The last player to hit 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in the major leagues was Alfonso Soriano.

Soriano played in 159 games for the Washington Nationals in 2006, hitting .277 with 41 homers and 41 stolen bases, becoming the fourth member of the 40-40 club.

What makes his record all the more valuable is that the previous three players were all involved in steroid scandals. When Jose Canseco (42 home runs, 40 steals) in 1988, Barry Bonds (42 home runs, 40 steals) in 1996, and Alex Rodriguez (42 home runs, 46 steals) in 1998 went 40-40 in their careers, drugged or not. is stained with steroids.

In the 16 years since Soriano, the 40-40 members did not appear. It is in line with the characteristics of modern baseball. It is more difficult to achieve records in stolen bases than in home runs. In the era of power hitting with muscles at the forefront, it is said that there is a risk of injury if you are greedy for even ‘junjok’.

However, there are players who have ambitions in this area. Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr.

Acuna, born in Venezuela, debuted in the major leagues in 2018 and became the National League Rookie of the Year with 26 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 111 games. And the following year, in 2019, he recorded a batting average of 0.280, 41 homers, and 37 stolen bases in 156 games, approaching 40-40.

Acuna failed to add a base in five games after stealing 37 bases in the team’s 152nd game that year, and ended the season with four games left after suffering an injury against the Kansas City Royals.

Again, health is the most important variable this year. Acuna returned in late April of last year after nine months of rehabilitation after injuring ligaments in his right knee ahead of the 2021 All-Star break. He displayed a batting average of 0.266, 15 home runs, and 29 stolen bases in 111 games, showing off his good health.

In the home game against the Miami Marlins on the 26th (Korean time), Acuna led a 7-4 victory with 2 hits, 1 run and 1 steal in 4 at-bats.

After the game, Atlanta coach Brian Snicker praised him, saying, “He always exceeds expectations. It’s hard to predict how much he can actually do, but it’s a special sight to see what he can do.”

Starting pitcher Charlie Morton, who won his 3rd win of the season with 3 hits and 1 run in 7 innings that day, said, “His talent is really unbelievable.

This day marked the fifth anniversary of Akuna’s debut in the major leagues. He made his debut on April 26, 2018, starting left field six times in an away game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park, going 1-for-5 with one run and striking out two. 메이저사이트

As of this day, Acuna is marking a batting average of 0.364 (36 hits in 99 at-bats), 3 homers, 11 RBIs, 21 runs, 13 stolen bases, and an OPS of 0.988 in 24 games. Hits and stolen bases rank first in both leagues combined, and runs scored rank first in the National League. WAR is 1.6, 5th overall.

MLB.com said, “Acuna is leading the major leagues with 13 multi-hit games and 13 stolen bases, and continues to play an MVP-level performance.” are aiming He said, or he might be aiming for at least 50 stolen bases.’

Regarding this, Acuna said in an interview, “Obviously, the perk of being healthy is that you can go out and show your ability every day,” and said, “The most important thing is to stay healthy. Let’s see how many bases I steal on the day the season ends.”