Ronald Acuna Jr. is doing things we’ve never witnessed before. On August 31, he made MLB history by becoming the first player to ever hit 30 home runs and steal 60 bases in the same season. He stole his 60th base on August 28 and hit his 30th home run against Lance Lynn of the LA Dodgers on August 31.
What makes this accomplishment that much sweeter is the fact that he made MLB history on the same day he got married to Maria Laborde – whom he shares two children with. The wedding was before the game, but he didn’t mention it to any of his teammates – so they had no idea the story that was unfolding.
Two weeks later, he was named to the coveted 2023 TIME100 Next list – which honors ‘the emerging leaders from around the world who are shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership.’ Many people, even Miguel Cabrera, believe he could be the best Venezuelan baseball player of all-time.
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Only 11 Other MLB Players Had at Least 20 HRs and 50 Stolen Bases in MLB History
What Ronald Acuna Jr. has done this season is incredible. He not only had the power to hit 30+ home runs in a single season, but the speed and opportunity to steal 60+ bases in that same season. Not only that, but he now has 37 homers and 66 stolen bases, so he might reach the 40-70 club very soon.
Acuna Jr. is the 12th player, but he stands in a league of his own. Miguel Cabrera, who wrote an excerpt about Ronald for the TIME100 Next list, said it best: “He is the kind of player that fans pay to watch play. He can change the game with a single hit, his defense, or his baserunning.” There’s not much he can’t do.
Much like we do often here at At-The-Buzzer, we’re going to take a moment to put his historic moment into perspective and honor some of the all-time greats who came before him. With that said, let’s take a look at the 11 other MLB players who have hit 20+ home runs and stole 50+ bases in the same season.
1. Lou Brock (1967)
Lou Brock was a 5-foot-11, 170-pound leftfielder who made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs on September 10, 1961 at 22 years old and exceeded his rookie limits during the 1962 season. He spent 19 years in the MLB and played his final game with the St. Louis Cardinals on September 30, 1979.
It was during the 1967 season that Brock became the first player in MLB history to hit at least 20 home runs and steal at least 50 bases in the same season. He finished the year with a .299 batting average, 206 hits, 32 doubles, 12 triples, 21 home runs, 52 stolen bases, 76 RBIs, and 113 runs in 159 games.
He amassed 50 stolen bases in 12 consecutive seasons between 1965 and 1976, but the 1967 season was the only time he amassed 20 home runs. He had a career-high 118 stolen bases in 1974 and led the NL in stolen bases eight times in his career – he led the entire MLB in stolen bases six times in his career.
He retired after the 1979 season with 149 career home runs and 938 stolen bases – which currently ranks as the 2nd-most in MLB history. He won two World Series with St. Louis, made six All-Star appearances, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985 on 315/395 ballots (80% of the required 75%).
2. César Cedeño (1972, 1973, 1974)
César Cedeño was a 6-foot-2, 175-pound outfielder who made his major league debut with the Houston Astros on June 20, 1970 at 19 years old and exceeded his rookie limits during the 1970 season. He spent 17 years in the major leagues and played his final game with the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 2, 1986.
It was during the 1972 season that Cedeño became the second player in MLB history to hit 20+ home runs and steal 50+ bases. He finished the season with a .320 batting average, 179 hits, 39 doubles, 8 triples, 22 home runs, 55 stolen bases, 82 runs batted in, and 103 runs scored in 139 games played.
He did it again during the 1973 season, becoming the first player in MLB history to achieve the feat twice – let alone in back-to-back seasons. He finished the year with a .320 batting average, 168 hits, 35 doubles, 2 triples, 25 home runs, 56 stolen bases, 70 runs batted in, and 86 runs in 139 games played.
Cedeño didn’t stop there – he did it for a third consecutive time during the 1974 season. He finished with a .269 batting average, 164 hits, 29 doubles, 5 triples, 26 home runs, 57 stolen bases, 102 RBIs, and 95 runs in 160 games. He retired after the 1986 season with 199 career home runs and 550 stolen bases.
