Braves star Ronald Acuña has fans thinking he could set stolen base records in 2023 after taking advantage of new MLB rules on Opening Day.
Baseball is back but with a few new MLB rules that already look like they’re going to have a huge impact on the game. We’re not just talking about the pitch clock.
Ronald Acuña didn’t need an invitation to take advantage of one particular rule in the Braves opener against the Nationals.
The outfielder exploited the new rules to perfection in the very first inning of the season, easily stealing a base because Nationals pitcher Patrick Corbin ran up against the disengagements limit.
Ronald Acuña’s baserunning is even more dangerous with new MLB rules
This year, pitchers have a limit of how many times they can try to pick off a runner. After two tries, a third disengagement will be treated as a balk unless the pitcher successfully converted the pickoff play.
Corbin put himself in a terrible spot when he tried to pick off Acuña twice but didn’t succeed. Thanks to the new rules, the Braves star knew the pitcher faced a risk by throwing to first again so he aggressively made his move for the steal.
His efforts helped the Braves notch a 7-2 victory on Opening Day, even if it was twinged with concern because of an injury to Max Fried.
Acuña was seventh in the majors last season with 29 steals. His career high was 37 in 2019. The chances of him topping that this year seems high.
What is the MLB record for stolen bases in a season?
Could Acuña, or anyone, hope to set a new MLB record for stolen bases thanks to the new rules? It’s actually pretty unlikely.
The all-time record for stolen bases in a season is 138. That was set by Hugh Nicol in 1887. The game was very different back then.
Rickey Henderson made a run at the record in 1982 with 130 successful steals for the A’s. No one this century has hit triple-digits in that category. The highest stolen base number since 2000 belongs to José Reyes, who stole 78 bases in 2007 with the Mets.
So yeah, Acuña would need to average nearly a steal per game to make a run at the record, but he’s 1-for-1 right now, so it’s a good start.