Page 66 - 2021 ATL Media Guide

RONALD ACUÑA JR.
FRONT OFFICE • Has three games with three or more • Is the 11th player in Braves history with at
least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in
hits, which is tied with fellow Braves
a season, and the first since 2012, when
OF Andruw Jones for the most such
postseason games prior to turning 23.
21 steals.
• Had a postseason career-best four hits in OF Jason Heyward had 27 homers and
Game 4 of the 2019 Division Series at St. • Also had 26 home runs and 16 stolen
Louis, the most by an Atlanta player in a bases in 2018...He is the sixth player
MANAGER & STAFF had four in Game 3 of the 1999 World Mike Trout in 2012 and 2013, with two
in baseball history, and the first since
playoff game since Bret Boone, who also
Series.
20-homer/15-steal seasons prior to his
22nd birthday.
• Became the youngest player in baseball
history to hit a grand slam in a postseason • Also led the N.L. in 2019 in runs scored with
game, when he did so at age 20 in Game 127…That is tied for third most in a single season
3 of the 2018 NLDS vs. Los Angeles… in franchise modern-era history (since 1900),
RONALD ACUÑA JR. from RH Walker Buehler…21-year-old Furcal (130 in 2003)…Hank Aaron also scored
It came on a 3-1, second-inning pitch
trailing Dale Murphy (131 in 1983) and Rafael
Yankees OF Mickey Mantle was previously
127 in 1962…Acuña Jr. was the first Braves player
to lead the N.L. in runs scored since 1985, when
the youngest (Game 5 of the 1953 World
Series)…Acuña Jr.’s slam was the seventh
Dale Murphy scored 118.
in Braves postseason history and the first • Also finished that season, 2019, with 101 RBI...
since Adam LaRoche hit one in Game He reached the 100-RBI mark at 21 years, 276
4 of the 2005 NLDS at Houston…It also days, the 14th-youngest player in baseball history
SEASON IN REVIEW • Has two career game-ending hits, both of which • Had a career-best 32-game on-base streak, from
marked the first slam of Acuña Jr.’s career.
to reach 100 RBI in a season…Hall-of-Famers
Al Kaline and Mel Ott each had two of these
seasons.
came in August 2019.
• On 8/3 against Cincinnati, with the game
6/19-7/28/19, hitting .290/.388/.496 over the
tied at four in the bottom of the 10th
stretch with eight home runs and 15 RBI.
inning, drilled a walk-off single off RH • Made his major-league debut on 4/25/18 at
Robert Stephenson.
PLAYER DEVELOPMENT • Three weeks later, on 8/22 against Miami, Cincinnati, at 20 years, 128 days…He became
the youngest position player to debut for Atlanta
singled off RH Ryne Stanek to score
since Wilson Betemit in 2001 (19 years, 320
Adeiny Hechavarría in the bottom of the
days)…Entered the season as MLB.com’s overall
ninth inning…Atlanta won, 3-2.
• In his first full major-league season, 2019, hit
• Hit his first career homer in his second
a team-most 41 home runs and stole a N.L.- No. 2 prospect.
most 37 bases, becoming one of five players game, off the Reds’ Homer Bailey…At 20
in baseball history to reach those numbers in a years, 129 days, was the youngest player
BRAVES HISTORY HR, 40 SB in 1988), Barry Bonds (42 HR, 40 SB in Jones, who also did so against Cincinnati
season...The four others are José Canseco (42
to homer for the Braves since Andruw
1996), Alex Rodríguez (42 HR, 46 SB in 1998) and
in 1997 (20 years, 122 days).
Alfonso Soriano (46 HR, 41 SB in 2006)...Acuña
Jr. is the youngest of that group. • 2B Ozzie Albies (21 years, 110 days) also
homered in the game…By combined
• Playing the season at age 21, became the age, Albies and Acuña Jr. were 41 years,
second player in baseball history to have 238 days old...The last major league duo
at least 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases younger by combined age to homer in
OPPONENTS in a season prior to his 22nd birthday... the same game was Ricky Seilheimer
The only other player to do so was Mike
(19 years, 331 days) and Harold Baines
Trout, who had 30 home runs and 49
stolen bases as a 20-year-old in 2012... (21 years, 133 days) for the White Sox on
7/26/80...Seilheimer and Baines were 41
Only three other Braves have gone 30/30 years, 99 days.
at any age (Ron Gant, 1990 and 1991; • Hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning on 7/3/18
Dale Murphy, 1983; Hank Aaron, 1963)... at New York-AL to give Atlanta the 5-3 win...
MISCELLANEOUS 66 130th game, the quickest a Braves player player to hit a game-winning extra-inning home
Reached the 30/30 mark in Atlanta’s
With his game-winning homer, became the only
has ever accomplished the feat.
run at Yankee Stadium prior to his 21st birthday.
2021 ATLANTA BRAVES MEDIA GUIDE