Breaking down Ronald Acuna Jr.'s first inning dominance in 2023
By Steven Teal
Can Ronald Acuna Jr. keep his 1st inning dominance up?
Will he be able to sustain the path he is currently on? It's certainly possible. We are just now at the end of May and his average in the first inning is just under .500 on the season. As stated before, he looks like a man on a mission offensively and I don't expect things to slow down anytime soon.
Outside of the first inning, Acuna has made himself an early frontrunner for the NL MVP. Ronald has the fifth-highest average in the majors at .327 with 70 hits including 15 doubles, 11 homers, 30 RBI, and a WRC+ of 159. He has walked 28 times and struck out 34 times. Ronald has also been tearing up the basepaths with 22 steals so far in 2023.
Seeing a confident and healthy Ronald Acuna Jr. is an absolute treat and baseball fans should count themselves lucky to witness such a talent in their lifetime. It gives me the same feelings I felt watching Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken, and Chipper Jones play when I was a kid.
You knew you were watching the cream of the crop and appreciated the caliber of talent they possessed. Each of them individually brought something different to the game and carried themselves differently but they were professional in every way and showcased some of the best baseball talent a brooding baseball fanatic could ask for.
Since his debut in 2018, #Braves Ronald Acuña Jr. (131 HR/129 SB) is one of just three players in MLB with at least 100 HR and 100 SB.
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) May 27, 2023
Trea Turner (104 HR/155 SB) and Jose Ramirez (150 HR/120 SB) are the others. Acuña accomplished the feat in 135 fewer games than the other two. pic.twitter.com/5yzONhXMKB
Ronald Acuna Jr, and many others, are currently doing that for a new generation of baseball fans and Atlanta Braves fans are lucky to have one of the best players on their side for many more years to come. Buckle up for the ride Braves fans because it's just getting started.