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In a breathtaking display of talent at Coors Field, Ronald Acuña Jr. inched closer to etching his name in the annals of baseball history. As MVP chants filled the stadium, the prodigious athlete contributed to the Braves' emphatic 14-4 victory over the Rockies on a memorable Monday night.
A League of His Own
The star-studded evening saw Acuña hit his 29th home run in the fifth inning, marking a highlight in an already stellar season. But that wasn't all. He stole his 60th base in the seventh inning and then upped his MLB-leading stolen-base total to 61 in the eighth.
This formidable combination of power and speed places him in the rarified company of legends. Acuña now proudly stands alongside Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan, and Eric Davis as one of the only four players ever to have stolen 60-plus bases and hit 20-plus homers in a single season.
Yet, if there's one thing that sets Acuña apart from the rest, it's the tantalizing possibility of what's to come. With just one more home run, he stands poised to achieve a feat no player in AL/NL history has ever managed: recording 30 home runs and 60 stolen bases in a single season.
Such an achievement wouldn't just be a feather in Acuña's cap—it would be a veritable crown, undoubtedly strengthening his case for the MVP title.
Echoes from the Dugout
The air of expectancy isn't just felt among fans.
The Braves' camp radiates a mixture of pride and anticipation. “Anything he’s going to do in this game isn’t going to surprise me,” declared Braves manager Brian Snitker, expressing his unwavering faith in Acuña's prowess.
This sentiment was echoed by left fielder Kevin Pillar, who mused on the gravity of the impending record: “Think about how long this game has been played and think about how many great players have played this game, and he’s on the verge of doing something that has never been done. It’s pretty remarkable. He hasn’t done it yet, but I expect him to do it real soon”.
