ATLANTA -- Ronald Acuña Jr. set a Braves franchise record when he belted his 18th career leadoff homer during a 10-4 loss to the Nationals on Saturday night at Truist Park.

Acuña’s record-setting shot was a Statcast-projected 439-foot homer hit to left field off Nationals right-hander Erick Fedde. The 22-year-old outfielder has hit a leadoff homer in three of Atlanta’s past five home games.

“That’s a talent that is not going to come around too often,” Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “That’s a once-in-a-generation kind of talent.”

Felipe Alou had set the franchise record by hitting 17 leadoff homers in 633 games as the No. 1 batter for the Braves from 1964-69. Acuña bested that total in just his 210th career game as a leadoff hitter.

“Ronnie is a special talent,” Freeman said. “He’s only 22. We get to watch him for a long time and it’s going to be fun to watch.”

Acuña hit eight of his nine homers in the past 11 games.

“It’s nice to have things go your way,” Acuña said through an interpreter. “But it always goes back to giving my best effort to help the team keep winning. That’s always my primary focus.”