Acuña Jr. on pace to shatter MLB records

This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman’s Braves Beat publication. To learn the total publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it repeatedly in your inbox.

Matt Olson has loved the nice view he has had whereas batting straight behind Ronald Acuña Jr.

“It’s fun to watch,” Braves first baseman Olson mentioned. “It’s every pitch against every kind of pitcher across all fields. Then he’s not done, because when he gets on he’s stealing bases. He’s making pitchers uncomfortable in the box and on the bases. He’s probably the best leadoff guy in the league right now.”

Acuña is establishing what has the potential to be one of many biggest seasons in historical past. To get a greater really feel for the place he’s heading, try this story MLB.com’s Andrew Simon wrote this weekend.

Let’s take a look at how nice Acuña has been within the first inning. Here is the place the Braves outfielder ranks amongst certified MLB gamers in these first-inning stats:

Batting common: .524 (1st)

OPS: 1.398 (2nd, min. 20 PA)

Somewhat greater than 1 / 4 of the best way via this season, it appears like he might break some MLB and Braves’ first-inning information.

Acuña is on tempo to document these first-inning statistics:

Hits: 77
MLB document: Lefty O’Doul, 64 in 1929
Braves document: Chipper Jones, 49 in 1998 and Marquis Grissom, 49 in ‘96.

Doubles: 24
MLB document: Craig Biggio, 17 in 2004 and David Wright, 17 in ‘12
Braves document: Freddie Freeman, 14 in 2014 and Marcus Giles, 14 in ‘03

Runs: 52
MLB document: Lenny Dykstra, 45 in 1993 and Rickey Henderson, 45 in ‘85
Braves document: Chipper Jones, 33 in 1999

Batting common: .524
MLB document: Lefty O’Doul, .508 in 1929
Braves document: Rogers Hornsby, .411 in ‘28

OPS: 1.398
MLB document: Babe Ruth, 1.607 in 1920
Braves document: Eddie Mathews, 1.249 in 1955