Ronald Acuña took a major step toward history with two homers Thursday and one Friday, putting him on the doorsteps of an all-time achievement.
Acuña has stolen 63 bases. After his homer Friday against the Pirates, he has 35 home runs. If he blasts five more over the team’s final 22 games, Acuña will have produced the first 40-60 season and fifth 40-40 season in MLB history.
The players in the 40-40 club: Alfonso Soriano (46-41; 2006), Alex Rodriguez (42-46; 1998), Barry Bonds (42-40; 1996) and Jose Canseco (42-40; 1988). Canseco was the only player to win MVP during his 40-40 campaign. It’s also worth noting that Rodriguez, Bonds and Canseco have been associated with or confirmed to have used performance enhancers during their careers.
Acuña always has been a 40-40 threat when healthy. He came close in 2019, with 41 homers and 37 stolen bases. But the past three seasons were disrupted by circumstances out of his control. The season was only 60 games in 2020. Acuña tore his ACL in July 2021, and he was admittedly cautious in 2022. Healthy and unleashed, Acuña has been at his best in 2023.
“That was never the goal, but now that it’s in sight, obviously that’d be nice,” Acuña said via team interpreter Franco Garcia. “With the season being at the end, and the numbers being where they are, it feels like it’s getting tight. The most important thing has been to stay healthy.”
Acuña has played in every game this season, an accomplishment of which he’s particularly proud given his recent ailments.
“The past two seasons I’d struggled or battled injuries, so to be able to play all 162 games and go to the postseason and keep playing, that’s the goal,” he said.
Manager Brian Snitker always says there’s nothing Acuña could do that would surprise. Perhaps a 40-60 – maybe even 40-70 – season would shock some, but the Braves put no on-field achievements past the National League MVP favorite.
“I’ve been playing with Ronald since 2016 (in the minors), and I feel like, at this point, nothing surprises me anymore,” Braves ace Max Fried said. “He’s that talented. He’s that good. He’s always been capable of doing it, but to see him have the season he’s having so far, and come as close as he is to that accomplishment (40-40), it doesn’t surprise me, but it’s also extremely impressive.
“He can get as hot as anyone, so (five) more homers isn’t out of the question. You see the work he puts in every day, how he doesn’t take an at-bat off. I think that’s just day in, day out, being able to take the field and impact the game the way he does, is the most impressive thing.”
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