Ronald Acuna

Braves Promote Ian Anderson, Activate Ronald Acuna Jr.

By Steve Adams | August 25, 2020 at 10:39am CDT

The Braves announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of top pitching prospect Ian Anderson and reinstated outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. from the injured list. Anderson will make his Major League debut and start tonight’s game. In a pair of corresponding moves, right-hander Touki Toussaint and catcher Alex Jackson were optioned to Atlanta’s alternate training site.

Anderson, 22, was the No. 3 overall draft pick in 2016 and has steadily ranked among the game’s 50 or so best prospects over the past three years. He spent the 2019 season with the Braves’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, pitching to a combined 3.38 ERA with 11.4 K/9, 4.3 BB/9 and a 44 percent grounder rate. Like so many pitchers, Anderson was blown up in the explosive offensive setting in Triple-A last year, surrendering five homers in 24 2/3 frames. However, he only yielded eight big flies in 111 innings of Double-A work.

Scouting reports on Anderson peg him as more of a mid-rotation starter than a frontline ace. His fastball climbs to 96 mph, and Anderson garners praise for a plus curveball and a changeup that’s a bit behind that offering, though all three are considered above-average pitches.

Given the considerable rotation woes they’ve experienced in 2020, there’s some pressure on Anderson to put forth a strong debut effort. It’s not exactly fair to put such lofty expectations on a young prospect, but Atlanta has lost Mike Soroka (torn Achilles), Cole Hamels (triceps tendinitis), Felix Hernandez (opted out of 2020) and Mike Foltynewicz (outrighted after his fastball velocity dipped 6 mph) from its expected early-season rotation. Sean Newcomb, meanwhile, was optioned to the alternate site after surrendering 17 runs in 13 2/3 innings. Kyle Wright and Toussaint both posted underwhelming numbers in four starts apiece as well. The Braves have recently leaned on swingman Josh Tomlin and waiver claim Robbie Erlin to start games for them.

The Braves waited on Anderson long enough that he’ll miss out on Super Two status and the opportunity to accrue a full year of Major League service in 2020. As such, even if he’s in the big leagues for good, Anderson won’t be eligible for arbitration until after the 2023 season and won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2026 season. Future optional assignments could further impact those timelines, of course, though the organization surely hopes that he pitches his way into a permanent rotation spot.

The return of Acuna is obviously a major boon for the Braves as well. He’s missed the past 10 days due to a left wrist injury but had rebounded from a slow start to boost his line to .258/.372/.515 at the time of his IL placement. In 10 August games, Acuna was hitting .364/.488/.818 with four homers and three doubles.

Quick Hits: Pence, Acuna, Anderson, Yankees, Andujar, Kazmir

By Mark Polishuk | August 23, 2020 at 11:08pm CDT

After being designated for assignment by the Giants earlier today, Hunter Pence’s second stint with the club has likely come to an end, and the longtime fan favorite wasn’t shocked by the news after hitting only .096/.161/.250 through 56 plate appearances. “I think I’ve been in the game long enough to know that no matter what, what I was producing on the field, you’ve got to bring a little bit more to the table than that. I completely understood,” Pence told Henry Schulman and John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Pence said he would “stay open” to the possibility of continuing to play should an opportunity arise, though he acknowledged that retirement might be on the horizon, describing the last “couple of years” as “the bonus rounds” of an outstanding career. If this is indeed it for Pence, he’ll hang up his glove after 14 years of Major League ball that included four All-Star appearances, a league-wide reputation as a clubhouse leader, and a place in the hearts of all San Francisco fans for his contributions to two World Series championships.

Latest On Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies

By Connor Byrne | August 21, 2020 at 3:55pm CDT

The Braves have gone without their top outfielder, Ronald Acuna Jr., since he suffered a left wrist injury Aug. 11. Ten days later, it doesn’t appear a return is imminent, David O’Brien of The Athletic relays. While Acuna has progressed, manager Brian Snitker said he still hasn’t swung a bat yet (via O’Brien). The hope is that Acuna will resume that activity Saturday, but the Braves won’t know how much more time he’ll miss until he begins doing so.

