There was another accolade for the Braves’ young star Ronald Acuna as the outfielder was named National League Rookie of the Month for August, Major League Baseball announced Tuesday.
Is the Rookie of the Year award next for the 20-year-old?
Acuna hit .336 (39-for-116) in 30 games during the month with 21 RBIs, 11 home runs, seven doubles, one triple and 25 runs scored. The 11 home runs tied the Brewers’ Christian Yelich for the MLB high for the month.
Acuna, who was named Rooke of the Week on Aug. 19, homered in five consecutive games from Aug. 11-14. He became the youngest player in major league history to homer in four consecutive games. Three of the home runs were leadoff shots.
“I’m extremely emotional and excited and happy with the work we’ve put in not just the month of August but the entire season,” Acuna said Tuesday before the Braves hosted the Red Sox.
Acuna entered Tuesday with a .292 average with 23 home runs and 50 RBIs in 336 at-bats over 86 games this season. The Braves’ top prospect is tied for the major league lead among rookies with 23 home runs. The home run total is tied with Mickey Mantle for eighth all-time for most in a season by a player before his 21st birthday.
Acuna also leads all rookies with a .568 slugging percentage and is second in OPS at .925 among those with at least 300 at-bats.
“It’s well-deserved, that’s for sure,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “The kid has had a very good year. He’s been as solid as you can get. You see him getting better. You see him making adjustments, maturing in his whole game.”
Acuna will be considered one of the favorites for Rookie of the Year despite beginning the season in the minors.
“It definitely crosses my mind,” Acuna said of his reflections of his fast rise. “I look back that I used to dream about being here and having the success that we are having as a team but I never thought it would happen so quickly.”
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