The last time the Braves made a run to the World Series championship, Ronald Acuña Jr. could only watch. Acuña has already established himself as baseball's most thrilling performer, a guy who stormed right on through the 40-40 club — a group occupied by only five players in the history of the game — to set up his own exclusive cliques. “It's one of those numbers that wasn't impossible but seemed impossible,” Acuña said, summing up perfectly the enormity of his accomplishments.
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. accomplished something no one else in Major League Baseball history has done before, becoming the first player ever to hit 40 home runs and steal 70 bases in a single season.
Ronald Acuña Jr. joined baseball’s exclusive 40-40 club Friday night by hitting his 40th home run of the season for the Atlanta Braves to go along with his 68 stolen bases. Acuña became the fifth player in major league history to have at least 40 homers and 40 steals in the same year. The others were Alfonso Soriano for the Washington Nationals in 2006, Alex Rodríguez for the Seattle Mariners in 1998, Barry Bonds for the San Francisco Giants in 1996, and Jose Canseco for the Oakland Athletics in 1988.