This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman’s Braves Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
ATLANTA -- Hank Aaron homered at Atlanta Stadium in 1972 and Chipper Jones cleared Turner Field’s outfield wall when the All-Star Game returned to Atlanta 28 years later. Will Ronald Acuña Jr. experience the same hometown thrill when Truist Park hosts the Midsummer Classic next month?
“I want to make the All-Star roster this year and every year,” Acuña said. “Obviously, this year I feel a little extra incentive with the game being here in Atlanta.”
It would certainly be a shame if Acuña isn’t elected or selected to compete in this year’s All-Star Game. He ranked sixth among NL outfielders when the first balloting results were released on Monday. But he was within 100,000 votes of the third of the three spots reserved for the outfielders who will be in the NL’s starting lineup.
When Phase 1 of the voting concludes at noon ET on June 26, I’m thinking that Acuña will be among the top three vote getters. Regardless, it’s safe to assume he’ll be one of the six NL outfielders who advance to Phase 2.
On the four-month anniversary of his season debut, it’s evident Acuña remains elite, even with a pair of surgically-repaired knees. Here is where he ranks among all MLB players in these major offensive categories going back to when he was activated from the injured list on May 23.
Batting Average: .390 (2nd)
On-base pct.: .495 (1st)
Slugging pct.: .720 (1st)
Home Runs: 8 (4th)
OPS: 1.215 (1st)
While he’s not yet stealing bases like he did during the 40-70 season that netted him the NL MVP Award, it’s almost like he has picked up where he left off two years ago. Asked how he feels in comparison to that 2023 season, the dynamic outfielder smiled and said, “Much better.”
The numbers back up his assessment. Here are his best OPS marks through the first 24 games of any of his eight seasons.
2025: 1.184
2021: 1.148
2020: 1.014
2023: .988
Despite missing the Braves’ first 49 games, Acuña is on pace to hit 39 home runs.
“My main concern is just doing anything I can to help my team win and to just enjoy myself out there,” Acuña said.
Acuña’s incredible power accounts for just some of the entertainment he can provide every time he steps on a field. He turned two on Juan Soto after making a great catch at the wall in Tuesday’s win and his arm is as good as any Braves outfielder I can remember, in terms of both strength and accuracy.
Acuña ranks third among MLB outfielders with the 97.6 mph average he has generated with his throws this year.
“It’s like I’ve always said, you never know what you could miss if you get up to get a beer or something when he is at the plate or in the field,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.