Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images
Last week, Acuña became the fifth member of the exclusive 40-40 club after hitting his 40th home run of the season.
CNN –
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. did something no one in Major League Baseball history has done before: He became the first player ever to hit 40 home runs and steal 70 bases in a single season.
“I would be lying to you if I said I could do it,” Acuña said through a translator after the game. “It was one of those numbers that wasn’t impossible, but seemed impossible, so luckily we were able to do it.”
Acuña, who entered Wednesday night with 68 stolen bases this season, stole his first base of the night in the eighth inning as the Braves trailed 3-2 to the Chicago Cubs, and later scored to tie the game at 3-3 to balance.
His second stolen base came in the bottom of the 10th inning; After hitting a game-winning RBI single to make it 5-5, Acuña singled to second, reaching the historic mark. The game was temporarily halted while the team and crowd at Atlanta’s Truist Park cheered as the 25-year-old lifted the base over his head.
Acuña’s 70th stolen base of the season proved timely as he scored the game-winning run after second baseman Ozzie Albies drove him in with a single for the 6-5 walk-off win.
Last week, Acuña became the fifth member of the exclusive 40-40 club after hitting his 40th home run of the season.
With over 60 stolen bases this season, he also became the first member of the 40-50 and 40-60 Club. Prior to this season, no other player had stolen more than 46 bases in the same season in which he hit at least 40 home runs.
The 2018 National League Rookie of the Year and four-time All-Star makes a strong case to earn his first Most Valuable Player award this year. Acuña has a .336 batting average and 104 RBIs, along with an impressive 41 home runs and 70 stolen bases.
With the win, the Braves improve to a major league-best record of 102-56 and have secured a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the National League postseason.