Atlanta has been able to tread water since Acuna last played, having gone 3-3 without him. At 14-11 overall, the Braves lead the National League East by 1 1/2 games over the Marlins, but even the division’s last-place clubs (Philadelphia and Washington) are a manageable three back. That makes it all the more important for Acuna to heal quickly.

As the owner of a .258/.372/.515 line with four home runs in 78 plate appearances, the 22-year-old Acuna was amid yet another high-end season before he hit the shelf. And the Braves have seen a couple more notable changes to their outfield since then, as Nick Markakis went on the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday and the team promoted star prospect Cristian Pache. However, Pache hasn’t gotten a chance to debut yet because of a rainout Wednesday and an off day Thursday. He’ll make his first appearance as the Braves’ starting left fielder Friday.

Elsewhere in its lineup, Atlanta has had to make do without another of its exciting young talents, second baseman Ozzie Albies, who went to the IL on Aug. 5 with a bone contusion in his right wrist. Albies is closer to a comeback than Acuna, per O’Brien, though he’s also without a clear timetable at the moment.

Albies got off to an uncharacteristically poor start (.159/.196/.273 with one homer in 46 PA), but the 23-year-old was among the game’s best second basemen from 2017-19. Atlanta has deployed Johan Camargo and Adeiny Hechavarria at the keystone over the past couple weeks, but neither has performed well. Thanks to the struggles of Albies, Camargo and Hechavarria, Braves second basemen rank 29th in the majors in wRC+ (42) and are tied for last in fWAR (minus-0.6).

NL Health Notes: Braves, Mets, Cards, Giants, Padres, Dodgers

By Connor Byrne | August 17, 2020 at 8:04pm CDT

The Braves placed outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. on the injured list Saturday (retroactive to Aug. 12) because of left wrist inflammation, and the team’s hope then was that Acuna would be back by the upcoming weekend. However, there’s still no timetable for the superstar’s return, per The Athletic’s David O’Brien, who reports he’s continuing to battle soreness in his wrist. Meanwhile, second baseman Ozzie Albies – whom the Braves put on the IL on Aug. 5 with a bone contusion in his right wrist – is progressing but still has a ways to go, according to O’Brien.

Mets starters David Peterson and Jacob deGrom will take the ball as scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, Tim Healey of Newsday relays. Peterson had to leave his previous start last Thursday against the Nationals with left shoulder fatigue, while the club scratched deGrom on Friday because of a stiff neck. They’ve been the two best members of the rotation this year for the struggling Mets, as Peterson has performed like one of the game’s top rookies and the back-to-back Cy Young winner deGrom has continued to shine.
Cardinals righty Carlos Martinez and infielder Edmundo Sosa have been cleared to resume baseball activities, manager Mike Shildt announced to Mark Saxon of The Athletic and other reporters. They’re two of the many Cardinals who recently tested positive for the coronavirus. It’s not clear when either could return, as Shildt noted they’ll need time to build themselves back up. Martinez, long a key part of the Cardinals’ pitching staff, made one very rocky appearance earlier this season. Sosa hasn’t played in the majors this year.
Giants righty Jeff Samardzija will begin a throwing program Wednesday, according to the club (via Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle). Samardzija went on the injured list Aug. 8 with a shoulder impingement, which came after he opened the season with three rough performances. The pending free agent, 35, owns a ghastly 9.88 ERA across 13 2/3 innings, has already given up 18 hits and six home runs, and has only struck out five hitters.
The Padres placed catcher Francisco Mejia on the IL on Monday with a thumb bruise, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. With him and outfielder Tommy Pham (previously reported) headed to the shelf, the Padres recalled backstop Luis Torrens and utility player Ty France. Prior to going on the IL, Mejia got off to a woeful start this year with an .079/.146/.184 line in 41 plate appearances. He and fellow Padres catcher Austin Hedges have combined for a disastrous minus-1 wRC+ over 79 trips to the plate thus far.
The Dodgers announced that they’ve placed infielder Edwin Rios on the IL with a left hamstring strain and recalled lefty Adam Kolarek. The Rios injury is a blow to the Dodgers’ offense, as even though he’s just a part-time player, the 26-year-old has done nothing but hit since debuting last season. So far in 2020, Rios has slashed .276/.323/.690 with three home runs in 31 plate appearances.

