{"id":835241,"date":"2026-09-03T17:08:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T17:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/835241\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T17:08:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T17:08:14","slug":"the-fastest-player-to-200-200-plus-bending-the-rule-book-to-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/835241\/","title":{"rendered":"The fastest player to 200\/200. Plus: Bending the rule book to win?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Windup Newsletter \u26be | This is The Athletic\u2019s MLB<\/a> newsletter. Sign up here<\/a> to receive The Windup directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

Ronald Acu\u00f1a reached 200\/200 in a historic way. Plus: McCullough\u2019s mailbag looks at whose jobs are in jeopardy, we have another rule check and Nico Hoerner made an amazing catch. I\u2019m Levi Weaver \u2014 welcome to The Windup!<\/p>\n

History: Acu\u00f1a sets 200\/200 record<\/p>\n

With a seventh-inning home run in yesterday\u2019s 9-0 win over the Nationals, Braves outfielder Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr. broke an MLB record:\u00a0He joined the 200\/200 club<\/a>\u00a0(home runs and stolen bases) in his 904th game, becoming the fastest player in MLB history to do so, breaking Alfonso Soriano\u2019s previous record of 929 games.<\/p>\n

Reaching 200\/200 in any number of games is impressive \u2014\u00a0Acu\u00f1a was the 57th to do it \u2014 but as our Jes\u00fas Cano\u00a0points out<\/a>, it\u2019s also a testament to the outfielder\u2019s resilience, having twice undergone knee surgery to repair torn ACLs.<\/p>\n

Thanks to those injuries, Acu\u00f1a (who is 28 years and 259 days old) was not the\u00a0youngest\u00a0player to reach 200\/200 (that was Mike Trout in 2019, who did it when he was 28 years and 24 days old). But it made me curious, so here\u2019s a trivia question:<\/p>\n

Who was the youngest player to hit their 200th home run?<\/p>\n

A) Mickey Mantle
\nB) Mel Ott
\nC) Albert Pujols
\nD) Eddie Mathews<\/p>\n

Bonus question: If you add up the home runs and stolen bases of the 57 200\/200 players, there are three whose tally is over 1,000. Who are they? (Answers at the bottom.)<\/p>\n

More notable youth:\u00a020-year-old Padres catcher Ethan Salas became the\u00a0youngest catcher to debut since 1991<\/a>, when 19-year-old future Hall of Famer Ivan \u201cPudge\u201d Rodriguez debuted with the Rangers. Salas was but one of\u00a0a few of Keith Law\u2019s top prospects<\/a>\u00a0who will get a cup of coffee this September.<\/p>\n

Middle Relief: Temperature checks<\/p>\n

Today,\u00a0Andy McCullough\u2019s mailbag<\/a>\u00a0answers your questions on managers, coaches and front-office executives who are (or are not) on the hot seat. Here\u2019s an excerpt:<\/p>\n

The Phillies just promoted a lot of their front-office guys, mostly from the player development ranks. It\u2019s not like the team\u2019s player development system has been, what\u2019s the word? Oh yeah. \u201cGood.\u201d What exactly is up with that?\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Tom R.<\/p>\n

As our excellent duo of Phillies beat writers, Matt Gelb and Charlotte Varnes, outlined last week, the moves by Dave Dombrowski<\/a>\u00a0were not exactly promotions. It was more of a restructuring. Luke Murton went from farm director to a new position called \u201cassistant general manager for hitting.\u201d The team will search for a new farm director.<\/p>\n

But you should read the story from Gelb and Charlotte. They do an excellent job cutting through the legalese of the Phillies\u2019 news release to explain what is actually going on. To put it simply: Dombrowski recognized that the farm system needs to produce better players. They are making changes in hopes of doing just that.<\/p>\n

Does playing in a minor-league park help in an assessment of Mark Kotsay? He\u2019s signed through 2028; John Fisher would be on the hook for two years of pay if he fired him, so I\u2019m guessing he stays?\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Kevin L.<\/p>\n

