After an ACL tear a season ago, Ronald Acuña Jr from the Atlanta Braves is predicted to be back for opening day. Acuña Jr. was one of the best players in baseball prior to his injury, and everybody that loves this game is hoping that he will come back being the elite player he was.
Let's take a look at three bold predictions for Acuña Jr. after his ACL tear.
3 Bold Ronald Acuña Jr Predictions For 2022 MLB Season
3. Wins the NL MVP Award
For next season, there are probably going to be two guys who will certainly be in the NL MVP award discussion. It is going to be the Nationals' Juan Soto and the Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. These two are the face of baseball and are going to be for the next 10 to 15 years.
Acuña Jr. is going to end up winning this award because he's going to provide more than Soto. Soto might have the better year offensively. He is after all arguably one of the best hitters that this game has ever seen. But the Atlanta outfielder is going to be able to do the little things right like playing high-level defense in center field and also being able to steal bases.
2. Hits over .300 with 35 home runs
There's a good chance that Acuña Jr. could have been able to do this a season ago before he went down with that unfortunate injury. He had already hit .283 with 24 home runs and he did so in only playing 82 games. His batting average might not have reached the .300 mark, but there was a great chance that he could have hit 40 or more home runs.
This season, he's going to be able to hit over .300 with 35 home runs. There is even a chance that he could reach that 40 home run mark if he does come back with that same power he prior to the ACL tear.
The biggest question for the Brave slugger is will his power still be there. The power in hitting comes from the legs, which could be a bit weaker now. However, with the extended recovery time, he could come back even stronger and produce even crazier numbers.
One thing that could be a little bit of an issue for Acuña Jr. is if he is going to be a bit slower now that he is coming off this injury. He was somebody who could steal bases at a pretty high level as he was able to steal 37 in 2019. Atlanta is going to hope that he can come back with those same type of legs because he is truly a five-tool talent.
1. Wins a World Series with Atlanta
When looking at the Atlanta Braves team on paper, they are a bit different than they were a season ago when they were able to win a World Series. But most of the key pieces are returning. Plus, you have to factor in they accomplished that last season without one of the world's best baseball players.
Acuña Jr. is going to come in and do everything and then some. All of that will culminate in winning back-to-back World Series championships.
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