The Los Angeles Dodgers made undoubtedly the biggest money move this offseason, both in a literal and figurative sense, when they agreed with superstar dual threat Shohei Ohtani on a 10-year, $700 million deal that makes the 29-year old Japanese international the owner of the biggest contract in professional sports history. But for Atlanta Braves star and reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr., he may be ready to take on the reigning AL MVP and the powerhouse Dodgers if his offseason exploits are any indication.

Acuna is not being complacent; in fact, he is continuing to compete with the offseason in full swing, working on his game by playing more baseball in his home country of Venezuela. And for the second year in a row, the Braves star won the Home Run Derby in his home for the second consecutive year, defeating former MLB star Yasiel Puig in the final round of the competition.

From the looks of it, Ronald Acuna Jr. is ready to take on whatever adversity comes his and the Braves' way heading into the 2024 season. It'll be interesting to see how the 2024 NL MVP race shakes out; the Dodgers now have three MVPs on the roster in Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, and it'll take a replication of Acuna's magical 2023 season for him to ward off those three.

Related Atlanta Braves NewsArticle continues below
Braves news: Atlanta catcher gets 100% real on increased role
Braves’ catcher gets 100% real on increased role
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Dylan Dodd (46) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Truist Park.
Braves make pitching move before Spencer Strider’s injury return
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider (99) pitches to the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Rogers Centre.
Braves’ Spencer Strider set to return from injury

At the very least, for the MVP race next season, Ohtani may not appear on the mound at all, so that puts a damper on what his value could be for the Dodgers, clearing the way for Acuna to assume his place as the reigning best player in his league.

Ronald Acuna Jr. was a cheat code for the Braves at the plate last season. He put up a slash line of .337/.416/.596 in 735 plate appearances (159 games), and he hit 41 home runs and drove in 106 runs. He also stole 73 bases, becoming the founding member of the 40-70 club in the process.

The Braves will now have to figure out a way to exorcise their playoff demons, but it looks like Acuna and company will be prepared in avoiding the same pitfalls.