The 2025 MLB All-Star Game is less than a month away from being held at Truist Park. On Monday, the league provided its first voting update with Atlanta Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. finding himself in surprise positioning.
Despite only playing 21 games this season, the star already has the sixth-most votes among National League outfielders (596,805 votes), trailing an impressive list of talent. The five players in front of Acuña are Pete Crowe-Armstrong (1,126,119), Kyle Tucker (704,740), Teoscar Hernandez (685,553), Juan Soto (625,618), and Corbin Carroll (597,805).
In the first All-Star balloting update, #Braves RF Ronald Acuña Jr. is in sixth place. He's just 89,000 votes away from the third spot and under 120,000 from the second highest vote total among all NL outfielders.
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) June 16, 2025
He's made quite a case in 21 games. pic.twitter.com/TyJXgP5q8K
It's an accurate mix of the most accomplished and popular outfielders in the NL. The race has special significance to Braves fans this season, with Atlanta set to host the game. Having a chance to see Acuña at home in an All-Star lineup is far too exciting a scenario not to chase.
Acuña Deserves to Represent the Braves in the 2025 All-Star Game
The importance of Acuña making the starting lineup isn't just about having an Atlanta starter in the mix.
It is a deserved honor despite how few games the veteran has played this season. When the outfielder is at the top of his game, there is no denying he deserves to be in the discussion for the league's best player. That is the case since returning from injury as he slashes .390/.478/.701 with seven home runs, 13 RBIs, and 13 walks in 77 at-bats.
Acuña is deserving of the honor and would be a great option to lead off the game in Atlanta. If the star can garner enough votes to work his way into the top three, it would be a wise decision to give the outfielder a chance atop the lineup to kick off the All-Star game in Atlanta.
Regardless, it does seem fitting that the star is the lone Brave within reach of an All-Star berth. The rest of Atlanta's lineup has been wildly inconsistent and far from the best at their respective positions.
It's possible that Acuña is the lone offensive representative for the 2025 All-Star team. This would be a sad development for a team tasked with hosting the event. With that in mind, failing to even have one starter would be an epic letdown after years of waiting for the honor, so Braves fans must continue to show their support by voting.