Atlanta Braves: 5 Things We Learned From Braves First 15 Games

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NAGOYA, JAPAN – NOVEMBER 15: Outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the bottom of 8th inning during the game six between Japan and MLB All Stars at Nagoya Dome on November 15, 2018 in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. (Photo by Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images) /

1. Ronald Acuna Jr. Is Just As Good, If Not Better

The reigning NL player of the week, Ronald Acuna Jr., has started where he left off from last season. This last week has been the week Acuna has really taken off. Against the Mets and Rockies, Acuna hit .545 with an on-base percentage of .630. He also added 3 home runs and 9 RBI to go with it. Acuna, a historically sluggish starter, didn’t need long to get his season off to a quick start. Acuna started slowly in the first 5 games, but since then has raised his numbers, mostly due to the monstrous week that he just had.

Acuna’s move to the cleanup spot, a big point of contention for Braves fans this offseason, has not been a problem so far. It’s early in the season, but so far, Acuna has produced in the cleanup spot while also showing great discipline at the plate. Acuna has recorded 11 walks while only striking out 13 times in 53 ABs. It doesn’t seem to matter where Acuna hits, the guy just hits. When the combo of him and Freddie Freeman are going, the 3-4 punch for the Braves feels like one of the best in all of baseball. This is mostly due to what Acuna is able to do for this Braves team. He is the heart of this team. The Braves go as Acuna goes.

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