Tag Archives: Ronald Acuna Jr.

Elly De La Cruz Becomes Youngest MLB Player to Post 25 HR, 60 SB Season

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Elly De La Cruz has etched his name in the annals of Major League Baseball history.

The 22-year-old Dominican professional baseball infielder, who plays for the Cincinnati Reds, became the youngest player in MLB history to hit 25 home runs and steal 60 bases in a season during his team’s 7-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.

Elly De La CruzBut that’s not all… He’s also the first shortstop with 25 homers and 65 steals in a season.

De La Cruz hit the benchmark when he blasted his 25th home run of the season in the fourth inning, a three-run shot that struck the railing just below the upper-level bar in right field, to make the score 6-0. He finished the game with three hits, including a double, and four RBIs.

De La Cruz joined Eric Davis and Barry Larkin as the only Reds players with 25 homers and 65 stolen bases in a season.

“It means a lot to me, those are great players,” De La Cruz said. “I feel great. I wanted to finish strong.”

De La Cruz stole his 65th base of the season on Friday night. It was his 100th career stolen base in his 251st career game.

Also on Saturday, De La Cruz became the third player in major league history with 35 doubles, 25 homers and 60 stolen bases in a season, joining the Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. in 2023 and Cincinnati’s Joe Morgan in 1973, according to ESPN Research.

Luisangel Acuna Makes MLB Debut After Being Promoted by New York Mets From Triple-A Syracuse

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Luisangel Acuna has received a big promotion…

Seeking to strengthen the bench for a potential postseason run, the New York Mets promoted the 22-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball infielder from Triple-A Syracuse, the team announced on Saturday.

Luisangel AcunaThe younger brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr., Luisangel was in the starting lineup for his major league debut on Saturday in a 6-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

He played shortstop and batted ninth, going 2-for-4. Acuña recorded his first hit with a single to center field off Taijuan Walker leading off the fourth and started the ninth with a single to center off Carlos Estevez.

“Good to see him fight and get us going in the ninth,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I thought he was good.”

Acuna has played second base, shortstop and center field at Syracuse, where he has posted a .258 average, 7 home runs, 50 RBIs and 40 stolen bases.

The Mets acquired Acuna in a trade on July 30, 2023, when New York dealt pitcher Max Scherzer and cash to the Texas Rangers.

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor reported back tightness Friday night in the Mets’ 11-3 win over the Phillies and left the game early. He is considered day-to-day. Second baseman Jeff McNeil is out the rest of the regular season with a broken wrist.

Outfielder DJ Stewart was sent down to make room for Acuña on New York’s roster.

Ronald Acuña Jr. Earns 2024 Espy Awards Nod for Best MLB Player

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Ronald Acuña Jr. is in the running…

The 2024 Espy Awards nominations have been revealed, with the 26-year-old Venezuelan baseball outfielder for the Atlanta Braves earning a nod.

Ronald Acuña Jr.,
Acuña, who won the National League Most Valuable Player Award lin 2023, is up for Best MLB Player.

Alex Pereira has also earned a nod.

The 36-year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer is nominated in the Best UFC Fighter category.

Pereira is the current UFC light heavyweight champion and a former UFC middleweight champion.

Seniesa Estrada is up for Best Boxer; Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí is nominated for Best Soccer Player, Carlos Alcaraz has earned a nod in the Best Tennis Player category and Kamilla Cardoso and her fellow South Carolina Gamecocks are up for Best Team.

Winners will be announced July 11 in a ceremony hosted by Serena Williams at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. It will air on ABC live at 8:00 pm ET/ 5:00 pm PT.

Here is the complete list of 2024 nominees.

BEST ATHLETE, MEN’S SPORTS
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels / Los Angeles Dodgers
Scottie Scheffler, Golf
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

BEST ATHLETE, WOMEN’S SPORTS
Caitlin Clark, Iowa Women’s Basketball
Coco Gauff, Tennis
Nelly Korda, Golf
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces 

BEST BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE
Haleigh Bryant, LSU Gymnastics
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Juju Watkins, USC Women’s Basketball
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

BEST RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE
49ers Christian McCaffrey scores a TD for a record breaking 17 straight games
Caitlin Clark becomes NCAA’s All Time Scoring Leader breaking Pete Maravich’s Record
Tara VanDerveer, Stanford Women’s Basketball – gets 1,203rd win to pass Coach K for most by any coach in NCAA basketball history
Max Verstappen wins record 10th consecutive race with victory at Italian Grand Prix 

BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE
Michigan’s Blake Corum and Will Johnson, 2024 College Football National Championship MVPs
Kayla Martello, Boston College Women’s Lacrosse
Midge Purce, NJ/NY Gotham FC – NWSL Championship MVP
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics 

BEST COMEBACK ATHLETE
Simone Biles, Gymnast
Paige Bueckers, University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball
Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns
Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans 

BEST PLAY
Jayda Coleman calls GAME sending Oklahoma to their 4th Straight Championship – NCAA Softball 6/4/2024
Anthony Edwards Dunk of the Year – 3/18/24 – NBA
Alabama scores on 4th & 31 to win vs. Auburn 11/25/23
Lamar Jackson Caught His Own Pass & Ran With it – 1/28/24 – NFL

BEST TEAM
South Carolina Gamecocks, NCAA Women’s Basketball
Kansas City Chiefs, NFL
Michigan Wolverines, NCAA Football
Las Vegas Aces, WNBA
University of Connecticut Huskies, NCAA Men’s Basketball
Oklahoma Sooners, NCAA Softball
Boston Celtics, NBA
Florida Panthers, NHL
Texas Rangers, MLB

BEST COLLEGE ATHLETE, MEN’S SPORTS
Jayden Daniels, LSU Football
Zach Edey, Purdue Men’s Basketball
Ousmane Sylla, Clemson Soccer
Pat Kavanagh, Notre Dame Lacrosse 

BEST COLLEGE ATHLETE, WOMEN’S SPORTS
Haleigh Bryant, LSU Gymnastics
Caitlin Clark, Iowa Basketball
Sarah Franklin, Wisconsin Volleyball
Izzy Scane, Northwestern Lacrosse 

BEST ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY
Jaydin Blackwell World Champion Sprinter
Ezra Frech, World Champion High Jumper
Brenna Huckaby Snowboarding Champion
Oksana Masters, Cross-Country Skier/Hand Cyclist 

BEST NFL PLAYER
Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers 

BEST MLB PLAYER
Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves
Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
Corey Seager, Texas Rangers

BEST NHL PLAYER
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers 

BEST NBA PLAYER
Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics 

BEST WNBA PLAYER
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces 

BEST DRIVER
Ryan Blaney, NASCAR
Matt Hagan, NHRA
Álex Palou, IndyCar
Max Verstappen, F1

BEST UFC FIGHTER
Islam Makhachev
Sean O’Malley
Alex Pereira
Zhang Weili

BEST BOXER
Terence Crawford
Seniesa Estrada
Naoya Inoue
Oleksandr Usyk

BEST SOCCER PLAYER
Aitana Bonmatí, Spain
Naomi Girma, USWNT
Vinicius Junior, Brazil/Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappé, France/Real Madrid

BEST GOLFER
Nelly Korda
Xander Schauffele
Scottie Scheffler
Lilia Vu 

BEST TENNIS PLAYER
Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic
Coco Gauff
Iga Swiatek

Ronald Acuña Jr. Signs with Bad Bunny’s Rimas Sports for Representation

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Ronald Acuña Jr. has new all-star representation…

Rimas Sports — an agency partnership between Bad Bunny and executives Noah Assad and Jonathan Miranda — has signed the Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder who plays for the Atlanta Braves to an exclusive representation agreement.

Ronald Acuña Jr., Rimas Sports, Bad Bunny,“We are thrilled to welcome the Acuña family to Rimas Sports,” Miranda, CEO of Rimas Sports, said in a statement. “Ronald is a once-in-a-generation player, and we are confident that together we will take his extraordinary career to new heights. Acuña is aligned with Rimas Sports’ foundational principle of empowering the next generation of Latin American players by helping them build lasting legacies for themselves, their families, and their communities.”

The renowned athlete kicked off his career with Braves organization in 2014 and made his MLB debut in 2018 when he nabbed the Rookie of the Year title.

In 2023, the four-time MLB All-Star was named the 2023 National League Most Valuable Player in his sixth major-league season, marking the eighth time a Braves player has nabbed the title after Freddie Freeman (2020), Chipper Jones (1999), Terry Pendleton (1991), Dale Murphy (1982, 1983), Hank Aaron (1957), Robert Elliott (1947) and Johnny Evers (1914).

