May 4, 2024
Ronald Acuña Jr. is on pace to create an entirely new club for baseball's top power-and-speed threats.
Acuña stole his 55th base Sunday night in Atlanta's 7-6 loss to the New York Mets. The star outfielder also has 26 home runs. No player has ever reached 30 homers and 60 steals in the same season.
Rickey Henderson came close to starting the 30-60 club. He had 28 homers and 87 steals in 1986 with the New York Yankees, then 28 homers and 65 steals when he won MVP honors with Oakland in 1990.
Two players are in the 30-50 club: Eric Davis had 37 homers and 50 steals in 1987 and Barry Bonds had 33 homers and 52 steals in 1990, when he won his first of seven MVPs. Davis also had 27 homers and 80 steals in 1986, joining Henderson as the only members of the 20-80 club.
If Acuña can finish strong and reach 40 homers, that would open another frontier. Nobody has ever had 40 homers and 50 steals in a season. There have been four 40-40 players: Jose Canseco in 1988, Bonds in 1996, Alex Rodriguez in 1998 and Alfonso Soriano in 2006.
