Ronald Acuna is no longer scorching the baseball earth, but the Braves are pleased with the progress he’s made throughout his first month in the bigs.
The Braves’ No. 1 prospect was called up April 25 and joined the Braves in Cincinnati. He blasted his first homer and day later.
Acuna hit .326 across his first 11 games. But the 20-year-old has slowed since May 5, hitting .184 (9-for-49) in his past 13 games entering Tuesday.
He had a nice showing Tuesday, going 2-for-5 and knocking in an important insurance run in the ninth inning, capping the Braves’ 3-1 road win over the Phillies.
“He’s handling the ups and downs already, I feel,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “But I think he continues to have a lot of confidence in himself. A trait a lot of our young guys have is the confidence in our abilities. Ronnie’s no different. He’s had some really good at-bats and he’s had some at-bats with some growing pains, and will continue to do so as they plan against him and have video. The league will make him better on its own.”
That’s not to say the latest stretch hasn’t had its moments before Tuesday. Acuna’s solo home run won the Braves a 1-0 contest in Tampa Bay on May 8. He became the youngest player since 1935 (Phil Cavarretta) to homer in such a situation.
Much was made of the Braves’ decision to send Acuna to Triple-A before the season. Baseball America’s reigning minor league player of the year had a phenomenal spring. He hit .432 with a 1.247 OPS, both second-best in the majors.
Yet the Braves stood to benefit an additional year of contractual control if he was left in the minors until April 13. His slow start – he ended up hitting .232 over 17 games – allowed the organization to let him simmer more with the Stripers.
“Our coaches are going to be with him each and every step of the way,” Snitker said. “The on-the-job training he gets will be the best experience. I’ve seen him already make some really good adjustments in his short time here.
“He’s up there very aggressive. He’s going to swing at some bad pitches, but he’s taken some really good walks. He’s strong, young, impactful and he wants to hit. He’s going to be aggressive and I don’t ever want him to not be like that.”
Acuna comfortably entered the clubhouse with two of his best friends already entrenched: Johan Camargo and Ozzie Albies.
Albies leads the National League in several categories, including extra-base hits, and might be ticketed for the All-Star game. Camargo, meanwhile, was just named the team’s regular starting third baseman upon Jose Bautista’s release Sunday.
Snitker said those players’ relationships are conducive to their growth. At the same time, their personalities have made the transitions easier.
“It’s a great young group,” he said. “I’ve said this from the beginning that Ozzie’s mature beyond his years. The way he carries himself, who he is. Ender, our coaches, they have a real good influence on all these young guys because they know that they care. It’s a good group of young players. They’re all respectful, they’re dedicated to their craft, and talented guys.”
