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Atlanta Braves slugger Ronald Acuna Jr. joined an exclusive club of MLB legends after scoring his 40th home run of the season during Friday's game against the Washington Nationals.
The Braves went on to win the contest 9-6 on the night, taking their season's win tally to just one shy of a hundred as they continue to assert their dominance in the NL. Their young star now has 160 career home runs in the MLB regular season.
Ronald Acuna Jr. was signed by the Braves as an international free agent in 2014 and steadily made his way up the ranks to make his major league debut for them in 2018. After winning the Rookie of the Year in 2018, he cemented his name in the lineup and has proved to be one of their most valuable players since then.
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He has shown tremendous hitting and defensive qualities through the years on a consistent basis as he makes his bid for the NL MVP award this year.
The young Venezuelan now has 160 home runs in the MLB regular season as he reaches the 40 HR mark for the 2023 season in his fifth year in the major leagues. His career total stolen bases of 175 in the major leagues is even more impressive as very few have managed that so early in their career.
His historic performance in Washington sees him become the first player in MLB history to record 40 HRs and 60 stolen bases in the same season. Amazingly, he's only two stolen bases away from reaching an unprecedented 70 for the year.
Ronald Acuna Jr.'s numbers make him the front-runner for the 2023 NL MVP
While the Atlanta Braves have already reserved a spot in the 2023 MLB playoffs, Ronald Acuna Jr.'s performance against the Washinton Nationals on Friday has put him in elite company.
The Venezuelan slugger is on the verge of achieveing a 40-70 season, as he continues to put up astonishing numbers at the age of just 25. He has been consistent throughout the season, with a .338 batting average and 101 RBIs to accompany his amazing HR and stolen bases record.
