When Ronald Acuna Jr. takes the field on Wednesday night in Cincinnati, the Atlanta Braves will see their 20-year-old star-in-the-making make his Major League debut, which seems long-awaited due to Acuna’s time in the minors that was to avoid service time issues in later seasons, having apparently turned down an extension that was similar to the one that the Philadelphia Phillies handed out to rookie utility player Scott Kingery this spring.
Now, the supposed generational talent will showcase his skills and become a possible All-Star, knocking out the playing time of OF Preston Tucker, who just a few days was leading the league in RBI. Certainly, Acuna’s prospect star shines a bit brighter than that of Tucker, and nearly every other prospect in the minors, which is why his arrival could change not only the Braves’ season but the future of baseball.
The process that the Atlanta Braves began several years ago is beginning to take shape right now. Utilizing talented young players like Acuna, Ozzie Albies, Max Fried, A.J. Minter, and Luiz Gohara, the Braves have introduced the first wave of a stacked system that will change the recent lack of success that has come along with Atlanta’s rebuild. With the upcoming free agency of Washington Nationals’ OF Bryce Harper, the entire National League East could be up for grabs as soon as 2019, and the Braves have positioned themselves to begin another dynasty, even after losing several players due to idiotic management by former GM John Copolella.
As a 19-year-old in 2017, Acuna played at three minor league levels, compiling the below statistics:
| Year | Age | Tm | Lev | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | TB | GDP | HBP | SH | SF | IBB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 19 | 3 Teams | AA-AAA-A+ | 139 | 612 | 557 | 88 | 181 | 31 | 8 | 21 | 82 | 44 | 43 | 144 | .325 | .374 | .522 | .896 | 291 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| 2017 | 19 | Gwinnett | AAA | 54 | 243 | 221 | 38 | 76 | 14 | 2 | 9 | 33 | 11 | 17 | 48 | .344 | .393 | .548 | .940 | 121 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2017 | 19 | Mississippi | AA | 57 | 243 | 221 | 29 | 72 | 14 | 1 | 9 | 30 | 19 | 18 | 56 | .326 | .374 | .520 | .895 | 115 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2017 | 19 | Florida | A+ | 28 | 126 | 115 | 21 | 33 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 19 | 14 | 8 | 40 | .287 | .336 | .478 | .814 | 55 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | 19 | Peoria | Fal | 23 | 99 | 83 | 22 | 27 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 2 | 12 | 22 | .325 | .414 | .639 | 1.053 | 53 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Mino | Mino | Mino | Minors | 253 | 1106 | 981 | 166 | 299 | 49 | 14 | 30 | 121 | 78 | 99 | 237 | .305 | .374 | .475 | .849 | 466 | 26 | 14 | 5 | 7 | 0 |
| All | All | All | 296 | 1288 | 1136 | 203 | 353 | 59 | 15 | 39 | 150 | 93 | 121 | 272 | .311 | .382 | .492 | .874 | 559 | 30 | 16 | 5 | 10 | 0 | |
| AAA | AAA | AAA | Minors | 71 | 321 | 290 | 47 | 92 | 16 | 2 | 10 | 35 | 15 | 26 | 70 | .317 | .375 | .490 | .865 | 142 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Rk ( | Rk ( | Rk ( | Minors | 57 | 245 | 207 | 42 | 56 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 19 | 16 | 29 | 43 | .271 | .384 | .435 | .818 | 90 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
These numbers have allowed scouts to compare him to Mike Trout, who has compiled a massive 56.5 bWAR in his eight seasons. The power and speed combination overshadow the swing-and-miss in his game, as well as the 20 times that he was caught stealing, but, even if anyone did spend time saying those numbers need to improve, he is young enough to make adjustments and strengthen the already gaudy ability that he has.
Fantasy baseball players will have a hard time getting the young star, as he has been stashed in most leagues; however, if you’ve got people who, somehow, don’t know who he is or what he could become, then have at it and go grab him NOW!
See more from ESPN, MLB.com, and SB Nation.
The Baseball Haven 