Ronald Acuna Jr is playing out of his mind this season for the Atlanta Braves. After a down season in 2022, the star outfielder is having his best season by far in the majors. The Braves star's stellar hitting and speed makes him a clear favorite for the MVP trophy. Recently, though, other contenders have threatened Acuna's claim to the trophy.

These contenders are Acuna's former Braves teammate Freddie Freeman and Dodgers star Mookie Betts. During their series against each other, though, Acuna has started to distance himself from his rivals for the MVP trophy. In Game 3 of the series, the right fielder crushed a ball off of Emmet Sheehan. It was Acuna's third homer in as many games, and set a record for hardest-hit ball this season  according to Statcast, per ClutchPoints.

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In addition, it's the sixth hardest-hit ball in the Statcast era. Notable inclusions to this list include Pirates star O'Neill Cruz's missile last season.

Most power hitters often sacrifice their batting average for the sake of hitting for more power. That's not the case for Acuna, though. The Braves star still maintains an MLB-best .420 on-base percentage while having a 1.001 OPS. This moonshot against Sheehan was Acuna's 32nd HR of the season. Oh, and he also stole more than 60 bases this season, a feat no one has achieved… ever.

This series has showcased why Ronald Acuna Jr is the deserving MVP of the season. All that's left for the Braves is for them to win the World Series again, this time with Acuna playing out of his mind. Can they avenge the disappointment of the 2022 postseason?