Ronald Acuña Jr. seems to have a perpetual baseball season. This Thursday, the Braves standout player secured the 2023 National League MVP Award in a unanimous decision. What was he up to when the exciting news broke? Well, he was gearing up to hit the baseball diamond, naturally. While other MVP contenders might have been taking it easy during the offseason, Acuña was readying himself for his season debut in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League with the Tiburones de La Guaira.
Ronald Acuña Jr. is back to playing ball just moments after winning his first MVP award pic.twitter.com/HxDy0kerXy
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) November 17, 2023
The scheduled game was even pushed back by an hour to allow one of Venezuela"s beloved athletes to revel in his first NL MVP Award with friends, family, and teammates. After the celebratory hugs and high-fives, Acuña shifted into game mode, taking his position in right field for the Tiburones. Setting the tone by leading off the bottom of the first inning, Acuña, the Majors" hits (217) and runs (149) leader this year, smashed a single to center field and circled the bases to score.
In the sixth inning, Acuña electrified the crowd with a two-run homer to right. Coming off a remarkable season with 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases, he wrapped up a sensational chapter in baseball history. Interestingly, before his record-breaking year, Acuña played 10 games for the Tiburones last winter, boasting a .441 batting average and a 1.160 OPS. Who knows, perhaps his time on the Venezuelan field this winter will propel him to even greater heights in 2024, if that"s even possible.
