The Atlanta Braves have been rolling this season. They currently have the best record in the National League, and are going for another series win on Wednesday, taking on the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park. The Braves won on Tuesday, 7-6.
There have been many surprising developments with Braves players this season, and one storyline in particular that is worth mentioning is the lackluster start for Ronald Acuña Jr. Ronald is just 1-for-16 since May 22, and his stats don’t look too pretty for Acuña Jr. He could still be battling the hamstring injury, but Walt Weiss might want to consider a switch in the lineup for the Braves star outfielder,
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Is It Time to Worry About Ronald Acuña Jr.?
GettyMIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 20: Dominic Smith of the Atlanta Braves hugs Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 after scoring from a throwing error by Owen Caissie during the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on May 20, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Maybe it’s too early to overreact to the struggles of Ronald Acuña Jr., but 680 The Fan’s Buck Belue has seen enough from Ronald to be concerned:
“He’s getting beat by the fastball… I never thought I’d see this.”
On Saturday against the Nationals, Acuna Jr. struck out 4 times. Belue is also upset with the hustle level of Ronald, as on Sunday, Ronald had a chance with the game on the line to come up clutch with a base hit, or even a walk, but instead, he broke his bat on a slow grounder to first base, and did not hustle to the base to potentially extend the inning. The Braves then lost 2-1.
What is also striking about Ronald Acuña Jr. is the fact that his defense might be slipping a bit in right field. It’s hard for the eye to see, but Ronald is not getting the best reads in the outfield.
Sporting News’ writer Billy Heyen writes:
“Acuna isn’t getting very good jumps in the outfield. That sounds simple, and maybe it doesn’t even sound that important. But it matters, and considering Acuna’s overall athleticism and baseball instincts, it’s a bit surprising. But by Baseball Savant’s measurements, Acuna has the seventh-worst jump in the major leagues on fly balls, losing about 1.5 feet relative to average on his reaction time.”
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Ronald Acuña Jr.’s 2o26 with the Braves
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 28: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves hits a double during the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Truist Park on April 28, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Words can only paint a certain picture, but Major League Baseball is a very stat-driven sport, so the best way to portray Ronald’s 2026 season is by how productive he’s been as a hitter.
His 2026 stats are: .240 average, two home runs, nine doubles, 22 runs, 12 RBI, seven steals, OPS of .704. While the home runs are down, those are pretty much league-average numbers, but if Ronny wants to get paid when his free agency rolls around after 2027, he can’t just be a league-average hitter, and considering the Braves have been so successful without a stellar season from Acuna might mean the Braves don’t necessarily need the 5X MLB All-Star and former NL MVP.
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