home run, Yacuña Jr. finally hit his 40th home run and became the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit 40 home runs and 60 RBIs.
The 40-homer, 40-steal season is only the fifth in MLB history, with Jose Canseco (Oakland Athletics, 42-homer, 40-steal) being the first in 1988. Since then, Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants, 42 homers-40 stolen bases) in 1996, Alex Rodriguez (Seattle Mariners, 42 homers-46 stolen bases) in 1998, and Alfonso Soriano (Washington, 46 homers-41 stolen bases) in 2006.
In South Korea (KBO), no player has ever had a 40-homer, 40-steal season except for Eric Thames (NC Dinos) in 2015, and no one in Japan (NPB) has ever had a 40-homer, 40-steal season. That’s a record that even the best hitters in the league can’t easily surpass.
Since breaking out in the big leagues in 2018, Akunya Jr. has produced double-digit home run and stolen base totals every year except for 2020, when the season was shortened due to COVID-19.
In South Korea (KBO)토토사이트, no player has ever had a 40-homer, 40-steal season except for Eric Thames (NC Dinos) in 2015, and no one in Japan (NPB) has ever had a 40-homer, 40-steal season. That’s a record that even the best hitters in the league can’t easily surpass.
This season in particular, he set a phenomenal pace early on, tormenting pitchers and fielders alike and using his long bat to lead Atlanta to the National League East title.
Then, after conquering the 50-steal plateau and then the 60-steal plateau, Acuña Jr. did something no one else has ever done: hit 40 home runs and steal 60 bases. At this rate, the National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award seems very likely to be his. In fact, it’s safe to say he’s practically “booked” the MVP award, and there’s no one in sight to challenge him.
With 40 home runs and 40 doubles on the horizon, it didn’t take long for Aquino Jr. to write the record books. One at-bat was all it took. In the top of the first inning, Aquino led off with a single off Washington starter Patrick Corbin.
With a 3-2 count, Akuña Jr. took Corbin’s six-pitch slider and launched a solo arch over the left field wall. The moment was complete. According to MLB.com’s Gameday, the ball’s speed and distance were measured at 116.3 mph (187 km/h) and 379 feet (116 meters), respectively.
After celebrating his 40th home run, Acuña Jr. showed his true colors in his second at-bat of the game, doubling and scoring in the top of the third inning, and scoring in the top of the fifth inning after leading off with a walk and coming home on Austin Riley’s sacrifice fly.
Meanwhile, Atlanta, which has begun preparing for fall baseball, improved to 99-55 with a 9-6 win over Washington behind Acuña’s performance. With a solid offensive performance, Atlanta is on pace to finish the regular season with more than 100 wins.