Ronald Acuña Jr. was hardly the most heralded player in the Atlanta Braves’ 2014 international signing class. Five players received larger bonuses than the $100,000 the Braves gave Acuña as a 16-year-old. Yet, as he took batting practice shortly after joining the organization in 2014, Acuña offered a glimpse of what was to come.
One of the stunned onlookers, Ozzie Albies, still remembers his disbelief as he watched a player who was one year younger than him launch baseballs into the stratosphere.
“I was like, ‘Wow, imagine just seeing that in the game against pitchers. This is going to be insane,’” Albies said recently of that long-ago batting practice. “He started doing it in the games. So since then, I was like, ‘Wow, this guy’s going to be special for sure.’”
Just how special? Since then, Acuña has been named an All-Star five times and won an MVP award. Last season, he was the National League’s comeback player of the year. On Wednesday at Nationals Park, he added yet another honor, becoming the 10th Braves player in the franchise’s long history to hit 200 home runs.
Acuña hasn’t looked much like himself at the plate this year, but the moment nevertheless stood out.
“I know how much I’ve kept working to be here,” Acuña told reporters after the Braves’ 9-0 win over the Washington Nationals.
“Any time you’re first, or even top 50 on any list in this game, it’s amazing when you think about the history of this game and the people who have played it,” said manager Walt Weiss, whose team increased its division lead to four games heading into a four-game series against the second-place Philadelphia Phillies. “We know Ronald’s talent. It’s freakish talent. So he’s capable of doing unbelievable things.”
Acuña had slightly above-average speed, a plus arm and average raw power with room to grow when the Braves signed him. His ascent, evaluators thought, would hinge on maintaining his speed, improving his contact skills and consistently tapping into his power. He’s done the latter, as he demonstrated when he sent a high fastball from Nationals right-hander Max Kranick 379 feet over the left field wall. With that blast, Acuña entered rarefied company, including the likes of Dale Murphy, Chipper Jones, Freddie Freeman and Hank Aaron.
“There’s certain guys that when they get going and they get hot, it’s almost like there ought to be another league for them,” said third baseman Austin Riley, who was drafted into the organization one year after Acuña joined it. “He’s one of those guys.”
Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuña have shared a special bond for more than a decade. (Colin Hubbard / Imagn Images)
The 200th home run was just the latest reminder of Acuña’s prowess. He became the fastest player in MLB history to reach 200 home runs and 200 stolen bases, doing so in 904 career games. It took Alfonso Soriano 929 games to reach the milestone.
If not for a pair of ACL tears that caused him to miss 185 regular-season games plus 18 postseason matchups between his extended absences, there is a chance Acuña may have reached the milestone sooner.
The 2021 and 2024 injuries tested not only his body but his patience, confidence and resilience. How he rebounded from hurting his knee again in the 50th game of the follow-up to his MVP season, in particular, stood out to Albies throughout Acuña’s 2025 comeback.
“Most people don’t know how hard and frustrating those moments are,” Albies said. “And you have to be mentally strong. So for him to go through it, stay strong, come back and do what he’s been doing — it’s not just talent. It’s also special he can battle adversity.”
Acuña, limited by hamstring injuries to roughly 60 percent of the Braves’ games this year, has performed below his career norms. He entered Wednesday batting .238 with a .746 OPS. The home run was only his 14th of the season. One year after hitting 21 with a 161 OPS+ in 96 games, Acuña entered the 9-0 win on pace to finish 2026 with 16 homers in 100 games.
Even through difficult moments, Acuña has continued to play with the same freedom, passion and joy that teammates associate with him. That spirit has become part of what makes Acuña impactful beyond what he produces on the field.
“He’s having a ton of fun and is one of those tone setters,” Riley said. “When we’re having a lot of fun, a lot of energy is out there. When things start to flow, I think that attributes to his love for the game.”