Acuña earns starting NL OF nod in hometown All-Star Game
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ATLANTA -- Ronald Acuña Jr. will have a chance to do what Hank Aaron and Chipper Jones did the two previous times MLB’s All-Star Game was in Atlanta.
Acuña was elected an All-Star for the fifth time when this year’s balloting results were announced on Wednesday night. The Braves’ right fielder garnered more votes than any other National League outfielder in Phase 2 of the voting process.
“I really have to just give credit to all the fans, because I missed a lot of playing time and without them, I’m not here,” Acuña said through interpreter Franco Garcia. “They’re really the ones who made this dream come true.”
Acuña will be the only Brave in the starting lineup when the All-Star Game is played at Truist Park on July 15. This will be the first time the Midsummer Classic has been in Atlanta since 2000, when Jones highlighted a three-hit game with a home run at Turner Field. Aaron also homered when the ASG was played at Atlanta Stadium in 1972.
This fifth election ties Acuña with Aaron and Dale Murphy for the most in franchise history. Jones represented Atlanta in the NL's starting lineup five times, but he was a replacement in one of those instances.
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Along with having the chance to compete in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby and play in an All-Star Game in his home ballpark, Acuña will experience all of this a little less than two full months after returning from his second major knee surgery within the past four years.
“Anything is possible with hard work and determination,” Acuña said. “Then when you have the fan base supporting you the way that they did, anything is possible.”
Acuña tore his right anterior cruciate ligament on May 26, 2024, and returned with an instant bang 362 days later. The dynamic outfielder proved he was truly back on May 23, when he drilled the first pitch he saw -- Nick Pivetta’s 93.1 mph fastball -- a projected 467 ft. into the left-center field seats at Truist Park.
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The leadoff homer was a foreshadowing for Acuña, who entered Wednesday hitting .350 with nine homers and a 1.077 OPS through his first 35 games. His 2.0 fWAR (FanGraphs’ Wins Above Replacement) ranks ninth among NL outfielders, many of whom have built this compilation stat while playing nearly 50 more games than the Braves’ veteran.
Acuña was elected an All-Star in 2019 and he was set to again be in the NL’s starting lineup until he tore his left ACL three days before the 2021 All-Star Game. He garnered more votes than any NL player in 2022 and the most votes among all MLB players during his historic 2023 season.
Acuña became the first player to hit 40-plus homers and collect 70-plus steals when he won the NL MVP in 2023.
“He’s an exciting player, and I think people are going to want to see him play, just as I would,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s going to put on a great show, and I’m sure he’s proud that he’s going to be representing Atlanta.”
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Acuña has repeatedly said he would like to play his entire career with the Braves. So, he will feel an extra sense of pride as he welcomes baseball’s best to his city.
“Outside of Venezuela, Atlanta is my second home,” Acuña said. “I just love being here. I want to be in this organization for the rest of my career. I’m comfortable here. I like it here. I feel like I know everyone. And so for me, it would just be a dream to be able to stay here.”