This kid really is something. Ronald Acuña Jr. has been not-so-quietly building an NL MVP case for the surging Atlanta Braves, but his latest achievement is rarer than any trophy. The "Pheñom" nabbed his 30th base of the season Friday night against the Mets, making him just the second player in MLB history to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a single season before turning 22.
Mike Trout became the first to achieve this feat back in 2012. Now, Acuña is making room next to the future Hall of Famer. All told, he's just the fourth Braves players to post a 30-30 season, joining Hank Aaron, Dale Murphy, and Ron Gant, the latter of whom did so twice.
Acuña entered Players' Weekend slashing .296/.377/.539 with 36 homers and 106 runs scored. And with the Braves primed for a second straight playoff run, the kid is beginning to unlock his massive potential at the perfect time.