Braves Place Ronald Acuña Jr. On 10-Day IL

By George Miller | August 15, 2020 at 3:22pm CDT

The Braves have placed outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Wednesday) due to left wrist inflammation, according to Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The hope is that he’ll be ready to return to the team next weekend. Next Friday will mark the first day he’s eligible to come off the IL. Right-handed pitcher Chad Sobotka was recalled, taking Acuña’s spot on the active roster.

Acuña has been dealing with discomfort in his wrist since Tuesday, when he was scratched from a game against the Yankees. He hasn’t played since then, and traveled back to Atlanta while his team will embark on a weekend series in Miami.

Initially, Atlanta hoped that Acuña would be ready to rejoin the team’s starting lineup by Monday, but after his soreness persisted into this weekend, it became apparent that he’d require a stint on the IL.

Of course, Acuña’s absence will lead many to speculate whether the door has opened for highly-touted outfielder Cristian Pache—just 21 years old—to make his Major League debut. While he hasn’t gotten the call yet, he may still be due for a promotion; Sobotka may simply be needed to give Brian Snitker another available bullpen arm for the next day or two.

Sobotka has been up-and-down for the Braves throughout this season, making three bullpen appearances for the team. He’s yet to surrender an earned run, striking out one batter and walking two. For his career, he’s averaging 11.7 K/9 with a 4.47 ERA.

Latest On Ronald Acuna Jr.

By Connor Byrne | August 12, 2020 at 10:00pm CDT

AUG. 12: Acuna missed the Braves’ loss to the Yankees on Wednesday, and manager Brian Snitker said he’ll sit out their series against the Marlins from Friday to Sunday, per Bowman. Acuna is dealing with inflammation.

AUG. 11: The Braves made outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. a late scratch before their game against the Yankees on Tuesday because of left wrist discomfort. He’ll undergo further evaluation in New York on Wednesday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com tweets.

Acuna attributes this injury to a recent slide, per Bowman, and it’s not yet clear whether it’s serious. Regardless, it’s obvious Acuna isn’t someone the Braves can do without for long – especially during a 60-game season. The all-world 22-year-old had his best game of the campaign Sunday, a 4-for-4, two-home run rampage against the Phillies which drove up his numbers after an early season slump. In all, Acuna has slashed .258/.372/.515 (145 wRC+) with four homers in 78 plate appearances.

The Acuna-less Braves went with an outfield alignment of Adam Duvall, Ender Inciarte and Marcell Ozuna in their series-opening loss to the Yankees. They also have Nick Markakis and Austin Riley on hand if Acuna misses time, but losing him would be a nightmare scenario for a Braves club that’s already shorthanded. Mike Soroka, Cole Hamels, Ozzie Albies and Chris Martin rank as the most prominent members of the team who are currently on the injured list.

Braves Have All The Pieces To Build A Solid DH

By TC Zencka | May 16, 2020 at 12:26pm CDT

With the DH likely headed to the National League in 2020, the Braves may have a few more at-bats to spread around. As a team, the Braves finished 2019 with a 102 wRC+, the 4th-highest mark in the National League, though they managed to turn that production into 855 runs, fewer than only the Nationals and Dodgers. To repeat at those levels, Atlanta has the difficult task of replacing the production from Bringer of Rain Josh Donaldson, who joined the Twins after putting up 37 bombs, 96 runs, 94 RBIs, and an all-around stellar 6.0 rWAR season in 2019. A regular DH should help.

Atlanta boasts a good deal of depth to utilize in a potential designated hitter role. For starters, there’s the question of whether Johan Camargo becomes a four-down back at third base. Austin Riley may eventually take over the hot corner, but if he doesn’t, there are probably some DH at-bats to go his way. Riley was slated to spend some time at Triple-A, but if there is no Triple-A, the Braves may just as soon bring his light-tower power to the big-league level. Riley definitely struggled closing out his rookie year, but power (.471 SLG and .245 ISO) isn’t the problem. Riley needs to close the gap on his 5.4% BB% and 36.4 K%, but given his youth and potential, he’s probably the guy the Braves want to claim the DH spot (if he doesn’t claim third base outright).

