The impact of Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. extends to all aspects of the game of baseball. He's a true five-tool player who can beat his opponents in so many different ways.
One of those aspects is on the basepaths. Unfortunately, he hasn't been a real force the last couple of years due to healing from his second knee injury. But it seems he is finally healthy enough to start being terror on the bases again.
Braves manager Walt Weiss, who has his first win as Atlanta's skipper, continues to have glowing things to say about his outfielder. In a recent interview, Weiss compared Acuña Jr. to one of his former teammates, Hall of Fame outfielder Rickey Henderson. That is a very bold comparison to make, but after Weiss' explanation, it's easy to see why he would.
Walt Weiss compared Ronald Acuña Jr. to Rickey Henderson and it honestly isn't THAT crazy
Weiss mentioned that in the few years he played with Henderson, he noticed how much of an impact he had at the top of the lineup, just like Ronald.
"He can take over a game and set the tone for us every night. We didn’t have to hit a homer to lead off a game, but just getting on base and the havoc he creates right out of the gate, that’s what I like about having him lead off.”
Acuña Jr. is absolutely built for the lead-off spot, as he can create havoc in so many different ways. Now that he's fully healthy, he's going to be more active on the bases. Weiss mentioned he wants the team to be more active this season and become "multidimensional" as an offense.
Atlanta has been too reliant on homers to score the last couple of seasons. Their win against the Royals on Opening Day only further showed how powerful this offense can be. However, he's right that the Braves offense cannot rely on that every game.
Comparing Acuña Jr. to Henderson leaves him with some really big shoes to fill. But if anyone can handle a comp like that, it's him. Heck, they both have iconic photos of themselves breaking stolen base records. It's an uncanny comparison.
Ronald has a lot of catching up to do if he wants to match the crazy numbers Henderson produced over 25 seasons. Acuña should easily surpass him in home run total before his career ends. However, he'll have some work to do in the stolen base department.
Here's a breakdown of their career numbers just for fun:
Henderson: 25 seasons, .279 average, 1,406 stolen bases, 297 HR, 510 doubles,1,115 RBI, and an .820 OPS. One MVP, 10-time All-Star, 3-time Silver Slugger, two-time World Series champ, and one Gold Glove.
Acuña: 9 seasons, .289 average, 205 stolen bases, 157 doubles, 186 HR, 459 RBI, and a .906 OPS. One MVP, 5-time All-Star, 3-time Silver Slugger, Rookie of the Year, and World Series champ.
We can only hope that Ronald gets to play for 15+ years and earn a spot next to Henderson in the Hall of Fame.