While there are a lot of storylines this spring when it comes to the Atlanta Braves this spring, the elephant in the room is pretty clearly Ronald Acuna Jr. and how he will perform upon his return. When he is right, there is no question that Acuna Jr. is among the best players in baseball, but there is some understandable concern that he will look very different coming off his second major knee surgery.
Up until now, both the Braves and Acuna Jr. have said and (probably) done all the right things. Atlanta is being cautious with their franchise cornerstone to make sure he doesn't struggle upon his return like he did after his first injury. On Ronald's side, he has looked great during his rehab and has already been hitting absolute tanks in batting practice down at camp.
Fans got more details thanks to a tremendous column from ESPN's Alden Gonzalez where he detailed Acuna Jr.'s plans upon his return from the IL. Not only does it seem like Acuna Jr. seem like he has a plan to stay on the field going forward, but he also has plans to reclaim his NL MVP title.
A single majestic BP home run from the 2023 NL MVP for your timeline.
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) February 12, 2025
Ronald Acuña Jr. is in fine form. pic.twitter.com/ZHSTrvNtjy
Ronald Acuna Jr. may be changing his approach in 2025, but he is still gunning to win MVP again
Most of Gonzalez's article details what could be different when Acuna Jr. returns. Acuna Jr. is obviously a little hesitant to be running around like he was during his 2023 MVP campaign right now given his injury. Based on his comments, fans may be disappointed in 2025 if they are hoping that he will go out and steal 70+ bases again as Acuna Jr.'s current priority is playing a full season and staying healthy.
However, one of the more interesting tidbits came towards the beginning of the column where Gonzalez detailed the immediately aftermath of Acuna Jr.'s knee injury. After getting over the shock of needing to go under the knife again, Ronald told his trainer in Venezuela, "We're gonna do this again. We're gonna win MVP again."
Well, if that doesn't get you hyped up as a Braves fan, there is no hope for you. That competitive spirit is actually one reason why one may want to be a bit skeptical that Acuna Jr. is going to change how he goes about his business on the field. As Alex Anthopoulos said when he was asked about Acuna Jr.'s plans to pick his spots to run more carefully and run less overall, ""I'll believe it when I see it. And I don't mean that in a bad way"
It will be May before we find out what this "new" version of Acuna Jr. looks like. He is an freak talent and it is a lock that he will immediately become one of the most dynamic players in baseball again once he takes the field. Exactly how he will go about that is unclear, but it is definitely going to be fun to watch.