Ozzie Albies believes Ronald Acuna Jr is set for a big 2023 season. In fact, the Atlanta Braves' second baseman said Acuna Jr is in line for a better campaign than his 40-40 2019 performance, per Grant McAuley.
“I expect him to be better than the 2019 Ronald, when he went off,” Albies said.
The Braves fully expect to compete once again in 2023. But there is some concern after losing Dansby Swanson and Kenley Jansen in MLB free agency. The departure of Swanson is especially significant following his All-Star 2022 season. Nevertheless, this is an Atlanta ball club that still features star-studded power and plenty of depth.
The Braves have built a steady foundation of core players on their roster. Ronald Acuna Jr and Ozzie Albies will both be crucial pieces moving forward. Other important core players include Austin Riley, Matt Olson and Max Fried.
Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos recently addressed the departures of stars such as Swanson and Freddie Freeman over the past couple of years.
“So there’s a payroll number, and the one thing I know is that we can’t have 10 good players, and the rest of the roster is below average,” Anthopoulos said “Even if those (10) guys are elite, it’s probably not gonna be good enough. And it’s finding that balance, and it’s hard. It’s hard on fans.”
But Ronald Acuna Jr can help make up for those losses with a bounce back effort this season. When healthy, he's one of the best players in baseball. But he was limited to just 116 games last year and 82 games in 2021.
Albies' prediction has the potential to become reality if Acuna Jr manages to stay on the field during the 2023 campaign.