Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr wins first MVP of career, beating out pair of Dodgers players

Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

A perennial All-Star finally has an MVP to his name.

Ronald Acuña Jr. on Thursday won his first NL MVP Award of his career, thanks to rewriting the history books. It was a unanimous vote.

The Atlanta Braves outfielder started an exclusive club while leading the major leagues with 217 hits as part of a 104-win team that won the NL East for the sixth consecutive year.

FOLLOW FOX NEWS DIGITAL'S SPORTS COVERAGE ON X

Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves celebrates after hitting a home run in the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 22. (Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Entering this year, no player had ever hit 40 home runs while stealing 50 bases in a season. Acuña took it to another level, smashing 41 homers and stealing not 50, not 60, but 73 bases, taking advantage of the larger bags this year.

Acuña also led the majors with 149 runs scored, 383 total bases and a .416 on-base percentage, while his 1.012 OPS led the National League (third in MLB). He also hit .337, the second-best mark in the majors.

His 8.2 WAR was third in baseball, behind now two-time AL MVP Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels (10.0) and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts (8.3), who finished second in the vote.

The Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. reacts after hitting a two-run home run during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Sept. 12. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

SHOHEI OHTANI WINS SECOND MVP AMID WHAT COULD BE RECORD-BREAKING FREE AGENCY

The 25-year-old outfielder was named an All-Star for the fourth-straight time (outside 2020, in which there was no midsummer