Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. Picked Off Twice, Still Has Hall of Fame Company

Reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. had a tough night on the basepaths Sunday, but at least the Atlanta Braves star is joined by Joe Morgan in the history books.

May 12, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) calls for a challenge. / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves were unable to complete the sweep over the New York Mets on Sunday, and superstar outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. played a part in the series-ending defeat.

Acuña went 1-for-4 with a single, a walk and a strikeout in what turned out to be a 4-3 loss. On top of that, he made multiple outs on the basepaths.

After Acuña singled to left in the fifth, starting pitcher Luis Severino picked him off at first. Acuña drew a walk in the seventh, only to get picked off again by reliever Reed Garrett.

The Mets had to challenge the call on the field to get the out, but Acuña was out nonetheless. The Braves were ultimately unable to score a run in either the fifth or seventh.

Ronald Acuña Jr. has been picked off at first base TWICE by the Mets tonight pic.twitter.com/rnMh6ER98M

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 13, 2024

Even in an unenviable performance, though, Acuña still managed to join a Hall of Famer in the baseball history books.

Acuña became the first former MVP winner to get picked off twice in the same game since Joe Moran did so on July 9, 1977, per OptaSTATS. That poor performance came on the heels of Morgan's back-to-back NL MVPs with the Cincinnati Reds in 1975 and 1976.

Ronald Acuna Jr. was picked off twice in today's game against the Mets. He's the first former MLB MVP award winner to be picked off twice in a game since Joe Morgan on July 9, 1977, versus Houston. pic.twitter.com/PwmMrGqBuF

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) May 13, 2024

Acuña, meanwhile, won NL MVP in 2023 after finishing the season with 41 home runs, 106 RBI, 73 stolen bases, a .337 batting average, a 1.012 OPS and an 8.2 WAR.

The 26-year-old hasn't come anywhere near that level of production so far in 2024, as he is currently batting just .252 with three home runs, 10 RBI, 14 stolen bases, a .714 OPS and a 0.3 WAR.

Acuña has stolen just one base in his last 10 games.

Despite Acuña's struggles, and his game-altering blunders on Sunday, the Braves are still 24-13 on the season, which puts them on pace for a 105-win campaign. Atlanta will return home Monday to open a series with the Chicago Cubs, who boast a 24-17 record.

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