Ronald Acuña Jr. was voted the MLB player of the year by his peers as well as the National League’s outstanding player at the annual Players Choice Awards of the Major League Baseball Players Association. Los Angeles Angels pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani was voted the American League’s outstanding player.

Acuña made history this season by becoming the first player in the major leagues ever to reach 40 homers and 70 stolen bases in a single season. The Atlanta Braves right fielder hit .337 with 41 homers, 106 RBIs, and 73 stolen bases.

Other winners on the night include Marcus Semien, the second baseman of the World Series champion Texas Rangers, who won the Marvin Miller man of the year award for leadership and Phil Bradley, who won the Curt Flood Award for the advancement of players’ rights and devotion to the union.

The post Ronald Acuña Jr. Voted MLB Player of the Year appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a home run in his team’s 6-9 win over the Washington Nationals on Friday night to get his season total to 40 homers. By doing this, Acuña became just the fifth player in MLB history to have at least 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season.

Acuña is the first new member of the 40-40 club since Nationals’ Alfonso Soriano joined in 2006. José Canseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996), and Alex Rodriguez (1998) are the remaining three players to reach the mark.

It is important to note that Acuña currently has 68 stolen bases, while neither of the remaining four members of the 40-40 club surpassed 46 stolen bases.

Acuña’s historic performance also created several new clubs. No one has ever got to a 40-50 or 40-60 season.  

“It’s pretty incredible, and just think of how many players have played in the big leagues, and my name is alone,” Acuña said. “But I’m hoping, and I’m sure someone will break that record, too.”

Acuña is the favorite to win the NL MVP honors this season, batting a career high .337 and adding 101 RBIs. He helped the Braves own the best record in baseball at 99-55.

The post Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. 5th in MLB History to Have a 40-40 Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Atlanta Braves star slugger Ronald Acuña Jr. has managed to do something in 2023 that no other player in MLB ever did. The 25-year-old hit a grand slam home run in an 8-7 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers to become the only player in league history with 30 homers and 60 stolen bases in a single season.

“I feel privileged,” Acuña said after the game through an interpreter. “I thank God for letting me play the game I love every single day. It’s not just about me. It’s about my teammates and the fanbase. We all share this moment.”

To make it all even better, Acuña made the historic mark on the same day he got married to his longtime girlfriend, Maria Laborde. The wedding ceremony was reserved for his closest family and friends.

Acuña has been one of the best players in MLB this season, batting .338 with 30 homers, 63 stolen bases, and 83 RBIs. He is leading the league with 181 hits and 63 stolen bases.

With the help of Acuña, the Braves have become the most dominant team in baseball in 2023. They have a league-leading 88 wins and firmly sit in first place in the NL East.

The post Braves Slugger Ronald Acuña Jr. First in MLB History to Have 30 Homers and 60 Stolen Bases appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Baseball season is just around the corner, with the beginning of the MLB season just starting in April.

The National League is set to be a competition filled with powerhouse teams and star players. The Washington Nationals, the surprise winners of the league and the World Series last season, have a strong roster, but do they have one of the league’s top MVP candidates?

Let’s take a look at the top three NL MVP candidates for the 2020 season.

Christian Yelich, Brewers

The 2018 NL MVP finished in second place in a close vote for the 2019 award, coming in just behind Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger. He looks to be one of the favorites for this year’s award.

The outfielder batted .329 last season with 44 home runs and 97 RBI despite only playing in 130 games due to injury. Expect more big production from the California native, who just agreed to a 9-year, $215 million extension with his team, in 2020. A great eye at the plate and a power surge that coincided with his trade from the Marlins to Milwaukee has turned him into one of the top players in the league, and expect his production to continue in 2020.

Mookie Betts, Dodgers

The biggest trade of the 2019-20 MLB offseason sent perennial All-Star outfielder Mookie Betts from the Boston Red Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers, establishing a new big star in the National League.

