{"id":129868,"date":"2025-12-13T11:51:27","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T11:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=129868"},"modified":"2025-12-13T11:51:27","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T11:51:27","slug":"%f0%9f%94%a5%e2%9a%a1exclusive-inside-how-ronald-acuna-jr-dominates-the-game-and-sets-the-stage-for-the-braves-entire-starting-lineup-his-explosive-style-could-be-the-key-to-atlantas-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=129868","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udd25\u26a1EXCLUSIVE INSIDE: How Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr. Dominates the Game and Sets the Stage for the Braves’ Entire Starting Lineup \u2013 His explosive style could be the key to Atlanta’s success this season. Are his teammates ready to follow his lead?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Amidst a disappointing season, former Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker shook up the batting order throughout the season, but following his retirement, things may return to what Braves fans were formerly used to.<\/p>\n

During the Winter Meetings, new Braves manager Walt Weiss hinted that former MVP and Rookie of the Year Ronald Acu\u00f1a, Jr., may be returning to the lead-off spot he\u2019s occupied for the majority of his career.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s enticing to have him at the top of the order,\u201d Weiss said. \u201cI really like when a lineup turns over, and there\u2019s teeth right away. If you\u2019re a pitcher, you\u2019ve got to run through a gauntlet as soon as the lineup turns over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Acu\u00f1a was removed from the lead-off spot in July as the Braves tried to shake things up. Jurickson Profar has experience as a lead-off hitter, allowing him to be tried elsewhere. He primarily batted third during this time. Acuna batted .310 with a .980 OPS in the lead-off spot and .263 with a .888 OPS in the third spot in 2025, so a return to the frontman position could be in order.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s just one problem, though: He may not be the stolen base threat he once was. ACL injuries have a nasty habit of reaggravating themselves (or worse), so he\u2019s been very cautious with the way he runs, diminishing his on-base production.<\/p>\n

Ideally, a lead-off hitter is in scoring position quickly, so if Acu\u00f1a continues to be sheepish on the basepaths, it\u2019ll be more difficult for the team to get runs around with minimal hits. With that said, he appears to be on an encouraging pace in Venezuela this summer, as he\u2019s stolen six bases in nine games, compared to the six he stole in 21 games in 2024.<\/p>\n

Acu\u00f1a\u2019s been one of the best lead-off hitters in the game when healthy, so even if he\u2019s not as strong on the basepaths, it could still shake out in both his benefit and that of the Braves.<\/p>\n

The Braves struggled to find a consistent lead-off hitter in 2025, particularly at the start of the season when Acu\u00f1a was still rehabbing his ACL and Profar was suspended. The team bounced between Alex Verdugo, Michael Harris II and even Ozzie Albies, but the lead-off spot struggled until Acu\u00f1a and Profar returned.<\/p>\n

Acu\u00f1a took over the predominant lead-off spot from May 23 to Aug. 5, until Jurickson Profar took over the spot once he returned from his suspension. The two went back and forth until Profar ultimately ended the season with a 23-game stretch at the lead-off spot.<\/p>\n

With Acu\u00f1a potentially leading off the newly Walt Weiss-led Braves, the lineup could look quite different from what Braves fans saw in 2025, though a few things will likely stay the same. For one, Austin Riley, who\u2019ll be coming off an abdominal injury in 2026, typically bats in the third spot, but he batted .316 for the month he was in the second spot.<\/p>\n

Matt Olson typically batted towards the middle of the lineup, but he excelled at the end of the season when he was moved to the second spot in the order, batting .286 with an .854 OPS. He batted .262 with an .856 OPS from his typical middle of the lineup spot earlier in the season.<\/p>\n

Despite these constants, things could still certainly shake up for this new-look Braves team, especially if Acu\u00f1a\u2019s at the lead-off spot. Jurickson Profar, who led off in 66 games for the Braves, has batted just about everywhere in the lineup over his 12-year career, so he\u2019ll be able to fill any role Weiss is looking for.<\/p>\n

Things also get interesting in the batting order with the Braves\u2019 latest addition: Mike Yasterembski. The outfielder is a much better defensive outfielder than Jurickson Profar, so Profar may join the rotation at DH after the departure of Braves DH Marcell Ozuna, whose contract has not been picked up by the Braves at this time.<\/p>\n

Weiss has stated that he\u2019s looking to get NL Rookie of the Year catcher Drake Baldwin more involved, which will lead to Baldwin picking up the DH spot when he\u2019s not catching, potentially in a rotation with Murphy and Profar.<\/p>\n

The Braves\u2019 veteran catcher, Sean Murphy, rotated with Baldwin at DH and catcher whenever Ozuna was out of the lineup, though he typically batted lower in the order. Baldwin\u2019s batted everywhere from the second spot to the sixth, while Murphy has batted everywhere from eighth to fourth in the order.<\/p>\n

Simply put, new Braves manager Walt Weiss has his work cut out for him, especially if he\u2019s looking to return Acu\u00f1a to the lead-off spot. He may stick with what Snitker has found to work, or he may shake things up entirely and give the Braves\u2019 batting order an entirely new look in 2026.<\/p>\n

More From Atlanta Braves on SI<\/h3>\n
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The Atlanta Braves have an interest in moving Acu\u00f1a back up in the order, but a new season will mean waiting to see how the full lineup shakes out<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":129877,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n\ud83d\udd25\u26a1EXCLUSIVE INSIDE: How Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr. Dominates the Game and Sets the Stage for the Braves' Entire Starting Lineup \u2013 His explosive style could be the key to Atlanta's success this season. 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