Ronald Acuña Jr. Makes History

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

September 1, 2023

The Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers play in a four-game series, with the first seed in the NL up for grabs. Potentially a playoff seeding and NLCS preview, baseball fans are amped to watch this series. In the series’ first game, Ronald Acuña Jr. came up to bat in the second inning with the bases loaded and one out in a tie game. On a high fastball, Ronald Acuña Jr. swung and made history. He drilled a homer 429 feet to break open the game. Acuña’s homer made him the first-ever 30-60 player with 30 home runs and 60 stolen bases in the season. The Braves held off a strong Dodgers comeback, winning the first game 8-7.

A Special Day for Acuña:

Although the home run by Acuña is historic, that moment would be listed as his second favorite for the day. Before the game versus the Dodgers, Acuña tied the knot with his wife in a Thursday morning private ceremony in Los Angeles. Acuña and his longtime girlfriend, Maria Laborde have been together since 2015, but are now officially husband and wife. August 31, 2023, is a special day for both, however, it may feel even sweeter for the Venezuelan superstar. Ronald Acuña Jr. created history with a grand slam and tied the knot in the same day.

An Historic Mark for an Historic Season

Ronald Acuña’s season is remarkable. Already an electric player, Acuña’s hitting makes the Braves a deadly team to face. Only two players have recorded a 30-50 season before Acuña. Eric Davis was the first player ever to record a 30-50 season. In 1987, Davis recorded 37 homers and 50 stolen bases with the Cincinnati Reds. Davis finished ninth in MVP voting that season. Barry Bonds accomplished the same feat in 1990 with 33 home runs and 52 stolen bases. Bonds won the MVP that season, capping off his historic season.

Despite Barry Bonds winning the MVP, Acuña’s campaign is like no other. Although batting first in the lineup for Atlanta, Acuña has 83 RBI, which is 18th in the NL rankings. Acuña leads the NL in runs and a main part of the Braves’ success is his ability to get on base and provide them with stolen bases and elite base running. Acuña will be chasing 30-70, 40-60, and potentially 40-70 territory. The Braves have 27 games left in the regular season.

A Battle for the NL MVP

Ronald Acuña’s MVP campaign seemed to be locked up during July. The Braves owned the best record in baseball and the best offense– and Acuña was at the forefront of providing runs and creating offense for the high-slugging Braves. However, a surging August by Dodgers star Mookie Betts has transformed the NL MVP race into a two-horse race.

The series’ first game provided all baseball fans with both players’ immense talent. Acuña went three-for-four, with a walk, stolen base, and a grand slam. Betts answered, going two-for-four, with a walk, two home runs, and four RBI. When both MVP candidates were in the spotlight, both players stepped up to the plate and delivered. Another key point to the race for NL MVP is Mookie’s August surge. Betts is slashing .459/.520/.847 in August, an historic month for the former AL MVP. In a tight race between both players, baseball fans have their popcorn buckets ready for the last month of this race.