Atlanta Braves:
Ronald Acuna Jr., A Braves standout, wins his first NL MVP trophy.
The Atlanta outfielder is the third Venezuelan to win MVP honors.
![Forty-one home runs and 73 stolen bases later, Acuña is an MVP.](https://i0.wp.com/phantom-marca.unidadeditorial.es/83039a2c6acbb0f35c150ea682080711/resize/1320/f/jpg/assets/multimedia/imagenes/2023/11/16/17001753072481.png?resize=734%2C489&ssl=1)
Ronald Acuña Jr. received his first National League MVP award of his young career on Thursday, in recognition of his historic 2023 season.
Acuña emerged victorious over the Los Angeles Dodgers duo of Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, receiving a unanimous vote for MVP. On the strength of an absurd season at the plate, which redefined what a major league hitter can accomplish in a single season, he led the Atlanta Braves to a 104-win regular season.
Opening up fresh territory for strikers.
Acuña led MLB in hits (217) and runs scored (149) in 2023 while batting at the top of the Braves’ potent lineup, hitting a career-high.337. Thanks to a late-season power surge, Acuña tied his career high of 41 home runs and led MLB in stolen bases (73).
By doing this, Acuña broke the previous record of 40 home runs and 40 thefts (the so-called “40-40 Club”) and became the first player in baseball history to smash 40 home runs and steal 70 bags in a single year. The right fielder earned his third Silver Slugger trophy in as many seasons and was chosen an NL All-Star for the fourth time.
At just 25 years old, Acuna is in a position where, in the end, he might win several MVP titles.