Stats show Ronald Acuña Jr.'s slow start is more concerning than Braves fans think

The Atlanta Braves are one of the best teams in MLB yet again, which should come as no surprise given the talent on the roster. Still, several key contributors like Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson and Austin Riley are off to subpar starts.

Much of this can be chalked up as early-season overreactions. Yet, for the 2023 NL MVP Acuña Jr., one can't help but wonder if the wear and tear of last season took its toll on him. As David O'Brien of The Athletic ($) pointed out on Monday, some of Acuña Jr.'s advanced statistics suggest a more concerning trend.

In 2023, Acuña Jr. struck out just over 11 percent of the time, which was a pretty stunning reversal of fortune from earlier in his career. So far this season, Acuña Jr. is closing in on his 2022 rate, striking out 23.6 percent of the time. It's clear his plate discipline has taken a step back over the offseason. Acuña Jr.'s whiff rate is up nearly 11 percent this season.

“He’s not right yet, not locked in yet,” Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer told O'Brien. “I have total confidence it’s gonna come.”

Should Atlanta Braves fans be worried about Ronald Acuña Jr.?

It's not time to panic yet with Acuña. However, in terms of his career numbers, he's on pace for one of his worst seasons yet.

There's very little off-field concern for Acuña, though he did sign a deal with the controversial Rivas Sports, which will control his marketing opportunities. Acuña Jr. is unhappy with his contract, and has spoken to his desire to be a Brave for life. The only issue there, of course, is that Alex Anthopoulos isn't inclined to sign Acuña Jr. to a new contract. His current deal is one of the most team-friendly contracts in MLB.

Atlanta has survived a subpar month from Acuña Jr. so far, but at some point he'll need to revert back to the mean, at the very least. The same can be said of Olson and Riley.

The Braves are without ace Spencer Strider for the season. This same lineup made history in 2023 with Acuña Jr. leading the way. They'll have to carry the rotation in the summer months, just as this short-handed pitching staff has done for the Braves Big 3 at the dish early this year.