Chipper Jones believes Ronald Acuña Jr. hasn’t reached his ceiling

Even if the Atlanta Braves came up short in October for the second postseason in a row, you cannot deny what Ronald Acuña Jr. did on the field in his MVP-caliber season. He became the first 40-70 player in MLB history on what was the best team in baseball during the regular season. Acuña won another Silver Slugger, and will probably join the likes of Chipper Jones as NL MVPs from the Braves.

I had the opportunity to speak with Jones last week ahead of him being honored for the Rally for Research Award for the great work he has done combating pediatric cancer for years as a staunch supporter of the Rally Foundation. In the wake of Hank Aaron's passing nearly three years ago, Jones has emerged as the baseball ambassador Braves Country looks to. He is proudly carrying the torch.

Although Jones was a first-ballot Hall of Famer, he is in awe of what Acuña is doing on the baseball diamond. Barring something ridiculous, he will be an NL MVP like Jones, Dale Murphy, Terry Pendleton and Freddie Freeman all were before him in Atlanta. And as far as Jones is concerned, he believes that the best is still in front of him.

He thinks that Acuña has not hit his high ceiling just yet.

"The scary thing is that I'm not sold on the fact that he has reached his ceiling. I've watched this kid since Double-A, Triple-A. He's different. I said it from the time I saw him, this guy is gonna be one of the top two or three players in the game. I think he's there right now, if he's not the best. What I'm not so sure about is that the ceiling can't be higher. I think he could hit 50."

Jones feels Acuña's power numbers could go up to and surpass 50, but he has a hard time seeing him being able to sustain the 70-stolen base threshold. Acuña's game will inevitably evolve over time.

"If he has a good power year, I think he could hit 50. I don't know how long he can sustain 70 bags. I think he could do 40 or 50 in his sleep. The plate discipline he has gotten, the more you're starting to see his swing and misses go down. His strikeouts have gone down and his walks have gone up because his pitch recognition has gotten so much better."

Jones credits Acuña's rise to the best player in the game today territory to his much-improved plate discipline, as well as a newfound sense of maturity he seems to have fully embraced in his mid-20s.

"He's gonna get stolen bases off of walks because people are scared to be down one to nothing after the first or second pitch of the game. So yeah, I think there's more in the tank there, but he had a tremendous season."

Because Acuña seems to be just hitting his stride, Jones thinks more World Series titles are coming.

Chipper Jones believes we have not seen the best of Ronald Acuña Jr. yet

As long as he stays healthy, we could be approaching another five years of athletic dominance from Acuña batting leadoff for Atlanta and manning right field. I think the unfortunate torn ACL down in Miami right before the 2021 All-Star Break was a blessing in disguise for him. It unintentionally gave Acuña a greater appreciation for the game. I think it also helped him work on his craft and his maturity.

Assuming the Braves continue to field a winning product over the next half decade, even after skipper Brian Snitker inevitably retires, we need to get used to Acuña remaining a top-three player in the game of baseball. While some of his teammates may have MVP-caliber seasons in their own right, Acuña is the straw that stirs the drink in Atlanta, now and going forward. We are all in for something so special.

Overall, Jones' assessment on Acuña's ascension to superstardom feels pretty spot on. His analysis of the Braves is right up there with anyone's. Where I may push back just a bit on Jones' infinite praise of Acuña is only that of health. Assuming his back holds up, the power numbers could conceivably be there. However, I think Acuña's proclivity for stealing this many bases is just not sustainable for him...

The good news is he is an incredibly savvy baseball player, one who dominates in every aspect of the game itself. He may be dripping with talent, but his greatest challenge besides staying humble in the wake of superstardom is to let his baseball acumen take over when his legs no longer want to carry him. If Acuña can effectively pivot his game once he gets into his early 30s, then the sky is the limit.

Should we get another eight or 10 seasons of anything close to this, we are watching an all-timer.

Chipper Jones spoke to FanSided on behalf of the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research.

Atlanta Braves legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Chipper Jones received the prestigious Rally for Research Award on Friday, Nov. 10 at the 16th annual Benefit Bash Gala benefiting Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research.

“Chipper has been a steadfast Rally supporter for nearly two decades, since our very beginning in 2005,” says Dean Crowe, Rally’s founder and CEO. “One of our first fundraisers was Money in the Mitt, a bubblegum-blowing contest in partnership with the Braves. Since then, Chipper has been a true hero for Rally, playing in many Celebrity Softball Games, attending and giving generously at Benefit Bash events year after year, and even donating a number of goldendoodle puppies for our Live Auctions.

"Over the years, he has quietly gifted ten Rally Kids with their own dogs as well! His unwavering commitment to Rally’s mission of raising funds and awareness for childhood cancer and his dedication to these families personally is inspiring. We are so thrilled to be presenting the 2023 Rally for Research Award to Chipper Jones.”

To learn more about Rally Foundation, visit  and follow Rally Foundation on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.