A press statement at the time noted that Acuña “was a unanimous selection, receiving 30 of 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. He finished with 420 points, 150 more than runner-up Mookie Betts.”

To celebrate his new MVP title, award-winning Mexican-American producer Samuel Ash dropped “La Bestia,” a catchy dembow song performed by Dominican artist Niko Eme.

“We wanted something that felt global and to do something we could put a chant to,” Ash previously told Billboard. “I know dembow is a Dominican genre but I felt that it could still feel global and resonate with him as a Venezuelan.”

Ronald Acuna Jr. Wins MLB’s National League Hank Aaron Award

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Ronald Acuna Jr. has picked up another prestigious honor…

The 25-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder for the Atlanta Braves has won the 2023 Hank Aaron Awards on Saturday, presented by Major League Baseball (MLB) to the most outstanding offensive performer in each league.

Ronald Acuña Jr.,The MLB award is picked by fan balloting combined with votes from a panel of Hall of Famers and former winners, a group that this year included Johnny Bench, Craig Biggio, Ken Griffey Jr., Derek Jeter, Chipper Jones, Pedro Martínez, Eddie Murray, Albert Pujols, David Ortiz, John Smoltz and Robin Yount.

Acuna was a unanimous winner of his first National League MVP after becoming the first big leaguer with 40 homers and 70 stolen bases in a season.

Acuna was second in the NL with a .336 batting average for the Braves and led the major leagues with 149 runs, 217 hits, 386 total bases and 73 stolen bases while hitting 41 home runs with 106 RBI.

Shohei Ohtani, meantime, won the American League’s Hank Aaron Award.

The pair also won Most Valuable Player awards last month in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Ohtani was the first two-time unanimous MVP.

Every team nominated candidates for the Aaron awards and a group of MLB.com writers picked nine finalists in each league. The awards were introduced in 1999 to honor the 25th anniversary of Aaron breaking Babe Ruth‘s career home run record.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Wins National League’s Most Valuable Player Award in Unanimous Fashion

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Ronald Acuna Jr. is the unanimous choice…

The 25-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball player, an outfielder for the Atlanta Braves, has been named the Most Valuable Player of Major League Baseball’s National League, in unanimous fashion no less.

Ronald Acuña Jr.,In the American League, Shohei Ohtani was the unanimous choice for MVP.

Acuna and Ohtani’s unanimous wins are historic, since it’s an unprecedented occurrence in the 92-year history of the award.

Acuna beat out Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who came in second on all 30 ballots.

A force at the leadoff spot for a fearsome Braves lineup, Acuna combined 41 home runs with an NL-leading 73 stolen bases, easily becoming the first ever member of the 40-70 club.

He also led the NL in on-base percentage (.416), OPS (1.012), hits (217) and runs scored (149). His .337 batting average trailed only Miami Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez (.354) for the major league lead.

Acuna did not attend his scheduled conference call with BBWAA members because he debuted for the Tiburones de La Guaira of the Venezuelan winter league shortly after claiming the award. The game was pushed back an hour to accommodate the announcement.

Acuna won the NL Rookie of the Year Award during his age-20 season in 2018 — Ohtani won the AL version that year — and finished fifth in NL MVP voting during his age-21 season in 2019, clearly establishing himself as one of the most dynamic forces in the sport. But he suffered a torn ACL in the middle of the 2021 season, forcing him to merely watch from the dugout while his Braves teammates won a championship later that fall. The following year, he was admittedly not himself. The explosiveness that helped elevate him to stardom was lacking. His timing in the batter’s box was off.

Acuna spent the ensuing offseason working diligently on his conditioning and trained with Fernando Tatis Sr., father of his good friend Fernando Tatis Jr., on slightly lowering his hands to lessen some of the moving parts in his swing and get his bat through the zone more quickly. Through six months of baseball’s regular season, Acuna’s OPS never fell below .900.

Acuna’s stolen-base total was aided by new rules that introduced a pitch clock, increased the size of bases and limited the number of pitcher disengagements, but he hit 13 more home runs than the next-closest player ever to 70 stolen bases and stole 27 more bases than the next-closest player ever to 40 home runs.

“I don’t know what to say — just super excited, happy,” Acuna, surrounded by family and friends in his native Venezuela, told MLB Network in Spanish. “Hopefully, by the grace of God, I can have an even better year next year than the one I just had.”

