Ronald Acuna played a decisive role in his long anticipated MLB debut for the Atlanta Braves (13-10). In the match against the Cincinnati Reds (5-19) on Wednesday evening, the 20-year-old opened the 5-4 win of a team with a late equaliser.
“It was an incredible experience,” said Acuna, who was ranked sixth in the Batting Order after his first game on the big stage. “The few weeks in the Minor Leagues have helped me more than I thought.”
Acuna was promoted to the Braves for the first time on Wednesday by Triple-A team Gwinnett Stripers. The Left Fielder won two strikeouts and two wide flyouts in his five At-Bats, but was able to score a single against Reds-Relief-Pitcher Kevin Shackelford in the eighth inning.
A short time later he took the chance to prove his qualities as a baserunner with a single by Dansby Swanson. According to Statcast, Acuna reached 30.3 feet per second (33.2 kilometers per hour) on his way to third base, only 0.2 feet per second slower than Byron Buxton of the Twins, currently leading the MLB’s fastest runners.
“This will be one of our weapons,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker. “Acuna is a good defender, but he doesn’t show any fear on the runways. That’s a big plus for us.”
Despite an outstanding OPS value of 1.246 in his 44 At-Bats in Spring Training, the Braves Acuna first sent to the Minor Leagues to secure another year of contract rights on their rookie. Acuna is currently listed as the second best prospect of all teams.
At 20, Acuna is currently also the youngest player in the MLB. “He’s a talented young man,” said Snitker. “All he has to do is let his talent run wild and enjoy the game.”
This article was published without previous view by the Major League Baseball.