Here’s more history for Braves All-Star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. He’s the first player in major-league history to hit 15 homers and steal 30 bases across the first 70 games. He swiped his 30th base in the first inning of the Braves’ 8-1 win over Colorado on Friday.
“I feel very proud and happy,” Acuña said. “Obviously, last year with the injury (he came back from a torn ACL), I don’t think I was able to play to the capacity I know I’m capable of. Hopefully I can stay healthy and continue to just play the way I’ve been playing and continue showcasing my talents.”
Acuña is assembling the finest season of his career, one that’s made him the betting favorite for National League MVP at most sportsbooks. He is hitting .327 with a .970 OPS. He has 21 doubles and 45 RBIs to pair with his unprecedented combination of homers and steals.
“He’s liable to be doing that (things no one else has done) for the rest of his career,” manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s going to be groundbreaking for a while here until he surpasses everything and starts lapping himself.”
Acuña remains perhaps the game’s most feared lead-off hitter. He’s the key cog of arguably MLB’s best offense. He’s also a hit nationally: Acuna was the NL’s leading vote getter through the first wave of All-Star balloting.
“I’ve never seen it before,” catcher Travis d’Arnaud said. “It’s really exciting to see him set the table and also eat off the table when there are runners on, too. He’s the MVP, I think. To be on his team and see him do it every day is really special.”
Acuña suffered a torn ACL in July 2021 that interrupted his career, but he’s already proven himself among the game’s best talents. He won Rookie of The Year in 2018. He finished fifth in MVP voting in 2019, flirting with a 40-40 season.
Recently, Hall of Famer Chipper Jones told 680 The Fan that Acuña was the most talented player to wear a Braves jersey. If his production continues, Acuña could become the fifth person to win an MVP for the Atlanta Braves (Dale Murphy twice, Terry Pendleton, Jones, Freddie Freeman).
