WATCH: Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. scripts MLB history, becomes first player to record 50 stolen bases before August
On Saturday Ronald Acuna Jr became the first MLB history to record 50 stolen bases before the month of August. This has made him one of the favorites for the NL MVP award this year.
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Ronald Acuna Jr (Pic Credit: Sports Illustrated)
The legend of Ronald Acuna Jr. continues to grow as the season passes. The Atlanta Braves star has impressed the viewers with his strength and speed this whole year. On Saturday, he created yet another piece of MLB history. After stealing the second base in the first inning against the Brewers, he found himself once again in history books.
This steal turned out to be his 50th stolen base of the year. While some might argue the bases have been enlarged this year, giving him an advantage, this is no ordinary feat. He became the first player in MLB history to record 50 SB (Stolen Bases) before the month of August.
According to official stats from ESPN and stats info, he is also the first player to achieve this while hitting 20 or more home runs. His speed comes up handy to get into scoring positions while stealing bases. His strength helps him clear the fences, turning the game on his head by himself. A player excelling in both of these skills is considered special and the Braves man is certainly one of them.
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What is the record for the most stolen bases in a season?
Stealing bases is something that is often overlooked by many baseball watchers. It is not an easy task to get away from the pitcher’s eye and steal a base under their nose. However, there have been seasons where players have recorded more than fifty stolen bases. The last time the feat fifty or more bases were stolen took place in 2017. Dee Strange-Gordon and Billy Hamilton did that with 60 and 59 respectively.
The record for the most is currently held by Hugh Nicol. He holds the record with 138 SB in a season. However, this came all the way back in 1887 when rules were different compared to now. The modern-day MLB record belongs to Rickey Henderson who managed 130 SB in the year of 1982. This performance from Acuna Jr has made him one of the favorites to win the National League MVP award this year.
Acuna would later acknowledge the fact that he is in the conversation for this prestigious award. “I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t want to win it. I would love to win it. But that’s not where my mentality is at,” Acuna Jr told via his interpreter.
With around two months left to go, Ronald Acuna Jr has his sights set on history. He could become the first player to record a 40/60 season (40 home runs and sixty stolen bases) in one season. He currently has 24 home runs. The slugger will be a key figure in the Braves‘ attempt for another world series title.
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Vinay Dave
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