Ronald Acuna Jr. and his teammates on the Atlanta Braves were in the middle of a thrashing of their opponents, the Colorado Rockies, during the seventh inning of last night's game at Coors Field in Denver.
The Braves were ahead by a score of 9-4 when Acuna heard something behind him in right field. It was not long before a pair of fans rushed one of baseball's most exciting young stars. As one appeared to pose for a seflie with the 25-year old stud, another came up behind Acuna, and knocked him to the ground.
"Two fans just tried to hug Ronald Acuna Jr. in Right Field and nearly tackled him. Thankfully he is OK" - Barstool Sports
It was not long before security dealt with the trespassers. Ronald Acuna Jr., although shaken up, showed no signs of being hurt, and remained in the game. Earlier in the frame, Acuna had blasted his 29th home run of the season, and followed up with a bases-clearing double in the ninth inning of his team's 14-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
After the game, Acuna was frank in his postgame interview. Although he had recorded five RBIs in the game, the media was more interested in the fan interaction. Speaking through his interpreter, Ronald Acuna Jr. stated the following:
"I was a little scared at first," Acuna said through an interpreter. "I think the fans were out there and asking for pictures. I really couldn't say anything because at that point, security was already there and we were already kind of tangled up. We're all OK. I hope they're okay"
Acuna, a 25-year old Venezulan, is having one of the best seasons ever. In addition to leading the league in runs and on-base percentage, his 61 stolen bases lead the league by a mile. If Ronald Acuna Jr. hits one more home run, then he will gain entry into the highly-exclusive 30/60 club of players who have hit 30 home runs alongside 60 steals. To date, only Barry Bonds and Eric Davis have accomplished the feat.
Ronald Acuna Jr. is a historic piece of baseball's hottest team
Now with a record of 85-45, the Atlanta Braves occupy the top spot in the NL East by a significant margin. A lot of their success would not have been possible without Acuna.
After suffering a career-threatening injury in the summer of 2021, Acuna worked hard to regain his strength, and has become one of baseball's top stars. Now, all the team can do is thank their stars that this electric young player is alright after his frightening encounter.