Slowly but surely, the unmitigated disaster that was the Atlanta Braves' 2025 MLB season will finally come to an end. Everything that could have went wrong almost certainly did. The great pitching staff is no more. The coaching staff is merely collecting paychecks. Even Alex Anthopoulos has gone from being unquestioned to always questioned. No, Ronald Acuña Jr. is not recused from this mess either.
So with Acuña working his way back from another injury, he, the franchise and the fanbase need to be patient this time around. No, this is not an ACL tear, or any shredded sinew for that matter. However, there really is not a point to have Acuña playing every day the rest of the way in a season that took a turn for the worst long before he even came back from the injured list initially. This is all about 2026...
I would venture to guess that the Braves will be markedly better next season. Frankly, they have to be. Whatever crap they have put forth this year is not sitting well with its rabid, nationwide fanbase. Some things are more important that merely acquiring territory in and around the Cobb Cloverleaf, Atlanta Braves Holdings... I do want a new staff to lead this team, but it starts with Acuña being fully healthy.
He may want to play every day when he can, but he has not played in 100 games the last two years.
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Ronald Acuña Jr. must accept this is a lost season for the Atlanta Braves
Look. I do not believe in the moronic concept of tanking. Players and coaches cannot afford to do it, while some holier than thou front-office executives think that they can. Yes, you can rebuild, preferrably reload if you can. Plus, tanking in baseball is the quickest way to get everyone fired. Baseball prospects do nothing for me. They are not NFL, NBA or even NHL prospects, in my opinion.
So what is the best course for action the rest of the way for Acuña and the Braves? Be methodically competitive. Play hard every game, even though this season is not going to make a turn for the better in the final month and a half. Find out who really needs to be part of this team next year. Atlanta is built to win now, but some of the guys the team gave big money to are not producing. They will need to go.
As for Acuña, the last thing the Braves or baseball needs is for him to get hurt in a meaningless August and September game for a non-contending Atlanta team. Allow him to gradually work his way back from his latest injury this fall. They may be part of the game for him now, but not having to do rehab in December, January and February would be preferable in so many instances for the Braves.
While Acuña may be able to avoid a rehab assignment this go-around, he cannot get hurt yet again...