Ronald

Acuna Jr.

Acuña cut back on his running after returning from a torn ACL last season, finishing with nine steals in 95 games for the Braves, but he’s swiped six bags in just three games for the Tiburones. That seems like a big deal for his 2026 fantasy value, though running so much might make it more likely that he gets hurt again.

Acuña obviously couldn’t play for his hometown team last winter because he was recovering from an ACL tear, but this will be his third stint with La Guaira in the last four years. He hit .398/.524/.717 over 31 games in the first two.

Acuña made plenty of noise this past season in his return from another major knee injury, slashing .290/.417/.518 with 21 homers and nine steals over 95 games after rejoining Atlanta in late May from a torn ACL. The dynamic 27-year-old power/speed threat has now undergone two ACL surgeries in his career, yet his elite athleticism and production remain intact. He projects as a first-round pick in all fantasy drafts next spring.

Acuña absolutely devoured a first-inning offering from Johan Oviedo; one that traveled an estimated 451 feet to center. The 27-year-old also drew a walk to give him a slash of .290/.417/.518. His season started late because of his ACL injury, but Acuña played well when he was able to give it a go. He’ll have a full offseason to get healthy ahead of his age-28 season, and hopefully we’ll get optimistic reports about him running to restore some of his stolen base upside.

Acuña Jr. was hitting .198 in his first 30 games after the All-Star break and struggling to hit with the kind of power we had seen from him earlier in the season. Starting in the middle of September, he opened up his stance a little more, moving his front foot closer to third base before loading. It’s unclear if that’s the main reason for his success, but he has been on fire since September 9th, hitting .353/.492/.667 in 14 games with five home runs, 14 runs scored, eight RBI, and two steals.

The 27-year-old superstar ambushed a first-pitch slider from Brad Lord in the sixth inning, crushing a go-ahead, 433-foot (111.3 mph EV) solo shot that gave the Braves a 2-1 advantage they’d never relinquish. Acuña also struck out twice in the ballgame. For the season, he’s slashing .285/.414/.514 with 20 long balls, 40 RBI and eight stolen bases in 394 plate appearances.

Acuña has caught fire down the home stretch following a prolonged slump coming out of the All-Star break, homering four times in his last 11 games. The 27-year-old generational talent took Nationals lefty MacKenzie Gore deep in the opening frame and wound up reaching base safely in four of his six plate appearances in the one-sided affair. He’s looked like a fantasy superstar again of late, batting an absurd .346 (18-for-52) with four homers, 13 RBI and two steals over his last 15 games.

The 27-year-old superstar drew a walk in the opening inning and scored on a two-run single off the bat of Ozzie Albies. He then broke the game wide open with a 386-foot (104.8 mph EV) two-run blast off of Charlie Morton in the second inning that extended the Braves’ lead to 6-0. He’s enjoying another terrific all-around season at the plate, slashing .284/.406/.503 with 18 long balls, 36 RBI and seven stolen bases in 374 plate appearances on the year.

Acuña’s homer gives him 17 on the season. It’s of course worth pointing out that total is affected by him missing close to two months to begin the season, but also by mostly ineffective play since the start of August. The 27-year-old is still hitting .275/.395/.495, which tells you how incredible he was prior to that funk.

Acuña was moved back up to the heart of Atlanta’s lineup earlier this week after an extended slump at the outset of September. The 27-year-old fantasy superstar slugged his 16th round-tripper of the season during Friday’s series opener and appears to be getting back on track.