Ronald Acuña Jr. demonstrated in 2023 why he is regarded as one of the world’s greatest baseball players. The Braves outfielder battled back from an ACL tear that nearly ended his career in 2021 to have an incredible and historic 2023.

With 149 runs, 217 hits, and a.416 on-base percentage, the Venezuelan dominated both categories in the National League. Acuña’s 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases also earned him the first player to join the 40/70 club, a place no other player has ever gone.

Acuña accepted the National League MVP Award on January 28 at the Baseball Writers Association of America Awards dinner in New York City. After being awarded the accolade, Acuña Jr. took a picture with Shohei Ohtani, the AL’s equivalent.

Shohei Ohtani was 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and led the AL in home runs, on-base percentage, total bases, and OPS despite missing the last month of the season. The 29-year-old Japanese player recently signed the biggest-ever ten-year, $700 million contract in professional sports history with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The signing took place just over a month ago.

It was clear that fans enjoyed watching the two together. Soon after Ronnie shared the photo of the two dressed in their upscale dinner jackets, a ton of compliments were sent to both of them. There were even rumors that Ronald Acuna might eventually sign with Ohtani’s new squad.

The 2023 season was somewhat of a return for Ronald Acuña Jr. The outfielder for the Atlanta Braves had an ACL tear in the summer of 2021. Though many believed that this would be the end of the young star’s career, Acuña Jr. made a tremendous comeback. His squad tied the 2019 Minnesota Twins for the most home runs hit in a single season and established an all-time record in team slugging percentage.

Ronald Acuña Jr. has a promising future in Atlanta.

There are calls for Ronnie to sign a contract with Shohei Ohtani, but there’s little evidence that the celebrity will be moving out of Atlanta anytime soon.

With a $100 million commitment from the star to the Braves through at least 2026, there have been some major outcomes. He was still regarded as a young player at the time, despite having already won a World Series in Atlanta. Ronald Acuña Jr., the unquestionable face of the company, will now try to leave even more of an impression on the game’s history.