Ronald Acuna Jr. is 21 years of age and in his second year with the Atlanta Braves. One would think that he would still be trying to master hitting a curveball, get a grip on the strike zone or figure out how to take a quality lead off first base.
For most young players adjusting to the big leagues, yes, that likely would be the case.
But Acuna is not your average second-year major leaguer. He is, in fact, a special breed of speed, power and immense God-given talent that baseball fans can’t help but marvel at.
Acuna, a right-handed-hitting outfielder who won the 2018 National League Rookie of the Year Award, compiled a 2019 season that ranks among the very elite. In the final week of the regular season, Acuna - with 41 HR and 37 SB - was looking to become just the fifth major 2019 Diamond Kings #40 leaguer in history to slug 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season – a truly remarkable feat. With the clock ticking and the calendar showing just five games remaining in the season, Acuna just shrugged at the thought of falling short of 40-40.
“I’ve never felt any pressure or anything like that,” he told MLB.com. If I don’t get it, I don’t get it. That’s the way I’m looking at it. I’ve never felt any pressure. So, I don’t think I’m going to feel any different if it does happen.”
The likes of Acuna’s remarkable season have not been seen for 13 years. The last player to go 40-40 was Alfonso Soriano, then with the Washington Nationals, in 2006 when he blasted 46 homers and stole 41 bases.
Denne historien er fra November 2019-utgaven av Sports Card Monthly.
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Denne historien er fra November 2019-utgaven av Sports Card Monthly.
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