And don\u2019t forget the club option for 2029!<\/p>\n

But yes, your assessment of the situation feels reasonable to me. Kotsay is managing in a challenging situation. The facilities and conditions in West Sacramento present problems. The team is not particularly well-constructed. And they have been crushed by injuries this season. On the shelf currently: Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson. It is hard to blame the manager for what has gone wrong with the Athletics. The problems started before Kotsay arrived.<\/p>\n

Seems like Chris Getz and Will Venable are highly favored by White Sox fans at the moment.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Daniel C.<\/p>\n

A good counterpoint. The coldest seats in baseball may be in Chicago, between the Cubs and the White Sox, and the greater Chicago suburb of Milwaukee. (I kid, I kid, I kid, send all your angry emails to Will Sammon.)<\/p>\n

For the rest of the mailbag,\u00a0click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rules Check: Gaming the ghost-runner rule<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a little while since we had a rules breakdown. (This one won\u2019t be as complicated as the \u201capparent fourth out<\/a>,\u201d I promise.)<\/p>\n

In yesterday\u2019s Orioles-Rockies game, Colorado manager Warren Schaeffer exploited a rule that I wasn\u2019t aware of, and it directly contributed to a 6-5 extra-innings win over the Orioles.<\/p>\n

Setting the scene:\u00a0It\u2019s 5-3 Orioles after a two-run top of the 11th inning. The Rockies\u2019 catcher and No. 3 hitter Hunter Goodman was the last out of the 10th inning, so \u2014 by the extra-innings \u201cghost runner<\/a>\u201d rule \u2014 he should be on second base to start the inning.<\/p>\n

But Goodman wasn\u2019t on the base. Nor was a pinch-runner. Instead, it was No. 2 hitter Connor Norby. It wasn\u2019t a mistake. Schaeffer just knew this part of Rule 7.01 (b)(2)(B):<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, if the player in the batting order immediately preceding that half-inning\u2019s leadoff hitter is the pitcher, the runner placed on second base at the start of that half-inning\u00a0may be the player preceding the pitcher in the batting order.\u201d<\/p>\n

But wait: Goodman wasn\u2019t the pitcher. So what gives?<\/p>\n

Like any good chess game, there had been some set-up moves. In fact,\u00a0it wasn\u2019t even the first time Schaeffer pulled this move in this very game.<\/p>\n

After losing the DH by moving Adael Amador to second base, Schaeffer made a double-switch (remember those?) in the 10th inning to put the pitcher in the \u201cghost-runner\u201d position, allowing him to run Amador instead.<\/p>\n

Colorado didn\u2019t score in the 10th, so in the 11th, Schaeffer did it again, simultaneously bringing in Blas Casta\u00f1o to pitch\u00a0and Brett Sullivan to catch, knowing that Goodman \u2014\u00a0who is in the 45th percentile for sprint speed \u2014\u00a0was due to start the bottom of the inning as the runner at second base.<\/p>\n

Sullivan (catcher) technically replaced (pitcher) Nick Frasso, and (pitcher) Casta\u00f1o replaced (catcher) Goodman, allowing Schaeffer to place Norby (70th percentile sprint speed) at second base in the bottom of the inning instead of Casta\u00f1o. Look at\u00a0this box score<\/a>\u00a0and tell me it doesn\u2019t look like spring training or the NL circa 2017.<\/p>\n

Anyway, it worked.\u00a0Norby scored the first of three runs, and the Rockies walked it off, 6-5. Amador\u00a0was the winning run<\/a>!<\/p>\n

OK, maybe that\u00a0was\u00a0as complicated as the fourth out.<\/p>\n

Highlight: Look at this Hoerner catch!<\/p>\n

We expected a showdown between MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong and Cy Young candidate Jacob Misiorowski at Wrigley last night. But\u00a0Misiorowski looked human<\/a>\u00a0and PCA was 1-for-3 with two walks.<\/p>\n

