Bae Ji-hwan and more than twice the difference…Akuna Gyorky overtakes 24-year-old Dominican express ‘let’s go for 80’

Ronald Acuna Jr. (26, Atlanta Braves) has finally become the all-time major league stolen base leader.

Acuna started in right field for the Braves’ 2023 Major League Baseball home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Truiste Park in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, on April 19 (ET). He went 2-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and a stolen base.

Trailing 11-12 in the bottom of the sixth inning, he singled to right off Austin Adams and stole second base off Ozzie Albies. He eventually scored the tying run on Austin Reilly’s two-run single up the middle. His 44th stolen base of the season. His first stolen base in two games since July 16 against the Chicago White Sox.안전놀이터

Acuna’s 43rd stolen base of the day tied him with Esteemed Ruiz (24, Oakland Athletics) for the major league lead in stolen bases. Ruiz recently dislocated his right shoulder and has been on the disabled list since June 6 against the Detroit Tigers. He’s out for the second half.

Once again, we see that stolen bases are all about health. Bae Ji-hwan is also on pace for 20 steals after ending the first half early with an ankle injury. He was a threat to Akuna until May, but now the gap is a whopping 24. That’s more than double.

Acuna has played in 93 games this season. He’s on pace to play in more than 150 games for the first time since 2019, when he played in 156. His durability has been a weakness in the past, including ACL surgery in 2021, which limited him to 119 games last year. This season, however, he has erased any doubts about his health by stealing 44 bases already. He’s on pace for 80 steals this season, giving him the green light to lead the majors in stolen bases.

Meanwhile, Bae has slipped to a tie for seventh place in the National League in stolen bases with Jake McCarthy (Arizona Diamondbacks). Second-place Corbin Carroll (Arizona, 28 steals), third-place Starling Marte (New York Mets, 24 steals), and fourth-place Nico Hounsou (Chicago Cubs), Trey Turner (Philadelphia Phillies), and Christian Yelich (Milwaukee Brewers, 21+ steals) are also in front of Bae.

Ruiz hasn’t played in nearly a month, but he’s still comfortably in first place in the American League. His pace in the first half of the season has been dominant. He still has a 15-steal lead over second-place Wander Franco (Tampa Bay Rays, 28 steals). Bobby Witt Jr. (Kansas City Royals, 27 steals) is right behind him.