Atlanta Braves: Expect even bigger results for Ronald Acuna Jr. in 2020
Ronald Acuna Jr. nearly put together a 40-40 season for the Atlanta Braves in 2019, which led to a top-5 MVP finish. What does 2020 have in store?
It’s hard to imagine a season being any better than Ronald Acuna’s 2019 season for the Atlanta Braves, but get ready, cause it’s coming.
Not only has Ronald Acuna Jr. emerged as the face of the franchise (along with Freddie Freeman) for the Braves, but also one can argue Acuna is now one of the faces of Major League Baseball.
In a little less than two full seasons, Acuna has hit 67 home runs with a .285 average and an OPS-plus of 130. He has a WAR of 9.6.
If it weren’t for an injury the last week of the season, Acuna could have been the first player since 2006 to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases last year.
He went to his first All-Star game in 2019, finished fifth in the MVP voting, and won the Silver Slugger award.
Acuna took another step defensively last season as he finished 11th in DRS and 17th in UZR. And we all know about his canon of an arm.
All of this leads to perhaps the most important fact about Acuna, who signed an 8-year, $100 million dollar deal last spring. The highest AAV for Acuna is $17 million — that is an absolute steal.
Assuming he stays healthy, Acuna will be patrolling right field for at least the next eight years. At some point over those eight years, he will emerge as the best player in the game.
Braves manager Brian Snitker tried to bat Acuna in the cleanup spot early last season, but the offense did not take off until Acuna moved back to the leadoff spot.
He will also be penciled into that spot for many years to come.
What can be expected from Acuna in 2020?
Baseball-Reference projects Acuna to slash .288/.362/.542 with 35 home runs and 86 RBI. Steamer projects .280/.365/.518 with 37 home runs and 93 RBI.
It’s completely within reason to expect a higher MVP finish from Acuna in 2020. In fact, it would be surprising if he finished outside the top five. Another All-Star selection, with a likely starting spot, also seems likely.
At some point soon, Acuna is going to win a Gold Glove. While it might not happen this season, it will in the near future.
Watching Ronald Acuna play baseball is one of the most exciting things in all of sports and we get to see it for many more years in Atlanta.
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Expect 2020 to be another ascending year towards the best player in the game for R.A.J.