Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. helped Venezuela make history earlier this week by winning the nation’s first World Baseball Classic final in a 3-2 thriller over Team USA. You probably knew Acuña was going to let longtime Atlanta teammate Ozzie Albies hear it when they returned to Spring Training.
Acuña hung his Team Venezuela jersey and gold medal in Albies’ locker on Friday, he revealed in an Instagram story. Albies -- a member of the Netherlands’ WBC roster -- seemed to take the jab in stride, as a second video showed the Braves’ second baseman wearing Acuña’s jersey around the clubhouse.
“I’m gonna be rocking this for Opening Day, too,” Albies joked in the video.
The fun-loving duo was talking trash before, during and after this year’s Classic. Venezuela and the Netherlands actually faced off to open the tournament in pool play. Albies made a promise in Braves camp that his team would defeat the eventual champions, and Acuña would be the one wearing his jersey.
Oh, how the tables turned.
Venezuela won that game, 6-2, with Acuña recording a double and a walk. Albies was hitless in four trips to the plate. The pair shared a pregame embrace, and Acuña taunted Albies by dancing around while leading off of second base. After an awkward dive back on a pickoff attempt, Acuña gave Albies a playful jab on the shoulder.
Acuña later took to X to chirp Albies further. “I have a signed shirt for you, brother. @ozzie YOU CAN’T BEAT ME DAWG,” he wrote.
Both went on to have noteworthy Classic performances with their respective teams. Acuña, of course, won the tournament while hitting .269 with a pair of home runs. Albies delivered the Netherlands its lone win of the WBC in style, slugging the first walk-off homer in tournament history against Nicaragua on March 7.
We’re pretty sure their antics won’t end just because the WBC is over.