Braves: Incredible Ronald Acuña stat puts power in perspective

Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. isn’t hitting home runs. He’s hitting moonshots. 

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. is the current frontrunner for National League MVP for a number of reasons. He’s the full package — efficient and powerful at the plate, fleet of foot on base, and stellar in right field.

That said, Acuña’s power has really taken center stage this season. Now healthy and whole, Acuña is meeting pitches at the perfect time and sending some absolute moonshots over the fence. The Truist Park faithful in the upper deck have been treated to a few souvenirs already.

This incredible stat really puts Acuña’s strength in perspective.

Ronald Acuña Jr. has been an elite power hitter for the Atlanta Braves

Polo Grounds, the historic Manhattan stadium that once housed the New York baseball teams and the New York Giants in the mid-1900s, was famed for its deep fences — especially in centerfield. The list of players who hit straight-center home runs at Polo Grounds can be counted on one hand.

Hank Aaron, Luke Easter, Lou Brock, and Joe Adcock. That’s it. That’s the entire list, and Acuña has essentially done it three times already. The Braves’ slugger is also splitting .329/.404/.558 at the plate with 59 runs and 26 stolen bases, both of which are National League highs. Health clearly limited Acuña last season and he was completely absent for the Braves’ World Series run in 2021. Now, however, the 25-year-old is healthy, happy, and downright prolific.

Expect him to add extensively to his home run total, which currently sits at 12, before the season ends. The Braves are winners of three straight and currently hold a 36-24 record, which places them first in the division. Acuña is the current frontrunner for MVP, most imminently challenged by his own teammate, catcher Sean Murphy. The Braves’ bats have been on another level this season and there’s no sign of them slowing down.

Acuña is a star of the present and the future. One has to imagine the MLB will have little trouble building their brand around a player so diversely talented and consistently entertaining. Acuña plays with style and spunk, and he does the fun stuff — hit dingers, steal bases, play to the crowd. This stat only cements his reputation as a true offensive superstar.