Ronald Acuña Jr. becomes 1st MLB player to join 40-70 club, then scores to clinch NL's top seed for Braves

Ronald Acuña Jr. became the first ever member of MLB's 30 home run-60 stolen base club last month. Then he created the 40-60 club last week.

You can probably guess where this is going.

The Atlanta Braves star stole his 70th base of the season to become the first player in MLB history to post a 40-70 season, swiping the bag in the 10th inning against Chicago Cubs.

Acuña reached base by tying the game with an opposite-field single to score the extra-innings runner. He stole the bag on the next pitch, then celebrated by pulling second base out of the ground and hoisting it above his head as Braves fans gave him a standing ovation:

The moment paused a tense situation for the Cubs, who are currently fighting for life in the playoff race as the current holders of the third NL wild-card spot. Of course, the team only had itself to blame in the first place after blowing leads in the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings, one day after Seiya Suzuki's game-costing gaffe.

The next hitter, Ozzie Albies, put the game away on the following pitch with a line-drive single to right to notch a 6-5 walk-off win.

The win was a notable one for the 102-58 Braves, as it clinched them the best record in the National League, 4.5 games ahead of the 97-60 Dodgers.

Acuña, the current favorite for NL MVP honors, has obviously been a significant part of those 102 wins. His stolen base total has been aided by recent MLB rule changes limiting pickoff moves and expanding the bases, yes, but his 2023 season has still been one of the best power-speed combinations in MLB history.

With the top seed and, likely, the MVP secured, all that's left for Acuña is to compete for his first career World Series action. The Braves will begin their playoff campaign in the NLDS against the winner of the wild-card series between the No. 4 and 5 seeds, currently the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves.