Acuña Jr. first blast of 2026 could not have come at a better time

The Atlanta Braves have been competitive to start the 2026 season, with a 9-5 record and more importantly, the top-seed in the National League East. They have done this without their star player, who has yet to make a definitive impact thus far. 

But, on Friday, Ronald Acuña Jr. made his entrance with a game-tying blast to keep the Braves in it. The best part is, it was his first moonshot of the year. 

Acuña Jr., who has not been the same player since winning the 2023 NL MVP due to injury, has played every game so far this season. But, with a .222 batting average and a .650 OPS, it has not been the best of starts. For reference, he had 21 home runs in 95 games last season. 

That all changed with one swing of the bat in Friday's 11-5 win over the Cleveland Guardians, in which he smashed a 411-foot homer, with an exit velocity of 104.9 MPH. Amazingly, it was the shortest home run of the day as Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo launched one in the fourth inning 454 feet, according to Baseball Savant. 

For Acuña Jr, this home run could not have come at a better time to keep the Braves ahead in the NL East. It has been a wacky start, with the lackluster play from the Philadelphia Phillies and surprise from the Miami Marlins. The Braves are not going to be able to run away with this division that easily.

Could we be witnessing the return of one of the best players in the game today?

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