Ronald Acuña Jr. Named Starting Outfielder for Hometown All-Star Game
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 10: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates after hitting an RBI single in the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Truist Park on September 10, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images)
Ronald Acuña Jr. is not just going to the All-Star Game; he gets to start the game. The Atlanta Braves’ right fielder was selected by fans to the game for the fifth All-Star game despite only playing 36 games so far this year. Acuña is coming back from an ACL tear that made him miss a significant part of last season and the beginning of this one.
Acuña will join Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker as the NL’s starting outfielders at the game, which is set to take place on Tuesday, July 15, at Truist Park in Atlanta, Acuña’s home stadium. He led all National League outfielders in Phase 2 voting.
“I think it’s a dream come true, just to be playing in my fifth All-Star Game, but more importantly, just to be playing this All-Star Game in front of the best fans in baseball,” Acuña said via Braves Director of Baseball Player Relations Franco García, who translated. Acuña is also set to participate in the Home Run Derby during the All-Star festivities.
Since returning to action at the end of May, Acuña has a .346 batting average, with 9 home runs, 18 RBIs, 33 runs scored, and a 1.063 OPS, certainly All-Star worthy numbers. He also stole his 200th career stolen base in June, becoming the first player in Atlanta-era Braves history to reach that milestone.
In his career, Acuña already boasts a 2018 National League Rookie of the Year award, three Silver Slugger Awards, and a NL MVP Award in 2023.
In that year, Ronald Acuña Jr delivered one of the most dominant individual seasons in MLB history, becoming only the fifth player ever to join the prestigious 40-40 club—hitting at least 40 home runs and stealing 40 bases in a single season.