Here’s why it’s not too early to buy Ronald Acuña Jr.’s chances of winning the Triple Crown
By John Buhler
Ronald Acuña Jr. could become the National League’s first Triple Crown winner since 1937.
If any player in the National League could do the impossible and win the Triple Crown, it has to be Atlanta Braves superstar right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr.
Not since Joe Medwick starred for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1937 has a player in the Senior Circuit won a Triple Crown. The last six times a hitter has pulled off this improbable feat, it has been done in the American League, most recently by third baseman Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers in 2012. Acuña might be dealing with an injury, but he still leads the NL in all three major categories.
Does Acuña have what it takes to win the Triple Crown this season?
Ronald Acuña Jr. has the talent to eventually become a Triple Crown winner
Through his first 16 games of the 2021 MLB season, Acuña has the best batting average in baseball at .419 and home runs with seven. He is also tied for the NL lead in runs batted in with 16. Though he missed his first game of the season on Tuesday night after suffering a minor abdominal strain in Sunday Night Baseball‘s win over the Chicago Cubs, he just might pull this off.
It has been established that Acuña has 40-40 talent at the plate and on the base path. If he keeps hitting dingers at this prolific rate, the RBIs will follow. What will not be sustainable is the Ted Williams-esque .419 batting average. That thing will drop to .300-something by this summer. The question is if he has the plate discipline to lead the National League in hitting. It will be a challenge.
There is a reason why achieving a Triple Crown is so hard, but if anyone can do it, it must be Acuña.
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