At the All-Star break, it was likely that Ronald Acuna Jr. would join the 40/40 club. While it may still happen, he is behind the pace needed to eclipse 40 home runs. His total is 32, and the Braves have 25 games left in the season. However, Acuna has become one of only a handful of players to enter the 30/30 club more than once. Additionally, Acuna has tallied the highest stolen base total in a 30/30 season, with 63 and growing. His performance is further impressive, given that less than fifty players in the history of baseball have ever had one 30/30 season. A few members of the 30/30 club include Hall of Fame inductees Barry Larkin, Larry Walker, and Willie Mays.
With less than a month in the season, 2023 could see more than just Acuna achieving the 30/30 milestone. Five other players in Major League Baseball have a legitimate chance of conquering this feat. This year could be the first since 1997 where four or more players join the 30/30 club in a single season. Furthermore, if all five players join Acuna by reaching this apex, six players would be the most to do so in any single season. Here are the breakdowns of the other five players on the brink of admittance to this particular club.
New 30/30 Club Members?
Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
Bobby Witt Jr. is the most likely to join Acuna in the club. The Kansas City slugger currently has 28 home runs and 39 stolen bases. He sits just two home runs shy of the 30/30 club. Barring any unfortunate situations, Witt should complete a 30/30 season by the end of the year. He averages 4.3 plate appearances per game and has played in 136 of Kansas City’s 140 games. Witt’s home run rate is 4.7%, which comes out to an additional four more home runs on the season, pending everything remains constant.
Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners
Julio Rodriguez is the next most likely player to have a 30/30 season. The Seattle phenom sits just three home runs shy of the 30/30 club having already stolen 36 bases. J-Rod has a 4.5% home run rate and averages 4.6 plate appearances per game. The streaky Rodriguez is known to hit home runs in bunches, and Seattle has 24 games left. Blasting an additional three home runs in close to 100 plate appearances is likely for Rodriguez.
Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks
Corbin Carroll has a strong chance at a 30/30 season, but he must drastically increase his power output. Carroll owns 41 stolen bases but sits at 24 home runs. The current NL Rookie of the Year candidate only hit two home runs in August, but he struck eight in June. The D-Backs have 23 games left, and Carroll has a 4.4% home run rate. He is statistically slated only to hit four more home runs, but if he can close this last month similar to his June performance, Carroll could hit the 30/30 mark.
Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros
At the start of August, a 30/30 season, he looked possible for Kyle Tucker but not probable. At the end of the month, the probability increased as Tucker hit eight home runs and stole six bases. The Houston slugger and AL MVP candidate sits at 26 home runs and 26 stolen bases. With 22 games left for Houston in the regular season, Tucker will likely hit four more home runs and steal four more bases. His 4.5% home run rate should lead to 30 total home runs as he is slated to see 100 more plate appearances. Tucker does not attempt steals often, but with the 30/30 milestone in sight, Tucker might be more aggressive on the base paths if the situation allows it.
Francisco Lindor, New York Mets
Francisco Lindor is the last player on the brink to enter the 30/30 club this year. The New York middle-infielder currently sits at 26 home runs and 25 stolen bases. He owns a 4.3% home run rate, and the Mets have 24 games left in the season. With Lindor averaging more than four plate appearances per game, he should hit his 30th long-ball by the last game of the season, given he plays in all remaining games. However, his stolen base rate currently has his year-end total trending toward 29. With that said, Lindor, a 30/30 season would be a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing Mets season.
Main Photo Credits: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
