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Ronald Acuña Jr. rejoined the Atlanta Braves on May 23, nearly a year to the day after suffering a season-ending ACL tear during the 2024 campaign. The Braves had already played 50 games when the former MVP made his 2025 debut. But despite a truncated first half of the season, Acuña was selected to start in the All-Star Game.
Acuña will make history when he takes the outfield for the National League in the 2025 Midsummer Classic. He’ll join Joe DiMaggio as the only players to ever start in the All-Star Game after debuting 50 or more games into the season, per OptaSTATS.
DiMaggio accomplished the rare feat in 1949 after he missed the Yankees’ first 65 games. While the Hall of Famer wasn’t voted in as a starter, he ended up starting in place of Tommy Henrich, who missed the game with an injury, via OptaSTATS.
Ronald Acuña Jr. recognized for historic return from injury
Unlike the Yankee Clipper, Acuña was voted in as an All-Star starter. He actually led all National League outfielders in Phase 2 voting, earning a starting spot when his home stadium, Truist Park, hosts the 2025 All-Star Game on July 15.
Acuña has enjoyed a sensational return from the devastating knee injury he sustained last May. Entering play on Friday, the eighth-year veteran is slashing .344/.459/.588 with nine home runs, 18 RBI, 33 runs scored, a 191 OPS+ and 2.1 bWAR in just 37 games with the Braves this season.
Acuña showed no signs of rust after his lengthy layoff as he hammered the first pitch he saw in 2025 for a massive, 467-foot home run. And he continued producing in June, hitting .360 with a 1.087 OPS in 26 games last month. He added six homers and 12 RBI as the Braves’ leadoff hitter, scoring 26 runs in June.
In addition to starting in the All-Star Game in Atlanta, Acuña will participate in the Home Run Derby, treating fans to a display of his prodigious power.
Acuña unanimously won the NL MVP for his incredible 2023 season with the Braves. He led the majors in runs scored (149), hits (217), stolen bases (73), on-base percentage (.416) and total bases (383) that year while adding 41 homers, 35 doubles and 106 RBI. He finished the season with 8.4 bWAR, the third-highest in baseball.
Now, in his age-27 season, Acuña is once again providing the Braves with MVP-caliber production. After 37 games, he’s on a 162-game pace for 39 home runs and 144 runs scored with a 1.047 OPS.
