Ronald Acuña Jr., the reigning National League MVP, continues to make history with the Atlanta Braves. On Monday, the four-time All-Star set a new franchise record for stolen bases, surpassing the previous mark of 189 held by Rafael Furcal.
Acuña reached the milestone in the Braves’ 21st game of the season, stealing his 190th career base. The outfielder was unaware of the impending record until after the game, saying, “I didn’t know I was on the brink to be honest. Usually when I’m approaching a record, someone tells me or I see it online. This time I didn’t see it. But I think it’s better this way. It’s great. I didn’t even know what had happened.”
Despite a slow start to the season in terms of power, with just one home run through Atlanta’s first 21 games, Acuña remains a force on the base paths. He currently ranks second in the league with 10 steals, trailing only Elly De La Cruz.
Acuña’s stolen base prowess is a key part of the Braves’ success. The 25-year-old outfielder is in good company with his 190 career stolen bases, sitting just 50 steals behind Hank Aaron (240) on the Braves’ all-time list. Herman Long holds the all-time Braves’ franchise steals record with 434 steals, while King Kelly holds Atlanta’s single-season franchise record with 84.
Acuña’s record-setting performance comes after he suffered a complete tear of his anterior cruciate ligament in 2021, prematurely ending his season. He returned to action in 2022 and went on to steal 29 bases.
The Braves’ right fielder is now 397th in all-time career steals, tied with Braggo Roth, Lorenzo Cain, and George Browne. He is poised to continue climbing the ranks and further cement his place in Braves history as one of the greatest base stealers of all time.
