The Atlanta Braves were left with no option to advance to the Championship Series of the National League. With this, Ronald Acuña Jr.’s ordeal in the playoffs of this MLB season ended.
The Venezuelan outfielder ended up booed by the fans at Truist Park, home of the Braves, with each failed at-bat. And once his squad’s elimination at the hands of the Dodgers was complete, he let his emotions emerge in locker room interviews.
“They have the right to whistle at me. I feel like I didn’t do anything to help the team in this series. You know, I’m supposed to be a spark for my team out there, and I never lit that fire,” Acuña acknowledged on the verge of tears. “So I am extremely disappointed.”
Acuña Jr.’s “debt”
Certainly the postseason was complicated for Ronald Acuña Jr., who had been on fire at the end of the regular season but fell into a drought. In the Wild Card Series against Philadelphia he gave just one hit in nine at-bats – without extra bases or RBIs – for an average of .111/.385/.111 and an OPS of .496.
In his four duels against the Los Angeles team in the Division Series, his offensive problems were magnified. There were only two hits in 15 at-bats that came off his bat, both singles. He failed to drive in any runs, stole only one base, walked two and struck out four times. He hit .133/.235/.133 and .369 OPS.
“I feel quite frustrated because I know the talent I have, do you understand me? And it is quite difficult, you know, to have the potential that one has and not do anything,” Acuña added. After those words, the AP agency reports, the Venezuelan sat down and said he would not accept any more questions. He made no excuses for the knee ailments that led him to undergo an MRI on Wednesday night and that threatened to leave him limited to the role of designated hitter, outside of the outfield.
The 28-year-old outfielder has a star profile. He was Rookie of the Year, won an MVP and three Silver Bats and has been elected to five All-Star Games, but in the postseason he has not been able to perform the same. His lifetime numbers in the playoffs are .233/.354/.391, OPS of .745, 10 doubles, a triple (in 2019), three home runs, nine RBIs (the last in 2020) and eight stolen bases.
That Acuña deleted all content related to the Atlanta Braves from his Instagram account has opened the door to speculation. More with the statements that Gabe Burns, correspondent of Baseball Americaquote from the Venezuelan.
“I want to stay here, that hasn’t changed,” Acuña told Burns. “But I can’t control that.” The outfielder has reached the last guaranteed year of his contract and the club has the option to retain him for 2027. The organization has given no signs that they are going in a different direction than what is expected, which is to see Acuña back in the Atlanta dugout.