Tampa Bay Rays’ Star Yandy Diaz Wins His First Silver Slugger Award

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Yandy Diaz is celebrating his first silver moment…

The 32-year-old Cuban professional baseball player and Tampa Bay Rays star has won his first Silver Slugger Award, which is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball.

Yandy DiazDiaz, who has played for the Rays since 2019, won the award in the American League’s first base position. He was this year’s AL batting champion.

Seattle Mariners’ star Julio Rodriguez has picked up his second Silver Slugger Award.

The 22-year-old Dominican professional baseball center fielder won one of the outfield awards in the American League.

In the National League voting, 25-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball player William Contreras, who plays for the Milwaukee Brewers, has claimed his maiden Silver Slugger.

NL batting champion Luis Arraez (.354) of the Miami Marlins won his second in a row after winning in 2022 with the AL‘s Minnesota Twins.

Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. collected his third Silver Slugger Award in the outfield, alongside San Diego Padres’ Juan Soto, who claimed his fourth award.

Francisco Lindor, the 29-year-old Puerto Rican professional baseball shortstop for the New York Mets, picked up the third Silver Slugger prize of his career.

The Texas Rangers received their first American League Offensive Team of the Year honor.

Louisville Slugger presented the Atlanta Braves with the inaugural National League Offensive Team of the Year award as determined by a combination of offensive statistics and a fan vote for finalists between September 25-October 1.

Both the Rangers and Braves led their leagues in runs, hits, home runs, RBIs, batting average, slugging percentage and OPS.

Here’s the full list of winners: 

American League
C: Adley Rutschman (Baltimore)
1B: Yandy Diaz (Tampa Bay)
2B: Marcus Semien (Texas)
SS: Corey Seager (Texas)
3B: Rafael Devers (Boston)
OF: Kyle Tucker (Houston), Julio Rodriguez (Seattle), Luis Robert Jr. (Chicago)
DH: Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles)
UTIL: Gunnar Henderson (Baltimore)

National League
C: William Contreras (Milwaukee)
1B: Matt Olson (Atlanta)
2B: Luis Arraez (Miami)
SS: Francisco Lindor (New York)
3B: Austin Riley (Atlanta)
OF: Ronald Acuna Jr. (Atlanta), Mookie Betts (Los Angeles), Juan Soto (San Diego)
DH: Bryce Harper (Philadelphia)
UTIL: Cody Bellinger (Chicago)

Ronald Acuna Jr. Named a National League MVP Finalist

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Ronald Acuna Jr. has landed on the MVP finals list…

The 25-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball player and Atlanta Braves outfielder is among the finalists for the National League MVP award, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced in a show televised on MLB Network.

Ronald Acuña Jr.,Acuña had a record-breaking season for the Braves, becoming the first player to finish a season with 40 home runs and 70 stolen bases.

The other two finalists for the award include former Braves star Freddie Freeman and his Los Angeles Dodgers teammate, Mookie Betts.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas is among the American League Rookie of the Year finalists include Baltimore shortstop Gunnar Henderson and Cleveland right-hander Tanner Bibee.

The AL Cy Young Award will come down to three right-handers vying for their first plaque: the New York Yankees’ Gerrit Cole, Toronto Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman and Minnesota Twins’ Sonny Gray, who officially hit free agency at 5:00 pm ET on Monday.

In the NL, left-hander Blake Snell — also a free agent — is the favorite to win his second Cy Young, while San Francisco’s Logan Webb and Zac Gallen of NL champion Arizona are seeking their first.

Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll is the distinct favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year and is a finalist alongside New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga and Dodgers outfielder James Outman.

The final BBWAA award, Manager of the Year, is headlined in the NL by Craig Counsell, who was hired away Monday from Milwaukee by the Chicago Cubs. He’s opposed by Atlanta’s Brian Snitker and the favorite, Miami manager Skip Schumaker, who led the Marlins to the postseason despite a -57 run differential.

The AL slate is led by Rangers manager Bruce Bochy — who last won the award in 1996 — along with two-time winner Kevin Cash of Tampa Bay and Baltimore’s Brandon Hyde, who led the Orioles to a 101-win season and the AL East title.

Rookie of the Year results will be announced next week, with Manager of the Year on November 14, Cy Young on November 15 and MVP on November 16.

