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Ronald Acuña Jr.'s historic season continues. In the series opener vs. the Philadelphia Phillies. After Michael Harris II went deep, the very next pitch to Acuña was blasted into the left field stands. It was his 36th home run of the year to go along with an astounding 64 stolen bases.
He's inching ever so close to a 40/70 season, something no one else has done in history. His 30/60 club is one that he alone stands in, so he's already set records. With each massive home run, Braves fans get more anxious to see the MVP award handed to him.
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For a while, the NL MVP odds shifted in favor of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts. The slugger was on a tear, but Acuña has returned the favor. It will be a close race as the two players are phenomenal in their own right.
Braves fans don't want to see or hear any argument against their star. In fact, they're convinced the award race is already over.
The outfielder features a rare blend of power and speed. This season, stolen bases are way up thanks to the pitch clock and the increased base size. Nevertheless, the Braves star is likely to steal 70 bases or more (80 isn't out of the question) and hit 40 or more home runs. That's something that will be remembered forever.
Ronald Acuña Jr. vs Mookie Betts in the MVP
It may seem reductive or disrespectful to consider that Ronald Acuña Jr., who possesses almost 40 home runs, almost 70 steals, a 168 wRC+ and a 7.2 fWAR, wouldn't be a shoo in for MVP. That's not the case, it's just that Mookie Betts has been very, very good.
Acuña is setting records, and that goes a long way in MVP voting. But he slightly trails Betts in both wRC+ (the Dodgers star is at 173) and fWAR (7.8 for Betts). Betts has been a significantly better defender, with 8 defensive runs saved in the outfield and at second base compared to Acuña's zero.
Doing something unprecedented (a la Aaron Judge in 2022) always plays well with the voters, but don't count Betts out. This should be a fantastic MVP race to watch down the stretch, as Acuña is slightly favored at the time.
