Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. Decision Makes Absolutely No Sense

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 12:58 PM ET

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. is one of MLB's most electric players. The 27-year old is in his eighth MLB season and has already built an extensive resume. A five-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger, Acuna also won the 2023 National League MVP award.

If there has been one issue for Acuna in his career, it has been health. Having appeared in just 123 games since the start of 2024, the Braves' superstar has spent a lot of time sidelined with different injuries.

The latest ailment for Acuna was right achilles tendon inflammation that landed him on the 10-day injured list. Activated on Aug. 15, it has been a struggle since returning.

Since coming off the IL, Acuna has hit just .183 with one home run in 71 at-bats. This includes a 1-for-29 slump entering Sunday. Amid this, Braves manager Brian Snitker gave Acuna a day off on Friday. When he penciled the five-time All-Star back into the lineup on Saturday, it was in the No. 6 spot.

This was Acuna's first time since 2018 batting outside the top four (h/t Underdog MLB). Despite reaching base twice on Saturday and lining out sharply, Acuna was moved down the order even further on Sunday into the No. 7 spot.

After working two walks and smoking a line drive to the opposite field last night, the slumping Ronald Acuña Jr. gets dropped to 7th in the order, behind Michael Harris II, who has a -3 wRC+ in his last 16 G https://t.co/5QIH8iDy1T
— Austin Cain-Reach (@reach_baseball) September 7, 2025

Prior to this game, Acuna had made just five career starts hitting seventh in the order. He has never started lower than that. While this is arguably the worst slump of his MLB career, a player of Acuna's caliber being pushed this far down the order is a questionable move at best by his manager.

Brian Snitker's Ronald Acuna Jr. Move Does Not Make Sense

Given where Atlanta is at in the standings, and who the team is deploying around Acuna in the order, this decision simply makes no sense. Entering Sunday, the Braves are 12 games back of the final NL Wild Card spot. With 20 games remaining, they will not be making the postseason.

Had they been in the middle of a pennant race, moving the slumping Acuna down would be easier to understand. But considering he is the face of their franchise, letting him figure things out atop the order — where he has started 676 of his 796 career games entering Sunday (via Baseball Reference), should have been the priority.

In Snitker's defense, moving a slumping star in the order is not uncommon for a manager looking for answers. But in the case of the 2025 Braves, their lineup construction also doesn't help justify this move. Batting behind Acuna on Sunday is three-time All-Star Marcell Ozuna. Like Acuna, he is also mired in an extended slump.

Hitting just .146 over his last 16 games, Ozuna doesn't exactly provide great protection for Acuna out of the eight-hole. Nor does Nacho Alvarez Jr. who rounds out the starting nine with his .669 OPS and zero home runs in 130 at-bats this season.

Keeping Acuna in the leadoff spot, ahead of Matt Olson, would simply make the most sense for Atlanta as it looks to finish out September on a high note.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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