NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. Shares Strong Stance on Future With Braves
The reigning MVP doesn’t want to play for any other team.
Ronald Acuña Jr. doesn't want to play for any other team.
Acuña, the reigning 2023 National League MVP, told reporters that he hopes to remain with the Atlanta Braves for the remainder of his career during a media session with reporters upon arriving in North Port, Fla. for spring training on Friday.
“It’s not a secret I want to be a Brave for life. I hope I can stay here forever and hopefully we can make that happen soon,” Acuña said while speaking through an interpreter, according to Atlanta Braves beat writer Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
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Acuña signed an eight-year, $100 million extension back in April of 2019, a deal that is set to pay him about $85 million for his age 26 to 30 seasons.
But the Braves star’s value has increased significantly since, especially after his monster 2023 campaign, which saw him post a 1.012 OPS (On-Base Percentage Plus Slugging) while becoming the first player in MLB history to record 40 home runs and 70 stolen bases in a single season.
In other words, if Atlanta feels the same way Acuña does and wants him to be in a Braves uniform for the long haul, they're going to have to pay up.
Acuña has tallied 161 home runs, 180 stolen bases and a .292/.381/.537 slash line in six career MLB seasons.