Ronald Acuña Jr. Named MLB’s Player of the Year by Major League Baseball Players Association

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Ronald Acuña Jr. is this year’s Major League Baseball all-star, according to his peers…

The 25-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder and Atlanta Braves right fielder has been voted player of the year and the National League‘s outstanding player by fellow major leaguers in the annual Players Choice Awards of the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Ronald Acuña Jr.,Los Angeles Angels designated hitter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani was voted the American League‘s outstanding player, the union said Thursday.

Acuña became the first player with 40 homers and 70 stolen bases in a season, hitting .337 with 41 homers, 106 RBIs and 73 stolen bases. No player previously had 40 homers and 50 steals in a season.

Ohtani hit .304 with 44 homers, 95 RBIs and 20 stolen bases and went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings. His pitching season ended August 23 because of a torn elbow ligament, an injury that will keep him from the mound until 2025. His hitting season ended September 3 due to an oblique strain.

Ohtani is expected to be the top player on the free agent market.

Marcus Semien, the second baseman of the World Series champion Texas Rangers, won his second Marvin Miller man of the year award, given to a player whose leadership inspires others. Semien, who also received the award in 2021, is a member of the union’s eight-man executive subcommittee.

Former outfielder Phil Bradley was awarded the Curt Flood Award for advancement of players’ rights and devotion to the union. Bradley is a union special assistant for international and domestic special events.

The New York Yankees‘ Gerrit Cole was selected as the AL outstanding pitcher and San Diego‘s Blake Snell the NL outstanding pitcher.

Comeback players were Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger in the NL and Chicago White Sox reliever Liam Hendriks in the AL.

Outstanding rookies were Arizona outfielder Corbin Carroll in the NL and Baltimore infielder Gunnar Henderson in the AL.

Ronald Acuña Jr. Becomes First MLB Player to Hit at least 40 Home Runs & Steal 70 Bases in Single Season

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Ronald Acuña Jr.  is making Major League Baseball history…

The 25-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder’s steal of second base in the 10th inning of a hard-fought matchup between his Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs was Acuña’s second of the night and 70th this season, making him the first player in MLB history to hit at least 40 home runs and steal 70 bases in a single season.

Ronald Acuña Jr., It came just moments before teammate Ozzie Albies drove him home for the winning run, setting off pandemonium at Truist Park as the Braves secured the No. 1 seed in the National League playoffs.

“Very happy, mostly that we were able to win,” Acuña said through an interpreter after the 6-5 victory. “I’m extremely happy to have created the 40-70 club.”

Acuña has 41 homers, extending a historic season that already saw him become the first 40-50 and 40-60 player. He is the second Braves player with 70 steals in a season since 1900, joining Otis Nixon in 1991 (72).

“It was one of those numbers that wasn’t impossible but seemed impossible,” Acuña said.

Atlanta erased deficits of 3-1, 4-3 and 5-4 against the Cubs, with Marcell Ozuna hitting a tying homer in the ninth before Acuña singled home Kevin Pillar to tie the game at 5 in the 10th. Then on the first pitch to Albies, Acuña took off for second, sliding safely in headfirst. He acknowledged the crowd, then took the base out of the ground and held it high above his head before sending it back to the dugout.

“It’s crazy what he’s done,” Albies said. “I told myself I need to come through right here. Whatever it takes. I’m happy I came through in that spot and we won that game.”

Added Acuña: “Super emotional game. It felt like a playoff atmosphere. This is a preview to what could be in the postseason.”

By clinching the NL’s top seed, the Braves will have home-field advantage through the National League Championship Series should they advance that far. Atlanta (102-56) needs one win to guarantee home-field advantage through the World Series.

“It’s great if we get past the first round,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “We had it in 2021 against the Dodgers, which is big. You play a team like that, you want to play as many games as you can here.”

The loss was the second heartbreaker in a row for the Cubs, who are battling for their playoff lives in the NL wild-card race.

Chicago dropped into a tie with the Miami Marlins for the NL‘s third and final wild card at 82-76, but would lose a tiebreaker with them.

As meaningful as the win was for the Braves, it was secondary to Acuña’s historic night.

“That’s about as good as it gets,” Snitker said. “I thought it was great when he picked up the bag. The fans had to love that. We all did because it was a special moment.”

Ozuna had just one simple message regarding his teammate.

“I just say three words: MVP.

“It’s no doubt.”