3. Joe Morgan (1973, 1974, 1976)
Joe Morgan was a 5-foot-7, 160-pound second baseman who made his major league debut with the Houston Astros on Sept. 21, 1963 at 20 years old and exceeded his rookie limits during the 1965 season. He spent 22 seasons in the MLB and played his final game with the Oakland Athletics on Sept. 30, 1984.
It was during the 1973 campaign that Morgan became the third player in MLB history to hit 20+ home runs and steal 50+ bases. He finished the season with a .290 batting average, 167 hits, 35 doubles, 2 triples, 26 home runs, 67 stolen bases, 82 runs batted in, and 116 runs scored in 157 games played.
He did it again during the 1974 season – becoming just the second player to achieve the feat twice and in consecutive seasons. He finished the 1974 campaign with a .293 batting average, 150 hits, 31 doubles, 3 triples, 22 home runs, 58 stolen bases, 67 runs batted in, and 107 runs scored in 149 games played.
Morgan had more left in the tank – achieving the feat a third time (the second player to do so) during the 1976 season. He ended up finishing the season with a .320 batting average, 151 hits, 30 doubles, 5 triples, 27 home runs, 60 stolen bases, 111 runs batted in, and 113 runs scored in 141 games played.
4. Rickey Henderson (1985, 1986, 1990, 1993)
Rickey Henderson was a 5-foot-10, 180-pound leftfielder who made his major league debut with the Oakland Athletics on June 24, 1979 at 20 years old and exceeded his rookie limits during the 1979 season. He spent 25 years in the MLB and played his final game with the LA Dodgers on Sept. 19, 2003.
Henderson initially joined the 20-50 club during the 1985 season, becoming the fourth player in MLB history to do so. He went on to do it again in 1986, becoming the third player to do so more than once and the third player to do so in consecutive seasons, but the ‘Man of Steal’ didn’t stop there – he kept going.
In 1990, he became the third player to hit at least 20 home runs and steal at least 50 bases three times in their career and, in 1993, became the first (and only) player in MLB history to do so four times. While he never hit more than 28 home runs in a season, he did lead the league in stolen bases on 11 occasions.
To break it down, Henderson hit 24 homers and had 80 stolen bases in 1985, 28 homers and 87 stolen bases in 1986, 28 homers and 65 stolen bases in 1990, and 21 homers and 53 stolen bases in 1993. He retired with 297 homers and 1,406 stolen bases and is the current all-time leader in steals and runs.
5. Ryne Sandberg (1985)
Ryne Sandberg was a 6-foot-1, 175-pound second baseman who made his major league debut with the Philadelphia Phillies on Sept. 2, 1981 at 21 years old and exceeded his rookie limits in the 1982 season. He spent 16 seasons in the MLB and played his final game with the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 28, 1997.
It was during the 1985 season that Sandberg became the fifth player in MLB history to hit 20+ home runs and steal 50+ bases in the same season. He finished the season with a .305 batting average, 186 hits, 31 doubles, 6 triples, 26 home runs, 54 stolen bases, 83 runs batted in, and 113 runs in 153 games played.
It was the only time in his career that he amassed 50 stolen bases, but he had several other impressive seasons – including 19 home runs and 32 stolen bases in 1984, 30 home runs and 15 stolen bases in 1989, 40 home runs and 25 stolen bases in 1990, and 26 home runs and 26 stolen bases in 1991.
He retired at the conclusion of the 1997 season with a career .285 batting average, 2,386 hits, 403 doubles, 76 triples, 282 home runs, 344 stolen bases, 1,061 runs batted in, and 1,318 runs scored in 2,164 games. He was named MVP in 1984 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.
6. Eric Davis (1986, 1987)
Eric Davis was a 6-foot-2, 165-pound outfielder who made his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds on May 19, 1984 at 21 years old and exceeded his rookie limits during the 1984 season. He spent 17 seasons in the MLB and played in his final game with the San Francisco Giants on October 7, 2001.
