Monday was a great day for the Braves and a great day for young phenom Ronald Acuna Jr.
During the team's doubleheader sweep of the Marlins, Acuna swatted a leadoff home run in both games, giving him a home run in four straight games and six of his last seven games. Here's the video:
The Braves swept the doubleheader by the combined score of 15-2 and Acuna went 5 for 8 with two home runs and two walks on the day. He drove in five of the team's 15 runs.
How rare is it for a player to lead off both ends of a doubleheader with a home run? Very rare, it turns out. Acuna is only the fourth player to do it. The list:
- Ronald Acuna Jr., Braves: August 13, 2018 vs. Marlins
- Brady Anderson, Orioles: August 21, 1999 vs. White Sox
- Rickey Henderson, Athletics: July 5, 1993 vs. Indians
- Harry Hooper, Red Sox: May 30, 1913 vs. Senators
Acuna's hot streak has upped his season batting line to .282/.342/.522 in 284 plate appearances. And, in 23 games as the leadoff hitter, Acuna is hitting .360/.424/.775 with nine home runs. He came into the season as the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball and he has already become a monster atop the lineup for a contending Braves team.