, becoming the fifth member of baseball’s prestigious 40-40 Club.Ronald Acua Jr. of the Atlanta Braves made MLB history Friday night when he blasted his 40th home run of the season

With his first-inning home run off Washington Nationals pitcher Patrick Corbin, Acua became only the fifth player in Major League Baseball history to reach the coveted 40-40 Club, which includes players who hit 40 home runs and stole 40 bases in a single season.

When Oakland Athletics slugger Jose Canseco smashed 42 home runs and swiped 40 bases in 1988, he was the first athlete to demonstrate the unusual combination of speed and power. Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants matched Canseco’s stat line in 1996, with 42 home runs and 40 steals. Alex Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners hit 42 home runs and swiped 46 bases in 1998. The last person to accomplish the feat was Alfonso Soriano in 2006, when he blasted 46 home runs and swiped 41 bases for the Washington Nationals.

After hitting a solo home run against the Washington Nationals on Friday, Sept. 22, Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acua Jr. receives a hug from the team’s manager, Brian Snitker.
Andrew Harnik/Associated Press

No other member of the 40-40 Club has come close to matching the 25-year-old Venezuelan’s base-stealing prowess in 2023. As of Friday, Acua had stolen 68 bases this season, which led the major leagues.

The four-time All-Star and 2018 National League Rookie of the Year is making a solid case for his first Most Valuable Player title this season. Along with his amazing home run and stolen base totals, Acua has a.338 batting average and 101 RBIs.

Acua’s Braves defeated the Nationals 9-6 on Friday, giving them the best record in baseball at 99-55 when the postseason begins on October 3.