Ronald Acuña Jr. on Saturday wore a stitched “44″ – in blue with yellow trim – on the right side of his bright red jacket. He had “13″ on the left side.
This ode to Hall of Famer Hank Aaron was the perfect way for Acuña to accept the National League Hank Aaron Award, which were presented in Las Vegas during MLB Network’s “All-MLB Team Show.”
The award presentation featured Mrs. Billye Aaron, Hank’s widow, and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. In one picture posted by the Braves on X, formerly known as Twitter, Acuña and Mrs. Aaron hugged.
The Hank Aaron Awards recognize the most outstanding offensive performers in each league. Shohei Ohtani – who played for the Angels in 2023 but just signed with the Dodgers – won the American League Hank Aaron Award.
Acuña is the third Braves player to win the award, which debuted in 1999. Freddie Freeman won it in 2020, and Andruw Jones received it in 2005.
Each club nominates players to be considered for the honor. A panel of MLB.com writers chose eight finalists from each league. A panel of Hall of Fame players and former winners, plus a fan vote, determines the award winners.
Braves icons Chipper Jones and John Smoltz are on that panel. So are Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr., Johnny Bench, Derek Jeter, Pedro Martinez, Craig Biggio, Eddie Murray, Albert Pujols, David Ortiz and Robin Yount.
In 2023, Acuña became the first player in MLB history to hit at least 40 home runs and steal at least 70 bases in the same season. He created the 30-60, 40-50, 40-60 and 40-70 clubs. It might be a long time before someone joins him in those.
Acuña became the fifth player in history to have a 40-40 season. He’s also now the seventh player in history to amass at least 200 hits, 100 RBI, 145 runs scored and 40 homers in the same season.
Acuña, who is from Venezuela, posted career highs in batting average (.337), on-base percentage (.416), OPS (1.012), runs (149), hits (217), doubles (35), RBI (106), stolen bases (73), walks (80) and total bases (383). He tied a career high with 41 homers.
Those 73 stolen bases are a Braves record, as Acuña surpassed Otis Nixon in 2023.
In November, Acuña was named the National League MVP.
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