Ronald Acuña Jr. was back hitting oppo tacos an hour after winning NL MVP

The Atlanta Braves have themselves a bona-fide superstar just now hitting his prime in right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. On Thursday night, he won his first NL MVP award, doing so with an unprecedented 40/70 season for Atlanta. Although the Braves came up short in October to the rival Philadelphia Phillies for a second postseason in a row, we should expect for Acuña and the Braves to bounce back.

During the same night he won his first NL MVP, Acuña was back in his native Venezuela, making his winter-league debut. He absolutely obliterated this offering to deep right-center field before touching them all. As long as Acuña stays healthy and avoids any long-term debilitating injury, he could remain a generational talent in the Atlanta outfield for years to come. That would be wonderful for everyone.

The Braves enter next season poised to contend for their seventh-straight NL East division title. Although the Phillies have played in back-to-back NLCS by knocking the Braves out in the NLDS, you would be hard-pressed to pick anyone else to come out of the division next year. Not only are these two of the top six teams in the Senior Circuit for 2024, they are probably two of the top four as well.

Feast your eyes on Acuña's first home run of his winter-league season down in his native Venezuela.

Still firmly in his mid-20s, we could be getting five-to-seven more years of this kind of ball out of him.

Ronald Acuña Jr. goes oppo taco in Venezuela right after winning NL MVP

Acuña might be at his apex to some, but there is a chance he could be even better than this. Last week, I spoke with Chipper Jones over the phone, and he believes that we still have not seen the best out of La Bestia up to this point. Ronnie Beisbol could go up a level in terms of power. While Jones is apprehensive about Acuña's ability to steal bags at this prolific rate, he could go 30/30 in his sleep.

I would tend to agree with Jones in that regard. The power numbers could improve with even greater plate discipline and continued added protection in a very deep lineup. Continued growth and maturity will inevitably serve Acuña, now and in the future. My biggest concern is to what degree will his legs hold up. Conversely, to what degree will he be able to effectively pivot his game once he grows older?

Given the amount of talent he possesses, I would suspect that Acuña will age gracefully. He loves baseball and takes care of himself. He also plays for an organization that will continue to put him in advantageous situations to succeed. That would be the case for pretty much everyone who has made it into the hearts of Braves Country. Acuña's future is so bright that he has to wear shades.

Nothing hits quite like a Venezuelan oppo taco hours after winning your first league MVP, amirite?