Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals youngsters make history
Youth is being served this season in the National league East. On Friday night, a pair of outfielders, Atlanta Braves Ronald Acuna and Washington Nationals Juan Soto, made history.
One of the great joys of baseball is that, on any given night, one can turn on a game and see something that had not happened in decades. History can be made any night, by seemingly anyone. That was the case on Friday night as the Atlanta Braves faced off with the Washington Nationals.
During the eighth inning, phenoms Ronald Acuna and Juan Soto both hit a home run, becoming the first players to homer in the same game before turning 21 in quite some time. In fact, the last time that happened was in 1887, when Egyptian Healy, a pitcher, and outfielder Mike Tiernan both went deep.
Juan Soto and Ronald Acuña Jr. are the 1st opposing players to HR in the same game before turning 21 years old since May 19, *1887*. The game was between the Indianapolis Hoosiers and New York Giants. Egyptian Healy (IND) and Mike Tiernan (NYG) did so that day (via @EliasSports)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 21, 2018
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Acuna has put together a solid debut for the Braves, posting a .260/.317/.468 batting line in 189 plate appearances. The 20 year old has eight homers and four steals, showcasing why he was considered the top prospect in the game coming into the 2018 campaign. Meanwhile, Soto has not stopped hitting this season, as the 19 year old has produced a .302/.413/.531 batting line. In his 213 plate appearances, Soto has hit ten homers and 11 doubles.
While one can imagine that Acuna and Soto will be rivals in the power department for years to come, the same could not be said for the duo they matched. Healy was better known for being a hard luck pitcher, with a career 78-136 record despite a close to average 3.84 ERA. He had three homers that year for Indianapolis, and only hit six in his eight year career.
Tiernan, however, was one of the premier power hitters of his day. The Giants outfielder led the league in homers twice, and his 106 career home runs were tied with Hall of Famer Dan Brouthers for the fourth most in the 19th century. Tiernan, despite ending his career in 1899, remains the Giants all time leader in triples and steals.
It is easy to dream of Acuna and Soto facing off for years to come, two incredible talents facing off as rivals for the foreseeable future. As baseball looks to the next decade, and for the next crop of superstars, Acuna and Soto may end up being just that. Their matchups are being to turn into must watch television for baseball fans, regardless of rooting interests.
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The Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals have two of the best hitting prospects in the game. On Friday, they made history together.