Venezuelan baseball star Ronald Acuña Jr., outfielder for the Atlanta Braves, made history by becoming the first player to join the 40-70 club by hitting 40 home runs and stealing 70 bases in a single Major League (MLB) season. He also became the first member of the 40-50 and 40-60 clubs earlier in the season.
HISTÓRICO: Ronald Acuña Jr. se convierte en el primer jugador en toda la historia de la MLB en hacer una temporada de 40 cuadrangulares y 70 bases robadas. 👏🇻🇪pic.twitter.com/3zwdJsmKEg
— Pasión Beisbol ⚾️ (@Pasionbaseball) September 28, 2023
Acuña, just 25 years old, hit a game-tying single and stole his 70th base in the 10th inning. It happened moments before scoring on an Ozzie Albies single. The team managed to pull out a 6-5 victory over the Cubs at Truist Park.
"I'm extremely happy to have created the 40-70 club. Very happy, mostly that we were able to win," said Acuña Jr. in statements collected by ESPN .
Super emotional game. It felt like a playoff atmosphere. This is a preview to what could be in the postseason
The moment Ronald Acuña Jr. j̶o̶i̶n̶e̶d̶ created the 40/70 Club. pic.twitter.com/6jeTmwtoBI
— MLB (@MLB) September 28, 2023
The official MLB website recalled that Acuña achieved the fifth 40-40 campaign in the history of the league this month. Braves manager Brian Snitker celebrated the Venezuelan's achievement:
"He might be the only human that can break his own records," Snitker said on the official MLB website.
Ronald Acuña Jr. made his debut in 2018. In that same year, he won the National League Rookie of the Year award and is a four-time All-Star. Now, it remains to be seen if Acuña Jr. will win his first Most Valuable Player award this year, as he is locked in a tight race with Dodgers star Mookie Betts. The Venezuelan has a .336 batting average and 103 RBIs.