Betts and Yelich were named MVPs in the same season, with the Nashville native having won the award in the American League during his tenure in Boston. A move to Los Angeles places the talented outfielder in the middle of a stacked lineup, which should lead him to drive in even more runs than he has in previous seasons.

Expect Betts to compete for the hardware in his first year as a Dodger.

Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves

Acuña is one of the top young stars in baseball. The Braves center fielder was exceptional in 2019 at the ripe age of 21, finishing the year with 41 long balls and 37 stolen bases.

Expect the young Venezuelan talent to continue his rise in 2020 for a team that looks to contend for a World Series title. Acuña improved his plate discipline in the 2019 season, a development that led him to post a higher-than-expected .365 on-base percentage along with his power production.

Power-speed combinations like Acuña’s are rare in today’s game and don’t be surprised if his gaudy home run and stolen base totals lead him to compete for the MVP Award.

The post NL MVP Candidates to Keep an Eye on in 2020 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The fourth 40/40 season in the history of Major League Baseball will have to wait after the Braves announced that second-year sensation Ronald Acuña Jr. will miss the rest of the regular season after suffering a mild groin injury on Tuesday night.

The Braves outfielder will finish the regular season with 41 home runs and 37 stolen bases in what has been an impressive second season for the 21-year-old phenom.

Acuña was taken out of the Braves’ 9-6 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night after experiencing hip tightness during the pursuit of a ball hit by Bubba Starling in the second inning.

The Venezuela native was then removed from the game as a precautionary measure.

While the groin strain is not described as being serious, the Braves and manager Brian Snitker have decided that it’s best for Acuña to sit out the rest of this week’s games in order to be healthy for the beginning of the playoffs next week.

Acuña will be an important piece of the Braves puzzle in the postseason as the team’s starting center fielder and leadoff hitter.

While he won’t be able to pursue a historic 40/40 season now, he should be healed and ready to go for Game 1 of the NLDS at SunTrust Park next Thursday.

The post Ronald Acuña Jr. Out For Rest of Regular Season With Groin Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Ronald Acuña Jr. was voted the MLB player of the year by his peers as well as the National League’s outstanding player at the annual Players Choice Awards of the Major League Baseball Players Association. Los Angeles Angels pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani was voted the American League’s outstanding player.

Acuña made history this season by becoming the first player in the major leagues ever to reach 40 homers and 70 stolen bases in a single season. The Atlanta Braves right fielder hit .337 with 41 homers, 106 RBIs, and 73 stolen bases.

Other winners on the night include Marcus Semien, the second baseman of the World Series champion Texas Rangers, who won the Marvin Miller man of the year award for leadership and Phil Bradley, who won the Curt Flood Award for the advancement of players’ rights and devotion to the union.

The post Ronald Acuña Jr. Voted MLB Player of the Year appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a home run in his team’s 6-9 win over the Washington Nationals on Friday night to get his season total to 40 homers. By doing this, Acuña became just the fifth player in MLB history to have at least 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season.

Acuña is the first new member of the 40-40 club since Nationals’ Alfonso Soriano joined in 2006. José Canseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996), and Alex Rodriguez (1998) are the remaining three players to reach the mark.

It is important to note that Acuña currently has 68 stolen bases, while neither of the remaining four members of the 40-40 club surpassed 46 stolen bases.

Acuña’s historic performance also created several new clubs. No one has ever got to a 40-50 or 40-60 season.  

“It’s pretty incredible, and just think of how many players have played in the big leagues, and my name is alone,” Acuña said. “But I’m hoping, and I’m sure someone will break that record, too.”

Acuña is the favorite to win the NL MVP honors this season, batting a career high .337 and adding 101 RBIs. He helped the Braves own the best record in baseball at 99-55.

The post Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. 5th in MLB History to Have a 40-40 Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Atlanta Braves star slugger Ronald Acuña Jr. has managed to do something in 2023 that no other player in MLB ever did. The 25-year-old hit a grand slam home run in an 8-7 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers to become the only player in league history with 30 homers and 60 stolen bases in a single season.

