Watch: Ronald Acuna Jr.'s hometown goes crazy as Braves star becomes the newest member of 40/40 club
Ronald Acuna Jr. sent his hometown crazy after becoming the first player in MLB history to hit 40 home runs and have 60 stolen bases in the same season.
The Atlanta Braves outfielder hit his 40th moonshot in the first inning against the Washington Nationals to reach the historic milestone. Fans in the Venezuelan's hometown of La Sabana celebrated in the streets, as their hero reached an amazing record.
Having already entered the 30-30 club in the 2019 season, the 2018 NL Rookie of the Year has now better that record by becoming the first player ever to achieve a 40-60 record.
He became only the fifth player in the history of the MLB to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season, but his 66 stolen bases remain unmatched.
Acuna Jr. comes from the Venezuelan town of La Sabana, which has produced several baseball players in the past. His grandfather and father both played minor league baseball, with the latter also representing the Venezuelan national team.
Acuna Jr. followed their steps and was signed as an international free agent by the Braves in 2014. After rising through the ranks, he made his major league debut in 2018 and has established himself as one of the best players in the league since then.
Starting Friday's game against the Nationals on 39 home runs, Acuna Jr.'s fans tuned in to witness the moment he hit his 40th and he didn't leave them waiting long.
He launched a solo homer in the first inning to get his team on the board, sending MLB fans across the world crazy.
Ronald Acuna Jr. becomes youngest player in MLB history to record 160 HRs and 160 stolen bases
Ronald Acuna Jr.'s 40th home run of the season during Friday's game against the Washington Nationals has made several records in MLB history. The Atlanta Braves outfielder becomes the first player to reach 160 home runs and stolen bases who is 25 years or younger.
At the same time, he is now the only player to record 40 homers and steal 60 bases in a season and remains only two shy of a historic 40-70 season. The NL MVP frontrunner has plenty of time to reach that milestone as well, and his historic season continues.