3 Braves MVP candidates, and 1 player who should be benched
By John Buhler
The Atlanta Braves are off to a fantastic start as one of the best teams in the National League.
After a sluggish start of out the gate last year, the Atlanta Braves have been the antithesis of that this spring, coming out of the gates guns a-blazing!
Although they have not played the most strenuous schedule up to this point, Atlanta is 11-4 through its first 15 games. The Braves are fresh off their first-ever series win over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium, poised to keep their five-game winning streak alive with another sweep of an inferior opponent. Naturally, this has led to some way-too-early NL MVP candidates.
So here are three MVP candidates on the Braves, as well as one player who needs to be benched.
Atlanta Braves: 3 early-season MVP candidates, 1 player who needs to ride pine
Atlanta Braves. Ronald Acuña Jr.. player. RF. 13. 17. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
Ronald Acuña Jr. is perfect the tone-setter for everything the Atlanta Braves do
We all had a feeling it was going to take a year and change for Ronald Acuña Jr. to get back being … well, Ronald Acuña Jr. He is one of baseball’s most extraordinary talents. A true five-tool player, I mean, what can’t he do? While he was able to grind it out last year, a little bit of rest-and-relaxation has done wonders for his surgically-repaired knee. A fully healthy Acuña is playing out his mind!
Whether he is spraying the ball to all parts of the field, taking a pitcher deep, wreaking havoc on the base paths, flashing the leather in right or gunning down a guy trying to take the extra base, it has become undeniable that Acuña’s return to prominence has the potential to take the Braves to even greater heights. No one else on this team can do this. Most importantly, he is having a blast.
When you see a transcendent talent like Acuña play truly unencumbered baseball, it is an awe-inspiring phenomenon. While he will probably always have his detractors, why? Acuña plays the game with a childlike enthusiasm that I think we can all learn from. Best of all, his energy is what sets the tone for the entire team. It can go the other way, but right now, it is working to perfection.
The fact we get to see Ronnie Béisbol do Ronnie Béisbol things on the regular is a sight to behold.