If Riley doesn’t improve the other aspects of his game, then he’s essentially Adam Duvall, another candidate for DH at-bats. Duvall, 31, has a career .229 ISO and .461 SLG at the big league level, numbers that could land him in the middle of the order if it weren’t for other drawbacks to his game. In 130 plate appearances last season, Duvall put together a solid 121 wRC+ showing by hitting .267/.315/.567. That output was bolstered by an absurd .300 ISO. He also had some good luck, as his .306 BABIP was a fair bit higher than his career mark of .271. Duvall could certainly see some time at DH, especially if they want to save Riley for a more stable playing environment, but he has gone just 1 for 3 in posting a wRC+ over 100 when given more than 400 plate appearances. In a short season, however, Duvall has the type of short-burst approach that could perform.

The safer option is to use the DH to rest their four-man outfield of Ronald Acuna Jr., Ender Inciarte, Marcell Ozuna, and Nick Markakis. Acuna will be in there every day, but he can move around the outfield and would probably benefit from a DHing day every now and again. Ozuna and Markakis complement each other perfectly in some ways, with Ozuna the right-handed power bat and Markakis the lefty on-base option, and they can both handle themselves in the field. There’s no reason both shouldn’t be in the lineup, however, especially if Inciarte is healthy enough to spend the better part of most weeks manning centerfield. Inciarte, 29, played just 65 games last season, but he’s a true difference-maker with the glove when healthy (21 OAA in 2018, 20 OAA in 2017). Assuming health, all four of Acuna, Inciarte, Ozuna, and Markakis should find their names on the lineup card most days.

With Acuna taking his spot in right, Markakis might be the guy who gets the most at-bats as the ostensible extra bat. But when southpaws take the hill, the Braves can rest some combination of Markakis/Inciarte while getting Duvall or Riley some run. Both mashed lefties in 2019. Say they go with a straight left-right platoon: Markakis hit .298/.371/.446 vs. righties in 2019, and Duvall (small sample alert) hit .333/.386/.744 vs lefties. Even take Duvall’s career splits versus lefties (.240/.318/.473), and a leveraged platoon of Markakis and Duvall makes for a pretty potent designated hitter.

This post continues a recent series from MLBTR looking at designated hitters options for each team in the National League. Thus far we’ve covered the Cardinals, Reds, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Nationals, as well as the remaining free agent options.

A Battle Of NL East Superstars

By Connor Byrne | April 29, 2020 at 11:02pm CDT

We’ve seen two of the brightest young offensive stars in baseball emerge in the National League East over the past couple years. The Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. and the Nationals’ Juan Soto have been enormously successful since they made their debuts in 2018, and the outfielders have played important roles in helping lead their clubs to prominence. The Braves have taken the division in each of Acuna’s two seasons, while Soto was among the reasons the Nationals won their first-ever World Series last fall. The two look as if they’ll be franchise cornerstones for the long haul, but if you can only have one, which player would you pick?

Going by production, there hasn’t been a huge difference in their careers so far. The 22-year-old Acuna’s a 9.3-fWAR player through his first 1,202 plate appearances and a .285/.365/.532 hitter with 67 home runs, 53 stolen bases and an excellent wRC+ of 133. The righty masher fell just shy of a 40/40 effort in 2019, when he smacked 41 dingers and swiped an NL-high 37 bags. Furthermore, Acuna has fared respectably as a defender thus far – including as the Braves’ primary center fielder last year – with 16 DRS and a minus-0.6 UZR to this point.

By measure of wRC+, Soto has been an even more effective hitter than Acuna. Soto, who only became old enough to legally drink as last year’s World Series was going on, owns a jaw-dropping 143 mark in that category. The lefty swinger’s a .287/.403/.535 batter with 56 homers and 8.5 fWAR through 1,153 PA, though he doesn’t come close to Acuna in terms of stolen bases (17). Acuna’s overall defensive output has also been better, but Soto did make strides in that area last season. After putting up minus-6 DRS and minus-4.2 UZR as a rookie in left field, he improved to zero and minus-0.7 in those categories as a sophomore.

