Barry Bonds congratulates Ronald Acuña Jr. on joining the 40-40 club

Ronald Acuña Jr. from the Atlanta Braves became MLB's fifth member of the 40-40 club and received a congratulations for Barry Bonds, another member.
Barry Bonds congratulates Ronald Acuna Jr. on joining the 40-40 club
Barry Bonds congratulates Ronald Acuna Jr. on joining the 40-40 club / Greg Fiume/GettyImages
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With a home run off of Washington Nationals pitcher Patrick Corbin, 25-year-old Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. became the fifth player to join MLB's 40-40 club (40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in the same season). He becomes the first player to achieve the feat since Alfonso Soriano of the Nationals hit 46 home runs and stole 41 bases in the 2006 season.

MLB legend and should-be Hall of Famer Barry Bonds reached out to congratulate Acuña on becoming the newest member of the exclusive club. Bonds went for 42 home runs and 40 stolen bases in the 1996 season for the San Francisco Giants.

Bonds took to Instagram and posted, "Congratulations @RonaldAcunaJr13 for joining the 40/40 club. And also for writing your own club...40/70 and still counting..."

Barry Bonds welcomes Ronald Acuña Jr. to the 40-40 club

The other members of the club are Alex Rodriguez, who hit 42 home runs and stole 46 bases for the Seattle Mariners in 1996, and Jose Canseco, who hit 42 home runs and stole 40 bases for the Oakland Athletics in 1988. Canseco started the club, as he was the first player in MLB History to achieve the feat, and is also the only player to win MVP in the same year as having a 40-40 season (Acuña could become the second).

Soriano is the only other player in the club that has not been accused of using PED's. Canseco proudly admitted he had in his book Juiced, and Rodriguez served a suspension during his playing days for a positive PED test. Bonds never tested positive under MLB's rules, and did admit to using a topical steroid cream that he thought was flaxseed oil, but does walk under a dark cloud of suspicion.

Nobody has ever achieved the feat twice, and Acuña should get plenty of opportunity to become the first since he is still only 25 years old (although Rodriguez and Canseco were 23). At any rate, it was a classy move from the game's all-time home run leader and single-season home run record holder.

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