Ronald Acuña Jr’s historic night is proof Mookie Betts better watch his back

The Atlanta Braves continue to pace the MLB behind a strong collective performance. No other team has eight All-Stars on the roster. That said, Ronald Acuña Jr. frequently rises above the noise and separates himself as the clear best player on the team. Until recently, he was the undisputed MVP favorite.

A strong second-half surge from Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers, however, has cast doubt upon Acuña's MVP candidacy. Recent odds from FanDuel place Betts as the leader in the race at -140, while Acuña sits at +250.

It's a bit jarring to see Acuña thrown off his pedstal after months at the top. And look, Betts has more than earned his position on the leaderboard: he leads the MLB in WAR (7.4) and he's tearing it up at the plate with .314/.408/.612 splits, 36 home runs, and 94 RBIs.

That said, Betts' strong push to the finish line shouldn't discount the historic achievements of Acuña, who deserves plenty of No. 1 votes when the award body convenes. On Monday, the Braves' right fielder made MLB history with his 29th home run of the season.

Ronald Acuña Jr. makes MLB history with another Atlanta Braves home run

Acuña is now the first player in MLB history to hit 29 home runs and steal 60 bases in a single season. He's also splitting .335/.417/.570 with 79 RBIs, which places him comfortably in the same realm as Betts. Acuña leads the MLB in on-base percentage and once he's on the base paths, there isn't a more dangerous superstar in the league. Acuña also boasts to second-best WAR in the National League (6.5).

Betts has the slight power advantage and he's a superior defender in right field. Acuña gets on base more and wreaks havoc with his speed. It's hard to argue that one is definitively above the other. One could use the quality of his teammates as a rebuttal to Acuña's "most valuable" argument, but Betts is teammates with another leading MVP candidate in Freddie Freeman. Both have plenty of help.

There's one month left in the MLB regular season. More than enough time for Acuña to reassert his presence in the race. It's also plenty of time for Betts to increase his lead. If the Braves continue to shatter records and run away with games, however, it's hard to imagine voters not favoring the younger, more naturally exciting Acuña. He's the face of National League baseball right now, the best player on the best team. And, while it shouldn't impact voting, Betts does have MVP on his resume already. That could sway the race in Acuña's favor. He's the new kid on the block.

As fate would have it, the Braves and Dodgers start a three-game series on Thursday, Aug. 31. Do not be shocked if the outcome of that series — and the contrast in performances between Acuña and Betts — goes a long way toward settling the debate in voters' minds.