FILE – Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. watches his solo house run within the first inning of a baseball sport in opposition to the Philadelphia Phillies Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023. (AP Picture/John Bazemore, File)
NEW YORK — Ronald Acuña Jr. had been ready for this second.
“From the day I obtained to the league instantly I all the time knew I wished to be the MVP,” the Atlanta Braves proper fielder mentioned by way of a translator. “It’s all the time been a dream of mine and I’m residing the dream come true.”
Acuña was a unanimous winner of his first Nationwide League Most Invaluable Participant award on Thursday, taking house the respect after turning into the primary huge leaguer with 40 homers and 70 stolen bases in a season.
May he do it once more, and even grow to be the primary 50-50 participant?
“I’m not making an attempt to foretell something, however so long as I’m wholesome I imagine something is feasible.” he mentioned.
Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani received the American League award, turning into the primary two-time unanimous MVP. There have been 21 unanimous winners, and this yr marked the primary time two occurred in the identical yr.
Acuña acquired all 30 first-place votes and 420 factors in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Affiliation of America.
Mookie Betts obtained all 30 second-place votes and 270 factors, adopted by Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Freddie Freeman with 227 factors. Betts earned the 2018 AL MVP award with Boston, and Freeman was the 2020 NL MVP with Atlanta.
Acuña was second within the NL with a .336 batting common and led the main leagues with 149 runs, 217 hits, 386 complete bases and 73 stolen bases whereas hitting 41 house runs with 106 RBIs. A four-time All-Star who turns 26 subsequent month, Acuña helped Atlanta to a serious league-best 104 wins earlier than the Braves misplaced to Philadelphia in an NL Division Sequence.
He set his profession greatest for RBIs and matched his 2019 excessive for house runs.
Acuña discovered of the award whereas within the clubhouse of La Guaria, his staff in Venezuela’s winter league. Whereas he dropped off a scheduled nationwide name with BBWAA members, he spoke on a Zoom with Atlanta reporters.
He was on a potential MVP observe in 2021 with 24 homers, 52 RBIs and 17 steals in 82 video games earlier than he tore his proper ACL on July 10 whereas making an attempt a catch on the warning observe, an damage that ended his season.
“It meant rather a lot to me to have the ability to bounce again after I used to be harm,” he mentioned. “There was some doubt I might do what I used to be capable of accomplish.”
Betts batted .307 with 39 homers and 107 RBIs, and Freeman hit .331 with 29 homers and 102 RBIs.
Atlanta’s Matt Olson was fourth with 223 factors, and Arizona’s Corbin Carroll, who received NL Rookie of the Yr, was fifth with 165.
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By ending fifth, Carroll earned $5 million. He will get a $2.5 million enhance to $30.5 million for each his 2029 and ’30 salaries and in addition of his 2031 choice, which features a $5 million buyout. His contract, agreed to in March, initially assured $111 million over eight seasons.