The overall numbers Acuna and Soto have managed at such young ages have been astounding. But you can’t just consider production when comparing the two. One of the key facts about Acuna is that his team has already locked him up for the foreseeable future, as the Braves extended him to an eight-year, $100MM guarantee after his first season. With $17MM club options for 2027 and ’28, the deal could keep Acuna in place for almost the whole decade. That’s a lengthy commitment and a lot of money, but it has nonetheless always come off as a no-brainer move from Atlanta’s perspective.

The Nationals would surely love to sign Soto to a similar pact, but it’s hard to believe they’ll get him on such a team-friendly deal. At the very least, though, they do still have the right to control the Scott Boras client for the next half-decade, including one more pre-arbitration year if a season does take place in 2020.

The bottom line is that you can’t lose with either of these players, no doubt two of the greatest assets in the sport. But you’re only allowed to build around one of them, so take your pick…

(Poll link for app users)

Ronald Acuna Jr. Or Juan Soto?

Acuna 71.39% (3,923 votes)

Soto 28.61% (1,572 votes)

Total Votes: 5,495

NL East Notes: Acuna, Nats, Mets

By Connor Byrne | February 20, 2020 at 6:43pm CDT

Let’s check in on a few NL East clubs…

In his two years in the majors, Braves superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. has divided his time between the corner outfield and center. He’s slated to open 2020 in right field – the OF position he has played the least during his career. But the Braves are bullish on Acuna in right – particularly because of his arm – and he’s more than happy to play there, Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. The 22-year-old told Burns that right’s “a position I feel more comfortable at.” That’s good news for Atlanta, which expects Acuna to line up there not just this year, but for the majority of his career, per Burns.
As was reported in December, Nationals right-hander Erick Fedde has a fourth minor league option. Fedde found out that’s the case from his father, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com writes. “Hey, I was reading an article online saying you have a fourth option,” Fedde’s father said in a text message. “Dad, don’t be dumb. Fourth options are not a thing,” Fedde replied. But they can be “a thing” if you’ve used your three options and totaled fewer than five professional seasons as a major or league leaguer. That applies to Fedde, a 2014 first-round pick who didn’t make his pro debut until June 2015 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Fedde called it “maybe an unfortunate bounce” that he’ll be optionable for another year, but he told Zuckerman he’s pleased he’ll at least get to stay in the Washington organization. While Fedde could still end up as part of the Nationals’ rotation sometime this season, he has struggled as a major leaguer so far. Despite a 51 percent groundball rate, the 26-year-old has put up a 5.39 ERA/5.32 FIP with 6.39 K/9 and 3.95 BB/99 in 143 2/3 innings.
Mets right-handed pitching prospect Jordan Humphreys underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2017 and has since thrown just two innings, both at the rookie level last year. Still recovering from the procedure last summer, Humphreys considered calling it a career, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com relays. However, as DiComo details, Mets rehab pitching coordinator Jon Debus encouraged Humphreys to keep going. He listened, and after an encouraging showing in the Arizona Fall League, he’s now on the Mets’ 40-man roster and in big league camp. “I’m glad to be here. I’m finally healthy,” Humphreys, MLB.com’s 22nd-ranked Mets prospect, told DiComo.

Rep 1 Agency Acquires Peter E. Greenberg And Associates

By Connor Byrne | February 13, 2020 at 11:05pm CDT

Rep 1 Baseball has agreed to acquire Peter E. Greenberg and Associates, making it one of the largest agencies in the game. It now has over 60 major league clients on its roster and more than 150 in the minors.

Rep 1 already counted Edwin Encarnacion, Rafael Devers, Luis Severino, Dee Gordon and Eloy Jimenez among its high-profile players before this acquisition, as reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database. It will now add the likes of Ronald Acuna Jr., Starling Marte and Gio Urshela, among other familiar names in the bigs.

It’s been an active past year on the contract front for several of the aforementioned players. Encarnacion signed a one-year, $12MM deal with the White Sox this offseason. He’s now teammates with Jimenez, whom the White Sox last March inked to a then-record contract for a player with no MLB service time (six years, $43MM). The Yankees’ Severino (four years, $40MM) and the Braves’ Acuna (eight years, $100MM) also joined in on the 2019 extension bonanza. Devers, who had a star-caliber 2019 with the Red Sox, could be next, but the 22-year-old still has one more season left before he’s even eligible for arbitration.

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