"Don't know if that's the best route" - Braves insider questions if Ronald Acuna Jr. should follow Kyle Schwarber, Matt Olson's path to excel

On Friday, Atlanta Braves insider Jake Mastroianni talked about superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. and his much anticipated return to the diamond in the 2025 season. Mastroianni analyzed what kind of play style we might see Acuna adapt to following the injury, and had his say on what he thinks may be the best way for him to get back to top gear.

Following a spectacular 2023 season where Acuna had 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases, he was crowned the NL MVP. However, any hopes of a repeat of the previous season were dashed in May after a knee injury put an untimely end to his 2024 season.

On the "Locked On Braves" podcast, Mastroianni discussed the areas where Acuna prefers hitting towards and why an increased pull rate similar to the likes of Kyle Schwarber and Matt Olson may not be the best course of action for him.

"His (Ronald Acuna Jr.'s) pull rate went from 39.7% in 2023 to 46% in 2024," Mastroianni said (7:46). 'Pull rate is not always a bad thing. If you are a power hitter, if you are a Kyle Schwarber, if you are a Matt Olson, you want to be pulling the baseball, because that's where the majority of your power is going to come from."

"Those guys are strong enough, Ronald is strong enough, that you can get a pitch away and pull it out of the stadium. I don't know if that's the best route for Ronald to reach his maximum potential. I think his best route is where he was in 2023, when he won the MVP [award], which is being a guy who can spray the ball over the field."

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Ronald Acuna Jr. talks about potential change in playstyle for 2025 season

The Atlanta Braves sorely missed the presence of arguably their most important player for much of the 2024 season. With Acuna's return to the field scheduled for the 2025 season, it is not surprising to see Braves fans looking forward to what the next campaign holds for him.

However, there is a chance that the Ronald Acuna Jr. we'll see walk up to bat in 2025 may be slightly different from the MVP-winning 2023 version. Coming off a long stint on the sidelines after a knee injury, it is perhaps wise for him to not go full throttle from day one.

In September, Acuna addressed this and shed some light on his thought-process heading into the 2025 campaign.

"Going into next season I'm just going to try and be a little more patient," Acuna said via a translator (0:35). "After having undergone surgeries that have obviously taken a big toll, I'm just going to be patient."

"I'm really going to try and focus on my hitting and my fielding, and anything I can to help the team win. In regards to running and stealing bases, I don't know if I'll be able to steal the 40 or 50 bags as easily."

Undoubtedly, his return will be a huge boost to the Braves offense. Fans at Truist Park will be looking forward to seeing their superstar back in action, and will be hoping Ronald Acuna Jr. will once again be among the names in contention for the NL MVP award.