ATLANTA — After a milestone season that saw Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. crush baseballs and league-wide records, the superstar was crowned National League Most Valuable Player -- in unanimous fashion.
Acuña Jr. established his own club in 2023 -- becoming the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit 40 home runs and steal 70 bases in the same season.
In total, Acuña Jr. hit .337 with 41 homers, 106 RBI out of the leadoff spot and an MLB-leading 73 stolen bags. He also led all of baseball with 217 hits and 149 runs scored.
For those knowledgeable in the more advanced metrics, Acuña Jr. was third in baseball in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) at 8.14. He was first in the MLB in offensive WAR at 8.48. WAR attempts to measure a player's overall value to their team by posting how many wins that particular player is worth when compared to a replacement-level player.
For the Atlanta Braves, it was the eighth time in franchise history the club has had an MVP-winner. Most recently, former Braves' first baseman Freddie Freeman won the award after a dominant 2020 season. Acuña Jr. held off Freeman and fellow Dodger Mookie Betts to win NL MVP.
Acuña Jr. finished first in MVP voting, followed by Betts and Freeman in second and third place, respectively. It is his first MVP award.
Previous Braves MVP winners
- 2020 - 1B Freddie Freeman
- 1999 - 3B Chipper Jones
- 1991 - 3B Terry Pendleton
- 1982, 1983 - OF Dale Murphy
- 1957 - OF Hank Aaron (Milwaukee)
- 1947 - 3B Bob Elliott (Boston)
- 1914 - 2B Johnny Evers