It was during the 1986 season that Davis became the sixth player in MLB history to hit 20+ home runs and steal 50+ bases in the same season. He finished the season with a .277 batting average, 115 hits, 15 doubles, 3 triples, 27 home runs, 80 stolen bases, 71 runs batted in, and 97 runs scored in 132 games.
He did it again during the 1987 season, becoming the fourth player in MLB history to accomplish the feat more than once and the fourth player to do so in consecutive seasons. He finished the year with a .293 average, 139 hits, 23 doubles, 4 triples, 37 home runs, 50 stolen bases, 100 RBIs, and 120 runs scored.
Davis ended up hitting at least 20 home runs eight times during his career, but only surpassed 50 stolen bases twice (1986 and 1987). He tried to make it three years in a row, but finished the 1988 season with 26 home runs and 35 stolen bases. He also had 20 home runs and 35 stolen bases in the 1993 season.
7. Barry Bonds (1990)
Barry Bonds was a 6-foot-1, 185-pound leftfielder who made his major league debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 30, 1986 at 21 years old and exceeded his rookie limits during the 1986 season. He spent 22 seasons in the MLB and played in his final game with the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 26, 2007.
It was during the 1990 season that Bonds became the seventh player in MLB history to hit 20+ home runs and steal 50+ bases in the same season. He finished the campaign with a .301 batting average, 156 hits, 32 doubles, 3 triples, 33 home runs, 52 stolen bases, 114 runs batted in, and 104 runs in 151 games.
Bonds is largely known for his power and ability to smash home runs with ease, but people forget he could also steal bases – after all, he had at least 30 stolen bases nine times and at least 20 stolen bases 12 times in his career. While he only amassed 50 stolen bases once, he came close in two other seasons.
He finished the 1991 season with 25 home runs and 43 stolen bases, and also finished the 1996 season with 42 home runs and 40 stolen bases. In fact, Bonds is one of just four players in MLB history to post a 40-40 season, joining Jose Canseco (1988), Alex Rodriguez (1998), and Alfonso Soriano (2006).
8. Brady Anderson (1992)
Brady Anderson was a 6-foot-1, 199-pound outfielder who made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox on April 4, 1988 at 24 years old and exceeded his rookie limits during the 1988 season. He spent 15 seasons in the MLB and played his final game with the Cleveland Guardians on May 20, 2002.
It was during the 1992 season that Anderson became the eighth player in MLB history to hit 20+ home runs and steal 50+ bases in the same season. He finished the campaign with a .271 batting average, 169 hits, 28 doubles, 10 triples, 21 home runs, 53 stolen bases, 80 runs batted in, and 100 runs in 159 games.
While that was the only time he amassed 50 stolen bases in a season, he did amass 20 stolen bases on six other occasions and had at least 30 stolen bases in two of those seasons. As far as home runs are concerned, he hit at least 20 home runs on two other occasions, including a career-high 50 in 1996.
He finished that 1996 season with a .297 batting average, 172 hits, 37 doubles, 5 triples, 50 home runs, 21 stolen bases, 110 RBIs, and 117 runs. To this day, he’s one of just four players in MLB history to post a 50-20 season – joining Willie Mays (1955), Ken Griffey Jr. (1998), and Alex Rodriguez (2007).
9. Craig Biggio (1998)
Craig Biggio was a 5-foot-11, 185-pound second baseman who made his major league debut with the Houston Astros on June 26, 1988 at 22 years old and exceeded his rookie limits during the 1989 season. He spent 20 seasons in the MLB and played in his final game with the Astros on September 30, 2007.
It was during the 1998 season that Biggio became the ninth player in MLB history to hit 20+ home runs and steal 50+ bases in the same season. He finished the campaign with .325 batting average, 210 hits, 51 doubles, 2 triples, 20 home runs, 50 stolen bases, 88 RBIs, and 123 runs scored in 160 games.
