Ronald Acuna Jr. is "third best" behind Shohei Ohtani & Aaron Judge, says MLB insider

Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge stole the show in 2024, but it was all Ronald Acuna Jr. in 2023. Who among the three is the best is a topic of debate due to their varied roles with their respective teams. However, MLB insider Jeff Blair doesn't think Acuna is better than Ohtani or Judge.

In Thursday's episode of Sportsnet's "Blair & Barker" podcast, Acuna's name popped up when Blair and co-host Kevin Barker discussed the Mets-Braves games postponement, and Blair provided his take on Acuna Jr., the 2023 NL MVP.

"[Ronald Acuna Jr.] is the second-best position player in the game. Third best, maybe, [behind] [Aaron] Judge & [Shohei] Ohtani. Pardon me, but Acuna is elite. He is up there," Blair said. [19:58].

Barker pointed out that Ohtani, now playing as a DH, could not be considered a positional player. Nevertheless, Blair firmly asserted his thoughts about Ronald Acuna Jr.

"[Ronald Acuna Jr.] is among the elite players in the game," Blair said. [20:18]

Acuna Jr.'s 40-70 2023 season, which won him a unanimous NL MVP title, is one of the best performances ever by a positional player. With Ohtani accomplishing the historic 50-50 feat this season, many fans and analysts have begun to compare the two seasons.

Ohtani fans have banked on the first-ever nature of the 50-50 season to be superior to Ronald Acuna Jr.'s 40-70. Conversely, Acuna fans have pointed out Ohtani's role as a DH as the main reason for the historic 50-50 campaign. As such, Acuna's 40-70 feat while playing as an outfielder is bigger in their eyes.

Ohtani has 54 home runs and 57 stolen bases this season with two games to go. With the 57th stolen base against the Rockies, he broke Ichiro Suzuki's record for most stolen bases by a Japanese player in MLB.

Will Shohei Ohtani & Ronald Acuna Jr. compete for NL MVP in 2025?

Ohtani and Acuna were unanimous MVP selections in 2023 at NL and AL, respectively. An Ohtani vs. Acuna Jr. MVP race became possible in 2024 after the Japanese superstar moved to the Dodgers from the Angels. However, the dream was shortlived as Acuna suffered a season-ending ACL tear in May.

Acuna is set to return in 2025, though the Braves superstar acknowledged that he would proceed cautiously due to his history of injuries. Ohtani will return to the mound next year after a UCL injury in Aug. 2023 sidelined him from pitching.

It would be hard for Acuna to win his second MVP if Ohtani impresses as a two-way player. However, if Acuna can beat his 41 homers and 73 stolen bases stat he set in 2023, he might win it.

Nonetheless, one thing is clear - a healthy Ronald Acuna Jr. vs. a healthy Shohei Ohtani will be worth the watch. Moreover, if Aaron Judge keeps doing what he is doing, the trio of Judge, Ohtani & Acuna could redefine MLB rivalry.