Sometimes it’s hard to believe the things fans will say on social media platforms. Braves Twitter is insane more often than not, but Braves Facebook always finds a way to take the cake. Tons of fans were guilty of overreacting to Ronald Acuña’s slow start to the season, which caused me to write an article reminding people that slow starts are nothing new for the Braves 22-year-old star. However, the best responses I received blamed his dreads for his early-season slump.
Now, I’m sure some people were being facetious, but there are actually fans (if you can even call them that) out there that believe such utter foolishness. However, regardless of why you thought Acuña might have been slumping, he’s quickly reminded us that there was never a reason to worry, and there never will be. As long as Acuña is healthy, he will always be one of the best players in the game.
After a rough first seven games, which saw Acuña record just one extra-base hit and four total hits compared to fourteen strikeouts, he’s quickly turned things around since the calendar turned to August, racking up 12 hits, including four homers in nine games. He also has eight walks over that span, giving him a ridiculous slash line of .387/.513/.871/1.384.
For the season, Acuña’s average is back up to .266, but his OBP of .382 is 16 points higher than his career-best, and his slugging percentage is well over .500. It won’t be long until he has some of the best numbers in the game again, making the Braves offense even more lethal. Atlanta is currently tied for the most runs in the league with the Los Angeles Dodgers, scoring 87 in their first 17 games… and MLB.com told us before the season that they didn’t have a top ten lineup in the game.
MLB Slugfest 20-20. https://t.co/ivF9kSmap7 pic.twitter.com/VXzoekheSL
— MLB (@MLB) July 13, 2020
The best part is — the Braves offense has yet to start clicking on all cylinders. Acuña and Freddie Freeman slumped to begin the year, but guys like Dansby Swanson and Marcell Ozuna picked up the slack. Now, Acuña and Freeman are starting to find their groove while Swanson and Ozuna struggle. Not to mention, Ozzie Albies hit .159 before the Braves placed him on the IL, and neither Johan Camargo nor Austin Riley has provided much consistency with the stick. It’s going to be a scary sight for opposing pitching staffs once everything starts to come together.
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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