He ended up hitting at least 20 home runs on seven other occasions, but was unable to mimic his 50 stolen bases in 1998. He came close to achieving another 20-50 season in 1997 when he hit 22 home runs and stole 47 bases. He also led the NL with 39 stolen bases in 1994, but only had six home runs.
Biggio retired after the 2007 season with a career .281 batting average, 3,060 hits, 668 doubles, 55 triples, 291 home runs, 414 stolen bases, 1,175 runs batted in, and 1,844 runs scored in 2,850 games played. He was a seven-time All-Star and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.
10. Eric Byrnes (2007)
Eric Byrnes was a 6-foot-2, 200-pound outfielder who made his major league debut with the Oakland Athletics on August 22, 2000 at 24 years old and exceeded his rookie limits during the 2002 season. He spent 11 seasons in the MLB and played in his final game with the Seattle Mariners on May 2, 2010.
It was during the 2007 season that Byrnes became the 10th player in MLB history to hit 20+ home runs and steal 50+ bases in the same season. He finished the campaign with a .286 batting average, 179 hits, 30 doubles, 8 triples, 21 home runs, 50 stolen bases, 83 runs batted in, and 103 runs in 160 games.
He only hit at least 20 home runs on two other occasions – he had 20 with the Athletics during the 2004 season and a career-high 26 with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006. Unfortunately, he only had 17 stolen bases to go with his 20 homers in 2004 and 25 stolen bases to go with his 26 homers in 2006.
Byrnes decided to call it quits after the 2010 season and retired with a career .258 batting average, 827 hits, 191 doubles, 30 triples, 109 home runs, 129 stolen bases, 396 runs batted in, and 482 runs scored in 963 games played. He was never named an All-Star, but was 11th in MVP voting during the 2007 season.
11. Hanley Ramirez (2007)
Hanley Ramirez was a 6-foot-2, 235-pound shortstop who made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox on September 20, 2005 at 21 years old and exceeded his rookie limits during the 2006 season. He spent 15 years in the MLB and played his final game with the Cleveland Guardians on April 17, 2019.
It was during the 2007 season that Ramirez became the 11th player in MLB history to have a 20-50 season – and sixth time that two players did it in the same season. Ramirez finished the season with a .332 average, 212 hits, 48 doubles, 6 triples, 29 homers, 51 steals, 81 RBIs, and 125 runs in 154 games.
It wasn’t the only time Ramirez amassed 50 stolen bases in a season – he did so in 2006 as a rookie, but only had 17 home runs that year (missing out on the 20-50 club by three home runs). He would, however, hit at least 20 home runs seven more times in his career – including 33 homers and 35 steals in 2008.
Ramirez last played in the MLB in 2019 and finished his career with a .289 batting average, 1,834 hits, 375 doubles, 32 triples, 271 home runs, 281 stolen bases, 917 runs batted in, and 1,049 runs scored in 1,668 games played. He’s a former Rookie of the Year and even won a batting title (.342) back in 2009.
Active MLB Players Who Are Capable of Joining This List
The MLB made several rule changes ahead of this season that favored baserunners and set themselves up for more stolen bases in the 2023 season. For starters, the bases are now 18 inches wide instead of 15 inches wide – they also limited a pitcher’s ‘disengagements’ to two per batter, or else they risk a balk.
While stolen bases are definitely up this year, Ronald Acuna Jr. is the only player with at least 60 stolen bases this year – he has 66 as of September 14. And while Esteury Ruiz is close with 58 stolen bases, he only has 4 home runs this year – for reference, Acuna Jr. is closing in on 40 with 37 as of September 14.
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With that said, there are several players who could reach the 20-50 club in the future – such as Corbin Carroll (24 HR, 47 SB), Bobby Witt (28 HR, 44 SB), CJ Abrams (18 HR, 41 SB), Julio Rodriguez (30 HR, 36 SB), and Ha-Seong Kim (17 HR, 35 SB). If they don’t get it this year, they’ll likely do it next year.
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