The Atlanta Braves sweptthe Los Angeles Dodgers while Ronald Acuna Jr. went 1/9 in the series, skipping the final game of the series. Manager Walt Weiss held out Acuna in hopes it served as a reset for Atlanta's star hitter. Acuna has been a shell of himself for much of the 2026 season, offering nothing close to the level of expected production. This serves as a reminder that the 2023 MVP is due and could be the missing piece for a potential World Series run.
If the Braves are going to make a deep October run, it is going to take the current level of contributions from their stars, with Acuna taking a leap forward. The star outfielder needs to again find the joy and confidence that has previously fueled great runs in Atlanta.
For Acuna, there doesn't appear to be any health questions, but lingering confidence issues due to a player who lives and dies by his emotional play. Enduring such a long slump has unquestionably taken a great deal of energy from the right fielder and made his recent struggles more understandable.
Still, there is every reason to believe that Acuna is due for a breakout run, and with October quickly approaching, there would be no better time for a surprise run. Everything about Acuna's career suggests that this is the outlier, and the star will sooner or later return to his previous level of production.
Braves Need Ronald Acuna Jr. to Return to Form to Help Fuel World Series Run
Acuna at his best would make Atlanta's lineup undeniably lethal and give the franchise a great chance to run through the National League. It is telling that the Braves were able to sweep the Dodgers without Acuna being at his absolute best. Unexpected contributors did step up to help cover the struggles, with Sean Murphy and Ha-Seong Kim both delivering in big moments to push the Braves to a sweep.
Still, October is a different animal, and the Braves need Matt Olson, Drake Baldwin, and Acuna all to be at their best to fuel an offense that is going to need to do a lot of the heavy lifting due to injuries in the rotation. After Chris Sale, there are a lot of questions as to where the Braves are going to find postseason performers in the rotation.
All of this adds up to the Braves surviving a frustrating Acuna season that is overdue for a breakout stretch. Perhaps the 2023 MVP is simply saving his best moments for when the season matters most and is getting ready to go on a run.
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