Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. is one of the greatest players in MLB today. But when asked who the five best players are in Major League Baseball today, he put Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani on the top of the list, per Hector Gomez of Z101:
“Ronald Acuna Jr.'s Top 5 players in baseball: 1. Shohei Ohtani 2. Fernando Tatis Jr. 3. Juan Soto 4. Aaron Judge 5. Julio Rodríguez”
The Braves superstar putting Ohtani at no. 1 is a no-brainer. With his combination of hitting prowess and skill on the mound, Ohtani is the most valuable player in the game.
After Ohtani, Acuna put Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. Tatis Jr. After missing the entire 2022 season due to injury and PED suspension, Tatis Jr. bounced back in 2023 to hit 25 home runs and steal 29 bases for the San Diego Padres.
Juan Soto and Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees make up the third and fourth spots on Acuna's list. Undoubtedly one of the best one-two punches in baseball, Soto and Judge are hoping to send the Yankees back to the postseason.
Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez is fifth on the list. The centerfielder is entering his third year in the majors and anyone who has seen him play knows he's capable of making a massive a jump.
Ronald Acuna Jr. and the Braves
Acuna Jr. had an unbelievable season for the Braves in 2023, winning his first MVP in unanimous fashion. Acuna dominated National League pitchers, batting average of .337, hitting 41 home runs with 106 runs batted in, plus he led the league in stolen bases with 73.
Despite his success, the Braves fell to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS for the second straight season in the playoffs.
The pressure is on Acuna Jr. and the Braves to get back to the World Series after back-to-back early exits. The team has an absolutely loaded lineup, but it starts with Acuna at the top of the lineup. If players like Austin Riley and Matt Olson are going to have big RBI seasons, they'll be counting on Acuna Jr. to get on base.
The Braves will be taking on the Phillies in their opening series in a rematch of last year's memorable NLDS. However, the Braves went 8-5 against the Phillies in the regular season in 2023, including an NL East-clinching win at Citizens Bank Park on Sept. 13 for their seventh straight division title.
Fans of MLB pitching will be forced to wait until Friday for the premier matchup between Atlanta's Spencer Strider and Philadelphia's Zack Wheeler as the two team's Opening Day game is rained out.
Strider went 20-5 with a 3.86 ERA last season. Additionally, he went 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA and 38 strikeouts across four starts against the Phillies last season. This bumps his career marks to 8-0 with a 1.90 ERA over eight career starts against the Phillies. However, he has struggled in the playoffs against them, going 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA over three starts.
Wheeler went 13-6 with a 3.61 ERA last season. He also went 2-0 with a 3.32 ERA and 21 strikeouts over three starts, bringing his total to 12-7 with a 3.18 ERA over 27 games. Wheeler will have a tough task to start the season, facing one of the best lineups in the league.
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