At some point, you’ve probably heard the one about the guy who walks into a doctor’s office, or the horse who walks into a bar. In the case of Atlanta Braves superstar outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., his story involves the man who walks into the batter’s box, subtly changes his stance and catches fire ahead of the playoffs.
As Major League Baseball’s Mark Bowman recently pointed out, the 2023 NL MVP made a slight tweak to his hitting approach late last month. Mired in a prolonged slump following two hamstring strains, Acuña Jr. did not play in an Aug. 27 win over the eventual NL West champion Dodgers.
Later that night, Acuña Jr. told Braves assistant coach Eddie Pérez he wanted to take early batting practice the next day. During said session, the five-time All-Star closed his stance and, according to Bowman, "backed off the plate a couple of inches [and] separated his feet another few inches.”
The results? Let’s just say the rest of Major League Baseball should be on high alert.
How Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. changed his stance and turned his season around
Entering play Sunday, Acuña Jr. is hitting .337 with seven home runs, 20 RBI and a .997 OPS in 112 plate appearances since returning to the lineup on Aug. 28. His batting average has skyrocketed from .235 to .255, and his OPS went from .748 to .796 in less than a month.
If you extrapolate those stats over a full season, Acuña Jr. would finish with 44 home runs, 37 doubles and 125 RBI. Here’s where things get especially interesting: Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez is considered the consensus AL MVP favorite, and he woke up Sunday hitting .316 with 42 home runs, 105 RBI and a 1.036 OPS.
But wait, you say. Acuña Jr. plays in the National League, so how would those numbers compare to Cubs star outfielder and MVP shoo-in Pete Crow-Armstrong? Great question. Crow-Armstrong entered Sunday hitting .278 with 45 home runs, 107 RBI, 31 doubles, 41 steals and a .941 OPS. In that case, we’re not sure whether PCA would be running away with the NL MVP.
“When he is healthy and he gets on one of these streaks, he’s one of the best players in baseball,” said Ozzie Albies, who has played with Acuña since the latter’s 2018 debut. “There's nothing else to say about that.”
Arguably the most remarkable part is how Acuña Jr. responded to sitting during a playoff race. Keep in mind the Braves only had a five-game NL East lead over the Phillies when the veteran outfielder rejoined the lineup on Aug. 28. But rather than complain or take things personally, Acuña Jr. took it upon himself to fix what wasn’t working.
Fans and observers can say whatever they want about Acuña Jr., who has frequently drawn pushback for his enthusiasm, celebrations and durability. But he was injured during the Braves’ 2021 title run, and he’s still chasing his first World Series plate appearance. He turns 29 in December and only has two years of team control left; time is running out for him to guarantee himself a nine-figure contract.
But if Acuña Jr. continues to hit how he has of late, the only question is whether he’ll clear $250 million on his next deal. Guiding the Braves to their second championship in six years would go a long way in convincing ownership he’s still worth the risk.
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