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MLB Offers Bold Ronald Acuña Jr. Prediction Amid Latest Hot Streak

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated Jun 14, 2025 10:49 AM ET

All it takes is one glance at Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. to be skeptical that he didn't debut until late May.

Acuña is surging, and he's one of the few bright spots on an incredibly disappointing Braves team. The 2023 NL MVP enters Saturday hitting .375 with six home runs, 11 RBI, and a 1.124 OPS in his return from a knee injury.

After only posting 0.0 bWAR in 49 games last year, Acuña ranks sixth on the Braves with 1.3 bWAR over 83 plate appearances. Had Acuña started the season healthy and posted these numbers from March onward, he'd be a shoo-in to start next month's All-Star Game.

Despite Acuña only playing 19 games thus far, Major League Baseball's David Adler suggested he could nonetheless make his fifth All-Star Game.

"The NL has a crowded outfield All-Star race ... but Acuña is as good as any of them," Adler wrote.

"Crowded" is putting things lightly. Adler listed the likes of Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kyle Tucker, Corbin Carroll, James Wood, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Juan Soto as potential All-Star outfielders, and at least one of them is likely to be snubbed.

Remember, every team must have an All-Star representative. Soto or Wood could, theoretically, miss out because a Miami Marlins or Colorado Rockies player needs that roster spot.

Crow-Armstrong leads NL hitters in bWAR (4.0), and Wood's .925 OPS ranks ninth in baseball; Carroll is right behind him at .920. Plus, Carroll might be the Diamondbacks' lone selection, especially after pitcher Corbin Burnes' recent elbow injury.

No one is disputing that Acuña has been phenomenal, and his final numbers are on track to be absurd for someone who missed the first two months. However, we'll likely need to wait until 2026 for Acuña's next All-Star at-bat, even if this year's game is in Atlanta.

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

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