Ronald Acuna Jr. makes Braves must-watch TV no matter what

The Braves finally won a series! It’s their first series win going all the way back to May 18th, but the team is still nine games under .500 with a big hole to climb out of if they want to get back into the postseason picture. However, no matter what happens, Ronald Acuna Jr. provides a reason for fans to tune in every single night.

There was concern that the Venezuelan superstar would resemble the 2022 version of himself when he returned from his first ACL injury, rather than the unanimous MVP from 2023.

During that 2022 campaign, Acuna set career lows across the board. His .764 OPS was his lowest mark by over 100 points, with the most notable aspect of that season being a lack of power. He hit just 15 home runs over 119 games. Compared to the season before, when he launched 24 homers in just 82 games prior to going down with the ACL injury.

It was fair to wonder what version the Braves would be getting in 2025. It’s no longer a question. Through his first 18 games, Ronald Acuna is slashing .353/.436/.647 with six home runs — good for an OPS of 1.083. Six homers in 18 games is around a 54 home run pace, squashing any concern about his power. He’s already accumulated 1.3 fWAR, which puts him on pace for around a 10-WAR season if he played all 162 games. His Statcast page is a sea of red too, suggesting none of this is going to slow down.

Still, the Braves are just 5-13 since Acuna’s return to the lineup. Whether it’s a shaky bullpen or a painfully inconsistent offense, one facet of the club seems to fail every night. Acuna won’t be able to carry the Braves to the postseason by himself, but he is undoubtedly providing a light that everyone in the clubhouse can follow.