The Atlanta Braves are the first Major League Baseball team to clinch a playoff spot in 2023 after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 on Sunday afternoon — and Ronald Acuna Jr. spoke about what makes the squad so potent.
“I feel like we're balanced,” Acuna said through the team's interpreter on Sunday, per MLB.com's Mark Bowman. “We have good hitters, good pitching and we're focused on every pitch until the final out.”
Acuna was serenaded with ‘MVP' chants yet again after erasing a 2-1 deficit in the bottom of the seventh, ripping a ball to the wall and giving his team the lead.
“Anytime I hear those chants, I feel like it gives me goosebumps,” the superstar explained. “Fortunately, when I heard it, I was able to deliver.”
The Venezuelan fueled a four-run seventh inning with two outs at Truist Park, leading to a champagne toast in the clubhouse and a postseason berth this October.
“We congratulated the guys,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said, per Bowman. “We've got a seat at the table now. It's not what we left Spring Training to accomplish. That's the division [title]. But to get in is huge.”
If Atlanta can find a way to win at least three of four games in their series against the Philadelphia Phillies this week, they will clinch the NL East division crown just halfway through September.
It's been an incredible season for the team; they've owned a double-digit division lead for nearly the entire second half of the season.
“It's no secret that the Braves are one of the best power-hitting teams the game has ever seen,” wrote Bowman on Sunday. “Their 273 homers is 51 more than any other club. They are on pace to hit 311 home runs, which is four more than the MLB record set by the 2019 Twins.”
And Ronald Acuna Jr. continues to make waves in the NL MVP race, an award that is his to lose with under a month left in the regular season. It has been an incredible season in Atlanta, and there's a strong belief that this team can bring another World Series title to Georgia.
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