The Atlanta Braves are sitting atop the National League East Division with a record of 15-6. As an organization, they have produced many star players. Atlanta is the oldest franchise in Major League Baseball and has been around since 1966. Players like Hank Aaron, Chipper Jones, and Freddie Freeman have played for the Braves throughout the years.
For the last six years, Atlanta Braves fans have seen one star emerge. The baseball team won the World Series in 2021 and has broken several records in the ensuing years. On Monday night, Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. broke the Atlanta franchise record for the most stolen bases by a single player. Acuna Jr still has more to achieve but he surpassed a former Braves shortstop in this category.
Atlanta Braves Right Fielder Breaks Stolen Base Record
He secured the bag 🤫
@ronaldacunajr24 has just swiped the record for the most stolen bases in Atlanta-franchise history! pic.twitter.com/CSXOhm6x13— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 22, 2024
Ronald Acuna Jr has accomplished quite a bit with the Atlanta Braves in his six seasons. At 26 years old, he has been the highlight of the organization. Not only with his power at bat but in his base running ability. Last night against the Miami Marlins, he broke the franchise record with 190 stolen bases.
The only other Braves player to do this was Rafael Furcal back in the early 2000s. Furcal played for the Atlanta Braves from 2000-05 as a golden glove shortstop. Furcal held the previous record of 189 stolen bases with the Braves before leaving the team. To many fans of Atlanta, the play of Acuna Jr. has become normal. His power has not taken off yet, but his ability on the basepaths has made up for it to start 2024.
Last year, the Venezuelan won the National League MVP. He also hit 40 home runs with 70 stolen bases in 2023. It took a while as breaking such a record is not easy in professional baseball. But, Acuna Jr was able to do it before the age of 30. This is unheard of at such a young age as everyone knows how talented the 26-year-old is.
Truthfully, he is just scratching the surface as there is still more to be done as his career progresses.
Atlanta Braves 2024 Season Start
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Atlanta is currently one game back from having the best record in Major League Baseball. The Braves are trying to keep their pitching intact as they lost their best guy Spencer Strider to a season-ending injury. Though, the entire league has been plagued with injuries to starting pitchers this year.
On Monday night, Bryce Elder pitched for 6 2/3 innings for the Atlanta Braves. He did not allow any earned runs in their shutout victory against Miami. It was an impressive performance as some pitchers get pulled out of games sooner in this era of the majors. Travis d’Arnaud has been on a homerun streak in the last eight games as well.
The team will continue their series against the Miami Marlins before they take a daybreak on Thursday. Ronald Acuna Jr is becoming an all-time great as a power hitter, and baserunner. It is a different generation of baseball that shows young talent who are skilled beyond measure. This is what makes the sport more exciting to watch, despite the rule changes that have taken place in the last several years.
Fans of Major League Baseball were not all in favor of the pitch clock that was brought into the game within the last two years. It was designed to speed up games played throughout the season, but it tires out the pitchers on the mound at a faster rate. Now, pro baseball fans are getting used to the change to pitchers.
The evolvement of younger athletes keeps the game fun. Players such as Ronald Acuna Jr show why the continuous love for the game still exists.
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James has been a sportswriter for two years. He is a close follower of college sports, the NFL, and MLB—a fan of the Michigan Wolverines, Green Bay Packers, and the Atlanta Braves. He is a substitute teacher for grades 9–12 and has enjoyed his time helping students learn in the classroom over the last eight years. Follow me on Twitter/X (@michfan20).
