Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. has had a phenomenal career in Major League Baseball thus far. In eight years, Acuna has a .289 batting average and a .908 OPS with 186 home runs and 459 RBIs. He has five All-Star selections while winning three Silver Slugger Awards and one NL MVP.
Acuna has dealt with knee injuries on two separate occasions throughout his career. In July 2021, he tore his right ACL, causing him to miss out on the Braves’ World Series-winning season. In 2024, it was his left ACL, which he tore in May that allowed him to play in just 49 games last season.
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The most recent tear also caused him to miss nearly the first two months of the 2025 season, but he was incredible when he came back.
Acuna returned to the field on May 23, when he homered on the first pitch he saw in almost a full calendar year. This jumpstarted a fantastic 2025 season, in which he hit .290 with 21 long balls and 42 RBIs in 95 games.
On Thursday, Acuna’s triumphant return to play was recognized by MLB, as he was announced as the NL Comeback Player of the Year at the MLB Awards show in Las Vegas.
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“Ronald Acuña Jr. returned in a big way in 2025. He’s your NL Comeback Player of the Year!” MLB captioned its X post.
His 2025 season showed Braves fans that he can return from injury time and again without losing a step.
In 2026, Acuna will be entering the final season of an eight-year, $100 million contract extension he signed with Atlanta in 2019. However, the Braves have club options for him in 2027 and 2028.
With the 27-year-old back to full form, Braves fans are excited about the future for their franchise right fielder.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Nov 14, 2025, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