Instead, the highlight came in the fifth inning, with the bases loaded and two out in a one-run game and Nico Hoerner playing shortstop (since Dansby Swanson is on the IL with an oblique strain).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Man, that is just so fun. I bet it felt so cool to do that.<\/p>\n

Still, it\u00a0wasn\u2019t enough to hold back the Brewers<\/a>\u00a0(87-53), who ended up winning the game 9-5 to increase their lead in the NL Central to nine games.<\/p>\n

More Cubs:\u00a0I saw it happen in slow motion, and I\u2019m shocked (but relieved) that Cubs reliever Jacob Webb\u2019s X-rays came back negative after\u00a0being hit in the forearm<\/a>\u00a0by a 102 mph comebacker.<\/p>\n

Other important action from last night (find the MLB standings here<\/a>):\u00a0<\/p>\n

AL West:\u00a0The Astros beat the White Sox, and the Rangers lost to the Athletics, so Houston\u2019s lead is back up to two games in the division.
\nAL wild card:\u00a0The\u00a0Blue Jays\u2019 11-0 win over Cleveland<\/a>, paired with the aforementioned Orioles loss, has the Rangers, Blue Jays and Orioles all tied at 1 1\/2 games behind the Guardians for the final playoff spot.
\nNL wild card:\u00a0The Padres continued their recent slide with a 7-3 loss in Cincinnati, while the D-Backs beat the Phillies 1-0.\u00a0That puts Arizona back into a wild-card position, leading San Diego by a half-game for the final spot.
\nHandshakes and High Fives<\/p>\n

Sure, RBIs aren\u2019t everything. But are they still\u00a0something? If so, Ken Rosenthal says,\u00a0Sal Stewart has a case<\/a>\u00a0for NL Rookie of the Year.<\/p>\n

It looks like\u00a0something is wrong with Shohei Ohtani<\/a>, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

The Red Sox start a series in Baltimore tonight. Yes, it\u2019ll be a homecoming for catcher Adley Rutschman, but it\u00a0will also be meaningful<\/a>\u00a0for Red Sox (interim) manager Chad Tracy.<\/p>\n

Hayden Wesneski is\u00a0trying to save the Astros\u2019 season<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Cam Schlittler dominated again, and it looks like\u00a0Austin Wells has shaken off his funk<\/a>, as the Yankees beat the Angels 6-3 in 10 innings. That game featured a scary moment: A\u00a0photographer was hit in the head<\/a>\u00a0by a foul ball.<\/p>\n

Meet the new strength, same as the old strength: The Phillies\u2019\u00a0rotation looks like a huge asset<\/a>\u00a0as October looms.<\/p>\n

Most-clicked in our last Windup:\u00a0A Little League coach\u2019s\u00a0viral message<\/a>\u00a0to his team.<\/p>\n

Trivia answers:\u00a0It\u2019s B, Mel Ott,\u00a0who was 25 years, 4 months and 22 days old when he hit No. 200. (He made his pro debut at 17 years old!) The other three options were the next youngest on the list, though!<\/p>\n

Mathews:\u00a025 years, 7 months, 30 days
\nPujols:\u00a025 years, 8 months, 14 days
\nMantle: 25 years, 9 months, 6 days.<\/p>\n

Only four others got No. 200 before their 26th birthday: Alex Rodriguez, Juan Soto, Jimmie Foxx and Frank Robinson.<\/p>\n

And the bonus question answers:\u00a0Rickey Henderson (297 HR + 1,406 SBs = 1,703), Barry Bonds (762 + 514 = 1,276) and A-Rod (696 + 329 = 1,025).<\/p>\n

Willie Mays (660 + 339) came up\u00a0one short, at 999.<\/p>\n

Want more sports trivia?\u00a0Here ya go<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udceb Love The Windup? Check out\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s other newsletters<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Windup Newsletter \u26be | This is The Athletic\u2019s MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":835242,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[363,99],"class_list":["post-835241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-mlb","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/835241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=835241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/835241\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/835242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=835241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=835241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=835241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}