The Braves were ecstatic to welcome No. 1 prospect Ronald Acuna to the clubhouse Wednesday.
Acuna was plugged into left field and hit sixth in the lineup against the Reds on the day he was promoted to the majors. The 20-year-old is considered by most to be the game’s best prospect.
“He’s going to help our club,” manager Brian Snitker said. “He had a really good spring. Brings a lot of optimism to our team. He’s a talented young man. So hopefully he can just go out and let his talents flow, have fun and enjoy playing.
“He’s an elite defender. … He’s got all the tools. This is a very gifted young man. It’s going to be a lot of fun watching him play.”
The Braves’ rebuild has been pitching focused, but no prospect has drawn the attention of Acuna. He was signed for a mere $100,000 as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2014.
What’s to come couldn’t have been predicted, or else the Braves would’ve had to fend off competition and pay a more handsome sum.
“When I saw him for the first time, I said he’s going to be a good one,” said friend and teammate Ozzie Albies, who recalled his first interactions with Acuna at 2014 instructional league. “He can do it all.”
Ender Inciarte, whose locker in Cincinnati lined to the right of Acuna’s, as they’ll position themselves in the field, feels Acuna can bring an intangible boost to the clubhouse.
“He always has a smile on his face and that’s good for the team,” he said. “Anytime you can get a positive attitude and a positive guy on the team, that’s very good. Of course, he’s got a long ways to learn and see how everything works here, but it’s day one. I told him already I’m here for you, whatever you need.”
Acuna continues the Braves’ trend toward athletic players. He, Inciarte and Albies, in particular, make up an athletic trio the Braves haven’t seen in a long time.
Snitker stressed that as a plus, praising Acuna’s speed. Acuna stole four bases in five attempts in 17 minor league games, with three coming in one contest Monday.
“That’s what we’re striving for, to get back to that athletic team,” Snitker said. “We’re getting there. We’re taking strides. When you look out there we’ve got athletes on the field and that’s a really good thing. So it’s going to be nice to add him back into that mix. He can steal a base. He can score from first on long singles if he gets a head start. He brings a lot to our club.”
