Ronald Acuña Jr. joined some exclusive MVP company in the worst way

The Atlanta Braves lost a tough one on Sunday night at Citi Field against the New York Mets.

The Braves led the Mets 3-2 with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. A.J. Minter was on the mound to close the game out, but he allowed a walk-off home run to Brandon Nimmo.

Reigning National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. also had a night to forget. He went 1-for-4 at the plate, but his struggles came on the basepaths. The star outfielder was picked off twice.

In doing so, he joined Hall-of-Famer and Cincinnati Reds great Joe Morgan in some elite company, but ultimately in the worst way possible. Acuña became the first former MVP to be picked off twice in a game since Morgan suffered the same fate on July 9, 1977 against the Houston Astros.

Ronald Acuña Jr. joins Joe Morgan in dubious company

Being in the same company as somebody as talented as Morgan was during his time as a player would normally be a good thing. But that was not the case on Sunday night, however.

Acuña Jr. made two crucial mistakes that resulted in him being picked off both times, which could have potentially changed the game and given the Braves a better chance at winning. Minter certainly is not alone in truly having a night to forget in New York.

This is not the company you want to be in if you're Acuña Jr., even if it's the same company as Joe Morgan. But the fact that he's still in Hall-of-Fame company as a result of this is quite interesting. One wouldn't normally associate a Hall-of-Famer with being picked off twice in a game.

But Acuña Jr. could be headed to the Hall of Fame when his career comes to an end and would join Morgan, so if he continues on this path, he wouldn't be the first Hall-of-Famer to have suffered such a fate. And of course, by the end of his career, nobody will care too much about one lone game when he was picked off multiple times.

Acuña's lone hit of the game was a single. He also walked and struck out in a addition to his two pickoffs.

To make matters worse for Acuña Jr., this year's Mets squad had the worst caught stealing percentage of the Wild Card era, which began in 1995. New York had only caught six percent of runners attempting to steal heading into Sunday's game, and Acuña Jr. was ultimately felled by a team that had truly struggled in this category. Other teams on the list included the 2020 Braves, a team Acuña Jr. was a part of. That team had only thrown out 11 percent of base stealers, though the 2020 season was shortened significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fortunately, the six-time defending NL East champions are still in a good position. They are only two games out of first place and have a record of 24-13. But Acuña Jr.'s mistakes certainly hurt them on Sunday night and came back to haunt them late when Nimmo walked them off.

Atlanta heads home for a three-game series with the Chicago Cubs, which are currently the runner ups in the NL Central. The Braves will hope Acuña Jr. learns from his mistakes and doesn't fall victim to the pickoff again tonight as they begin their series with the North Siders.