Acuña goes 1st to 3rd ... on a walk

Braves star swipes third base with heads-up baserunning

May 23rd, 2023

Through 47 games, Ronald Acuña Jr. is on pace for a historic season.

On Monday night against the Dodgers, the 25-year-old outfielder added an unconventional feat to his résumé when he went from first to third on a walk by Matt Olson in the bottom of the fifth inning at Truist Park.

Acuña, who reached base via a walk of his own, was on first base when Dodgers rookie pitcher Gavin Stone threw four straight balls to Olson, which meant Acuña was granted second base. As he reached second, Acuña broke into a light jog that turned into a full-out sprint once he saw third baseman Max Muncy turn his back away from the play.

By the time anyone on the field knew what happened, Acuña was standing at third after a headfirst slide. It was his 19th steal of the season, which leads the National League.

The steal helped create a run for the Braves when Sean Murphy drove in Acuña on an RBI fielder's choice. Atlanta would go on to lose the game 8-6.

While Acuña’s steal was unconventional, it wasn’t unprecedented. Former New York Met Daniel Murphy stole third base on a walk in the 2015 NL Division Series -- also against the Dodgers -- when Los Angeles' shift left a void on the left side of the infield (watch the clip here).