Generally, baseball followers are fortunate sufficient to observe the really elite gamers be a part of baseball’s elite golf equipment. Like final season, when Albert Pujols joined the 700-home run membership. Or in 2012, when Miguel Cabrera entered the fraternity of Triple Crown winners.
However generally, after we’re actually fortunate, we get to observe an elite participant create his personal membership, and that’s what Ronald Acuña Jr. has executed this season. He’s executed it a few occasions, truly. He grew to become the primary member of the 30/60 membership (30 homers, 60 stolen bases) however he wasn’t executed there. He has now invented the 40/70 membership.
That is what it appears to be like like when a really elite expertise is pushed, targeted and stays wholesome for a whole season. It’s not solely that Acuña is the primary member of the 40/70 membership that’s so spectacular. It’s how significantly better his season has been than some other energy/pace combo season in baseball historical past.
And, sure, MLB’s new guidelines designed to extend stolen bases haven’t damage Acuña. However let’s not simply off-hand low cost his accomplishments. It’s not out of the blue simpler to hit house runs. Catchers are nonetheless pretty much as good as ever.
Right here’s what Acuña is: Precisely the kind of participant baseball desires. Precisely the kind of participant baseball wants. He’s must-watch on the plate, and he’s must-watch on the bases. He makes the sport thrilling, and he’s doing so in a manner no person ever has in baseball historical past, relating to two of probably the most thrilling performs within the sport, house runs and stolen bases.
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Let’s have a look behind the numbers to point out how particular Acuña, who turns 26 in the course of the offseason, has been this summer time. We’ll begin with the ability.
Ronald Acuña Jr. house run stats
Right here’s an inventory of probably the most stolen bases ever by a participant with a minimum of 40 house runs.
| Rank | Identify | Steals |
| 1. | Ronald Acuña Jr., 2023 | 70 |
| 2. | Alex Rodriguez, 1998 | 46 |
| 3. | Alfonso Soriano, 2006 | 41 |
| T-4 | Barry Bonds, 1996 | 40 |
| T-4 | Jose Canseco, 1988 | 40 |
Fairly the stolen base hole, eh? Decrease the brink to 30 homers and some new names pop in. Legendary names. Nonetheless no person even near 70 swipes, although.
| Rank | Identify | Steals |
| 1. | Ronald Acuña Jr., 2023 | 70 |
| 2. | Barry Bonds, 1990 | 52 |
| 3. | Eric Davis, 1987 | 50 |
| 4. | Mike Trout, 2012 | 49 |
| 5. | Alex Rodriguez, 1998 | 46 |
Value noting that one other younger rising star is on the verge of getting his identify on this listing within the last few days of the season. Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas Metropolis’s 23-year-old shortstop, has 29 homers and 48 stolen bases this yr. Oh, and Corbin Carroll, Arizona’s rookie sensation, has 25 homers and 51 stolen bases.
That is the primary season in baseball historical past with a minimum of three gamers who’ve 25-plus house runs and 45-plus stolen bases. Actually is unimaginable.
Now, let’s go the opposite manner.
Ronald Acuña Jr. stolen base stats
We’ll begin with a have a look at probably the most house runs by a participant with a minimum of 70 stolen bases.
| Rank | Identify | HRs |
| 1. | Ronald Acuña Jr., 2023 | 41 |
| 2. | Rickey Henderson, 1986 | 28 |
| 3. | Eric Davis, 1986 | 27 |
| 4. | Rickey Henderson, 1985 | 24 |
| 5. | Lou Brock, 1966 | 15 |
Once more, fairly massive hole, the distinction between 28 and 41 homers.
Have to say Eric Davis right here. That 1986 season, when he hit 27 homers and had 80 stolen bases … he solely performed 132 video games due to accidents. Yeah. What may he have executed with one other 30 video games? One other 20? Oh, and did you discover how he was on the opposite listing earlier on this piece, along with his 37-homer, 50-stolen base season of 1987? He solely performed 129 video games that yr. Few gamers within the historical past of baseball had been as persistently snakebit with accidents over the course of their profession than Davis, who was simply an otherworldly expertise.
Need to cease myself right here, as a result of I’ve already written about how we had been robbed of seeing a completely wholesome Eric Davis, and the way the game is worse for it. No time for a rant now.
When you decrease the brink to 60 stolen bases, and you’ve got seven seasons — however simply 4 gamers — of a minimum of 20 homers.
| Rank | Identify | HRs |
| 1. | Ronald Acuña Jr., 2023 | 41 |
| 2. | Rickey Henderson, 1986 | 28 |
| 3. | Rickey Henderson, 1990 | 28 |
| 4. | Eric Davis, 1986 | 27 |
| 5. | Joe Morgan, 1976 | 27 |
| 6. | Joe Morgan, 1973 | 26 |
| 7. | Rickey Henderson | 24 |
Apart: Rickey Henderson actually was particular, wasn’t he?
The 110 membership
When you add the stolen bases and residential runs collectively, Acuña has 110. That’s one other membership he’s joined, and although he’s not the founding member, it’s nonetheless fairly elite. Right here’s an inventory of each participant within the 110 membership (after 1900).
| Rank | Identify | Whole (Steals/HR) |
| 1. | Rickey Henderson, 1982 | 140 (130/10) |
| 2. | Lou Brock, 1974 | 121 (118/3) |
| 3. | Rickey Henderson, 1983 | 117 (108/9) |
| 4. | Rickey Henderson, 1986 | 115 (87/28) |
| 5. | Vince Coleman, 1987 | 112 (109/3) |
| T-6 | Vince Coleman, 1985 | 111 (110/1) |
| T-6 | Ronald Acuña Jr., 2023 | 111 (70/41) |
| 8. | Maury Wills, 1962 | 110 (104/6) |
It’s arduous to speak about pace/energy combo and point out Vince Coleman and Acuña in the identical sentence with a straight face, isn’t it? The elite energy/pace 110 membership, with any cheap definition of energy, has two members — Henderson and Acuña Jr.
Yeah, that’s fairly good firm.