This might be Ronald Acuña Jr.’s next MVP-caliber season

NORTH PORT, Fla. — You’re not alone if you feel the 2026 season is ripe for more Ronald Acuña Jr. magnificence.

“Some things are lining up for him,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “Being healthy and (winning) the World Baseball Classic. I said this even before the WBC, he’s in a good place physically, mentally, emotionally. That’s exciting for anybody who watches him.”

And for those who haven’t watched him as closely? Perhaps this is a reintroduction. Folks of Braves persuasion are well aware that Acuña is arguably the most talented individual in franchise history. But he might have been out of sight, out of mind to outsiders; as brilliant as the 2023 MVP season was, that was eons ago in the professional sports timeline.

The mainstream attention focuses on Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, the consensus best two players in the sport. Acuña, who’s amazed since his April 2018 debut, should consider them his peers. But he has to stay healthy to prove it again.

Acuña has only been stalled by injuries. He’s suffered two ACL tears, one in July 2021 — thus launching the Braves’ historically successful sequence of trades that produced their World Series championship — and then again in May 2024, just 49 games into his follow-up campaign to his MVP year.

While he played in 95 games last season, Acuña wasn’t his best self. He was more cautious on the base paths and had natural carefulness after his latest injury. He still produced a 3.0 bWAR and posted a .935 OPS. But he wasn’t fully realized.

Now, he’s letting loose again. He went 11-for-11 in stolen base attempts during winter ball, which he said was reassuring. He arrived at camp in North Port, Florida, declaring himself “200%.”

That’s a strong proclamation from a player who, the last time he was 100%, produced MLB’s first 40-homer, 70-steal season. Acuña makes the historic look routine. He just oozes ability in a way few have.

His veteran teammates will tell you he’s the most talented player with whom they’ve shared the field. His younger teammates simply marvel as he makes the extraordinary seem standard.

“The things he does on the field, you just don’t see it,” Braves starter Spencer Schwellenbach said last summer.

Perhaps retired Braves manager Brian Snitker summarized it best with one of his go-to lines: “You better not go buy a beer when he’s around because he might do something that you’ve never seen before.”

His latest foray into the unprecedented: Acuña had a .962 OPS in seven games for Venezuela as he led his team to its first WBC championship. He said that was the most meaningful achievement of his career.

Acuña is beginning to assemble one of the all-time great careers for a Venezuelan player; aspiring athletes in his country will look to him the same way he admired players like Miguel Cabrera and Magglio Ordóñez.

“(Venezuela loves him) a lot, man,” veteran Venezuelan pitcher Martin Pérez, now with the Braves organization, said of Acuña. “I cannot explain because it’s too much. People love him because of the way he plays, the way he says things. He’s straight with people, and most of the people like that. Acuña is a superstar, man. I think the way he plays baseball, the way he feels when he loses, it’s amazing. He’s going to be good for a long time.”

Atlanta loves Acuña, too. Youthful Braves fans will view him the way past generations followed Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones and Freddie Freeman.

Believe it or not, this marks Acuña’s ninth major league season. He’s been the city’s most famous athlete throughout his career. He’s the face of the franchise. He’s its greatest talent and its most exciting entertainer.

Acuña has already entrenched himself as one of the indelible figures in Braves history. He’s only adding to his story now, hoping to one day be on the field celebrating during the Braves’ next championship run, just as he fell to his knees in right field at LoanDepot Park following the final out of Venezuela’s victory.