The Venezuelan rookie who is a sensation in the Major League
Ronald Acuña Jr. has forged a dream campaign in his major league baseball debut. His numbers stand out after more than 70 games in the big tent
What Ronald Acuña Jr. has achieved has been sensational in just 71 games in the Major Leagues. In his debut year, the Venezuelan has shown sufficient conditions to be a figure in the best baseball in the world. This is reflected in his 43 runs battles In records (RBI), and his 19 home runs, a product of 271 times swinging, and a general of 288 average, at the time of writing this article.
Leer en español: El novato venezolano que es sensación en las Grandes Ligas
According to a special work published on mlb.com, they define Acuña Jr. as "a more complete player. His power, speed, and defense are added to the type of key players in which the teams wait decades" is reflected in an investigation on the major league website that compares the Venezuelan baseball player with the also young Juan Soto de Los Nacionales.
Acuña, a native of La Guaira, capital of Vargas state in northern Venezuela, was born and raised in the small town of La Sabana, the birthplace of other Venezuelan big leagues such as Alcides Escobar (Royals Kansas City) and Kelvin Escobar (Anaheim Angels). The influence of this sport occurred because his father, Ronald Acuña, played in the minor leagues of Major League Baseball (MLB).
The history of this rookie goes back in 2014 when he signed as an international free agent with the Atlanta Braves for $ 100,000. According to MLB.com, he made his professional debut in 2015 with the Gulf Coast Braves and was then promoted to the Danville Braves that season. His rise was vertiginous in the minor league system. In 55 games between the two teams, he hit .269 with four homers, 18 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases.
The Venezuelan enlarged his story in triple-A and called for promotion to the majors in 2017, as reflected in the chicagotribune.com portal, which recorded the numbers of Acuña at that time: an average of .325, 28 home runs, 98 RBIs and 46 stolen bases during the 2017 harvest in the waiting room of the majors.
He was also awarded as the Most Valuable Player of the Fall League in Arizona. The current campaign began as the second best-quoted prospect, according to MLB.com, behind the Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani. He enthused the Bravos fans with a spectacular preseason, in which he hit .432 with four home runs, four stolen bases and an OPS of 1,247 in 16 games which allowed him the ticket to the big show.
A fledgling who makes history
According to a data published by ESPN Stars, Acuña Jr. is the first player with so many homers (19) in his first 67 games in MLB. He left behind Frank Robinson and Willie Mays, who were 17. After reaching 25 homers at the end of the season, he will join Mike Trout, Alex Rodriguez, Tony Conigliaro, among others.
Recently, the AP agency claimed that the Venezuelan achieved a very rare feat in baseball, by hitting homers to start the two games of a doubleheader for the Atlanta Braves. The American agency admits that Acuña may be just the fourth player in baseball history to hit a pair of home runs to start the meetings of a doubleheader.
But in addition, the Venezuelan journalist specializing in baseball, Ignacio Serrano, referred on his website elmergente.com that "Ronald Acuña became the youngest player in the history of the Major Leagues with a string of five games hitting homers, when taking the ball again in the first round of the match against the Miami Marlins, in Atlanta ."
Another relevant fact is that the Atlanta outfielder is the seventh Venezuelan with a run of five games with home runs, third in this tournament. Another record in power of the varguense that shares with Eugenio Suárez, Odúbel Herrera, José Castillo, Melvin Mora, Bob Abreu and Richard Hidalgo.
There is confidence
Acuña himself is optimistic about the challenge of crowning a dream season, being his first experience in the big leagues. "It's the first time in my career that I'm so hot," Acuña admitted to The Associated Press. "It feels very good, it definitely makes you feel very confident," he told the AP agency.
His teammate, Zuliano Ender Enciarte told mlb.com "He's the best first bat I've ever seen, he's the best player I've ever seen, it's just incredible," said the Braves' oufilder. "He has just been very aggressive and seems to feel more comfortable starting", commented manager Brian Snitker to MLB, in reference to Ronald's good performance as the first bat.
LatinAmerican Post | Henderson Velasquez
Translated from 'El novato venezolano que es sensación en las Grandes Ligas'
