One reason the Braves can handle the Phillies, Dodgers, and Brewers
By Kevin Henry
Why the Atlanta Braves can handle the Milwaukee Brewers
In the midst of a historic season where he could become the first-ever player to hit 40 home runs and steal 70 bases, Ronald Acuña Jr. is one of the leading candidates for National League MVP. The numbers speak for themselves, but some of the 25-year-old's best numbers have come against the Brewers this season.
Acuña has posted a .458/.536/.583 slash line in 28 plate appearances against Milwaukee this season, helping Atlanta hold a 5-1 record against the Brewers. Heading into Wednesday's play, the 42 runs were the most allowed by Milwaukee against any non-NL Central team ... and only Pittsburgh is ahead of the Braves in that department, scoring 52 runs in 13 games. Yes, Atlanta is just 10 runs behind the Pirates in scoring against the Brewers and did that damage in less than half the games needed by Pittsburgh.
Many will point to Milwaukee's rotation as one of the Brewers' strengths in the postseason, but Atlanta has already shown they can score against whoever the Brew Crew puts on the mound. That charge is led by Acuña, making a Braves matchup a scary thought in the upper Midwest.