ATLANTA -- Ronald Acuña Jr. spent Spring Training impressing with the massive power he would routinely display during batting practice. But the 21-year-old outfielder’s greatness is also enhanced by the discipline he displayed while drilling his first homer of the season.
Acuna electrified SunTrust Park’s sold-out crowd during Monday night's 8-0 win over the Cubs when he gave the Braves a 5-0 lead with his third-inning homer off right-hander Kyle Hendricks. The line-drive solo shot had a 108.4 mph exit velocity and traveled a projected 421 feet, per Statcast.
“He’s next level,” Braves catcher Brian McCann said. “That guy is very special.”
After spitting on Hendricks’ first-pitch curveball that dotted the bottom of the strike zone, a patient Acuna did not lunge at the 76.6 mph changeup that followed. Instead, the young outfielder stayed back and barreled the pitch that resulted in the 27th homer of his young career.
Asked whether he was looking for a changeup, Acuna smiled and said, “Always looking fastball.” His quick hands and ability to keep his bat in the zone for an extended period help him make these kinds of quick adjustments.
Hendricks limited opponents to a .180 batting average and .288 slugging percentage against changeups last season. But he made a costly mistake against Acuna, who hit .394 (13-for-33) and slugged .733 against that pitch as a rookie. His batting average ranked seventh and his slugging percentage ranked fifth among all Major Leaguers with a minimum of 25 results against changeups last year.
“He keeps his hands back and his bat speed is unmatched,” McCann said. “He can do everything on a baseball field. What he did last year was just the tip of the iceberg.”
Acuna grabbed the attention of the baseball world when he hit .322 with 19 homers and a 1.028 OPS after the All-Star break last season. The impressive surge led to him winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award.