Ronald Acuña Jr. should have Rob Manfred hoping for a Braves World Series win

Officially, you’ll almost certainly never hear Rob Manfred potentially admit that he wants to see Ronald Acuña Jr. and the Atlanta Braves reach the 2026 World Series. Such a move would be unprecedented by a commissioner, and it’d create immense problems for a sport already facing an impending work stoppage.

But if we were Manfred, we’d absolutely hope the Braves win their first pennant since 2021. Not only is Acuña healthy, but he’s caught fire over the last week. The five-time All-Star is hitting .484 with two home runs, six RBIs, and a 1.285 OPS in his last eight games. His latest homer, a fifth-inning shot in Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Phillies, went an estimated 450 feet.

Why MLB needs Ronald Acuña Jr. now more than ever

According to Major League Baseball’s Sarah Langs, Acuña now has 28 home runs of at least 450 feet since debuting in 2018. If we count the postseason, that’s two more than any other hitter leaguewide. 

Fans love home runs, and the thought of Acuña mashing in the Fall Classic should have Manfred asking the baseball overlords for a massive favor.

Although Acuña owns a World Series ring already, a torn ACL prevented him from playing in the 2021 World Series. As a result, Baseball-Reference refuses to include that on his résumé, which makes us grateful that Immaculate Grid no longer includes “World Series winner” as a question. Then again, we’d personally use David Justice, so it’s no skin off our back.

In all seriousness, Acuña has spent nearly a decade making baseball games incredibly exciting. He’s a dynamic superstar, albeit an injury-prone one quickly approaching his 30th birthday, and his power and speed remain his calling cards. His penchant for viral celebrations, while initially divisive, eventually helped him become one of the sport’s most recognizable players.

Injuries could dampen a loaded MLB Playoff field

Major League Baseball needs Acuña’s popularity and ability to turn heads on social media more than ever. Shohei Ohtani remains limited by a knee injury, and Aaron Judge has missed over three months with a stress fracture in his right rib, though he remains hopeful about returning within the next two weeks. 

Manfred has been incredibly lucky the last two years, with Ohtani dazzling in his postseason appearances with the Dodgers. That’s not to say that the four-time MVP won’t play in October, but it’s hard not to be concerned about his second-half struggles. Judge’s playoff issues are well documented, too, and the Yankees are on track to face the surging Red Sox in the Wild Card Series.

Acuña and the Braves are only 3.5 games behind the Brewers for the NL’s No. 1 seed, and one game behind the No. 2 Dodgers. If the postseason began tomorrow, Atlanta would host No. 6 Arizona in the Wild Card Series.

Based on his history, we’re expecting to see Acuña crush his trademark deep homers when the playoffs start. From there, don’t be surprised if his Baseball-Reference page adds another achievement to an already extensive profile.

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