Ronald Acuña Jr. picked the right pitch at the right time Wednesday, and with one swing he carved out another place in baseball history.
The Braves star sent the first pitch he saw from right-hander Max Kranick over the left-field wall in the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals, a three-run blast that traveled 379 feet. It was Acuña’s third hit of the night in Atlanta’s 9-0 win, but more importantly it was the 200th home run of his career.
That homer also pushed Acuña into a category no player had ever reached faster. He became the quickest in MLB history to get to 200 home runs and 200 stolen bases, doing it in his 904th game. The previous mark belonged to Alfonso Soriano, who got there in 929 games.
Acuña reached the milestone despite a career interrupted by significant injuries, but the power-speed combination that made him a star has remained the defining feature of his game. He debuted at 20 in 2018 and has already built a résumé that places him among the Braves’ most accomplished players.
Even in a season where he hasn’t often looked like himself at the plate, Acuña has still flashed the kind of pop that makes him one of the sport’s most dangerous hitters near the top of the lineup. On Aug. 15 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he launched the 40th leadoff homer of his career, moving within five of Brady Anderson for 10th on MLB’s all-time list.
The recent results have followed that same shape. Since that mid-August homer, Acuña has gone 16-for-66 with seven RBIs, including a 6-for-9 stretch in the Braves’ weekend sweep of the Colorado Rockies after he was given a day off Thursday.
He also swiped his 20th base of the season on Wednesday.
Acuña is now the 10th player in Braves history to reach 200 homers. With 16 more, he would move past Javy López, who finished with 214, and Bob Horner, who had 215, for eighth on the franchise’s all-time home run list.
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Atlanta could still be in the market for another impact bat, especially if the club wants more power in left field and a cleaner everyday fit in the order. Randy Arozarena has been mentioned as a possible target, and his name alone shows how far the Braves might be willing to push this offseason if they decide the current mix is not enough. The bigger question is whether the next move is about depth, insurance, or a true lineup shake-up. [Read more 🡒]
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Braves Just Took A Risk With Lefty Prospect Upside
The Braves made a small but meaningful roster move when they designated left-hander Hayden Harris for assignment to clear a spot, and Colorado quickly stepped in to claim him off waivers. Atlanta had seen enough upside to keep him in the conversation, but the need for immediate roster flexibility pushed the decision, and now Harris is on to Triple-A Albuquerque after landing with the Rockies.
Harris has given teams a reason to dream a little because of his strikeout ability, even as the command has wavered in recent seasons. For the Braves, it is the kind of move that can sting later if the lefty irons out the control issues elsewhere, since this was less about performance in a vacuum than about a club trying to manage its roster in the moment. [Read more 🡒]