ATLANTA — The Braves had been occupied with letting Ronald Acuña Jr. relaxation on Sunday. However that was earlier than watching their dynamic outfielder hit a house run in every of the primary two huge league video games he has performed in a 12 months.
“I used to be pondering, ‘Swinging the bat the way in which he’s, he’s not going to desire a day,’” Braves supervisor Brian Snitker mentioned.
Acuña is being fueled by the adrenaline that intensified when he hit one other rocket homer whereas serving to the Braves declare a 7-1 win over the Padres on Saturday afternoon at Truist Park. The highly effective outfielder has homered in two of the 9 at-bats he has tallied since going 362 days between video games on the Main League stage.
“Typically, you’re simply born with it, and he positively was,” Braves first baseman Matt Olson mentioned.
Acuña’s two-run homer in Saturday’s sixth inning wasn’t as dramatic because the one he hit on Friday, when he homered in opposition to the primary huge league pitch he had confronted since tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament on Might 26, 2024. However the immediate manufacturing signifies he’s in higher place now than he was in 2022, when he struggled after returning lower than 10 months after tearing his proper ACL.
“It’s been over a 12 months since I’ve performed three or 4 video games in a row, however I’m feeling good,” Acuña mentioned.
Acuña has each motive to really feel good given what he has skilled over the previous few days. The leadoff homer he hit on Friday was the longest residence run (a Statcast-projected 467 ft) and hardest-hit ball (115.5 mph) generated by a Braves participant this 12 months. His homer on Saturday had extra mortal-like metrics, 427 ft and 111 mph.
From an influence perspective, it seems like Acuña is again to the place he was in 2023, when he received the Nationwide League MVP after turning into the primary participant to ever hit 40-plus homers and steal 70-plus bases in a season.
“[Opponents] can’t ease their means right into a sport with Ronald,” Olson mentioned. “Final evening, excellent instance, 115 for a homer. He’s dynamic when he will get on the bases, and the throw [outfield assist] he made final evening to second. He’s the MVP and it’s good getting that type of man again.”
It feels just like the Braves may also be reintroducing themselves to the 2023 type of Olson, who hit a go-ahead homer Saturday within the third inning in opposition to Sean Reynolds, a reliever who was pressured to begin when Michael King awoke with proper shoulder stiffness.
Olson has hit eight of his 12 residence runs in Might.
By way of 51 video games, the Braves first baseman has hit .243 with a .828 OPS. He batted .232 with 14 residence runs and a .877 OPS via the primary 51 video games of the career-best season he constructed two years in the past.
In different phrases, his numbers aren’t a lot totally different than they had been round this similar precise level of the 2023 season, throughout which he set franchise data in residence runs (54) and RBIs (139).
“It’s good to see outcomes,” Olson mentioned. “I wouldn’t say it’s excellent. It by no means is. However to have the ability to put a barrel on a pair and hit a spot or let it depart the yard feels good.”
It definitely feels good for Snitker to assemble what’s beginning to seem like a formidable lineup. Depth continues to be a priority. The ultimate 4 batters in Atlanta’s lineup on Saturday all have a sub-.575 OPS in Might — Alex Verdugo (.566), Ozzie Albies (.565), Michael Harris II (.571) and Nick Allen (.522).
However Acuña’s wholesome presence within the leadoff spot has definitely improved the lineup’s look. A extra constant offense would improve the worth of a powerful rotation that obtained seven robust innings from Grant Holmes on Saturday. Holmes has pitched into the seventh inning in 4 of his previous 5 begins, together with every of his previous three.
Holmes is getting his first style of Acuñamania. The precise-handed pitcher made his MLB debut somewhat greater than two weeks after the outfielder suffered his season-ending knee harm final 12 months.
“That residence run yesterday, I really feel like type of jolted us somewhat bit,” Holmes mentioned. “We did not come out with a win, however, I really feel like that type of received us going. I really feel like he is simply that kind of man that is going to proceed to try this.”