“I feel privileged,” Acuña said after the game through an interpreter. “I thank God for letting me play the game I love every single day. It’s not just about me. It’s about my teammates and the fanbase. We all share this moment.”

To make it all even better, Acuña made the historic mark on the same day he got married to his longtime girlfriend, Maria Laborde. The wedding ceremony was reserved for his closest family and friends.

Acuña has been one of the best players in MLB this season, batting .338 with 30 homers, 63 stolen bases, and 83 RBIs. He is leading the league with 181 hits and 63 stolen bases.

With the help of Acuña, the Braves have become the most dominant team in baseball in 2023. They have a league-leading 88 wins and firmly sit in first place in the NL East.

The post Braves Slugger Ronald Acuña Jr. First in MLB History to Have 30 Homers and 60 Stolen Bases appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Baseball season is just around the corner, with the beginning of the MLB season just starting in April.

The National League is set to be a competition filled with powerhouse teams and star players. The Washington Nationals, the surprise winners of the league and the World Series last season, have a strong roster, but do they have one of the league’s top MVP candidates?

Let’s take a look at the top three NL MVP candidates for the 2020 season.

Christian Yelich, Brewers

The 2018 NL MVP finished in second place in a close vote for the 2019 award, coming in just behind Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger. He looks to be one of the favorites for this year’s award.

The outfielder batted .329 last season with 44 home runs and 97 RBI despite only playing in 130 games due to injury. Expect more big production from the California native, who just agreed to a 9-year, $215 million extension with his team, in 2020. A great eye at the plate and a power surge that coincided with his trade from the Marlins to Milwaukee has turned him into one of the top players in the league, and expect his production to continue in 2020.

Mookie Betts, Dodgers

The biggest trade of the 2019-20 MLB offseason sent perennial All-Star outfielder Mookie Betts from the Boston Red Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers, establishing a new big star in the National League.

Betts and Yelich were named MVPs in the same season, with the Nashville native having won the award in the American League during his tenure in Boston. A move to Los Angeles places the talented outfielder in the middle of a stacked lineup, which should lead him to drive in even more runs than he has in previous seasons.

Expect Betts to compete for the hardware in his first year as a Dodger.

Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves

Acuña is one of the top young stars in baseball. The Braves center fielder was exceptional in 2019 at the ripe age of 21, finishing the year with 41 long balls and 37 stolen bases.

Expect the young Venezuelan talent to continue his rise in 2020 for a team that looks to contend for a World Series title. Acuña improved his plate discipline in the 2019 season, a development that led him to post a higher-than-expected .365 on-base percentage along with his power production.

Power-speed combinations like Acuña’s are rare in today’s game and don’t be surprised if his gaudy home run and stolen base totals lead him to compete for the MVP Award.

The post NL MVP Candidates to Keep an Eye on in 2020 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The fourth 40/40 season in the history of Major League Baseball will have to wait after the Braves announced that second-year sensation Ronald Acuña Jr. will miss the rest of the regular season after suffering a mild groin injury on Tuesday night.

The Braves outfielder will finish the regular season with 41 home runs and 37 stolen bases in what has been an impressive second season for the 21-year-old phenom.

Acuña was taken out of the Braves’ 9-6 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night after experiencing hip tightness during the pursuit of a ball hit by Bubba Starling in the second inning.

The Venezuela native was then removed from the game as a precautionary measure.

While the groin strain is not described as being serious, the Braves and manager Brian Snitker have decided that it’s best for Acuña to sit out the rest of this week’s games in order to be healthy for the beginning of the playoffs next week.

Acuña will be an important piece of the Braves puzzle in the postseason as the team’s starting center fielder and leadoff hitter.

While he won’t be able to pursue a historic 40/40 season now, he should be healed and ready to go for Game 1 of the NLDS at SunTrust Park next Thursday.

The post Ronald Acuña Jr. Out For Rest of Regular Season With Groin Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.