Braves Outfielder Named a 'Player to Watch' For 2024 Batting Title, But Not The Favorite
MLB.com recently released an article profiling ten players who they believe have a shot at winning the batting title in 2024. Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. was indeed one of the players named, but not the favorite.
Acuna won a bevy of awards last year, including NL MVP, but he failed to win the 2023 batting title. That award went to another player in the NL East, Luis Arraez of the Miami Marlins. Arraez finished last season with a .354 batting average with 30 doubles, 10 homers, and 69 RBI. He became the second player in the Modern Era to capture a batting title in both leagues, joining D.J. LeMahieu, and he was the first to do it in back-to-back seasons.
Acuna finished second in the race last year and here is what MLB.com had to say about his chances this year.
With all the attention surrounding Acuña’s pursuit of the first 40-70 season in MLB history, it’s easy to forget that he also posted a .337 batting average, ranking second behind Arraez in that category. The superstar outfielder has always hit the ball hard, but last year he also made strides to cut his strikeout rate to 11.4%, down from 25.3% from 2018-22. Combining elite contact quality with one of the game’s lowest K rates, Acuña finished with an MLB-leading .357 expected batting average, which suggests he was actually a bit unlucky in reality and might have room to improve in 2024. - Thomas Harrigan
The other favorite to win the batting title in the National League is former Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman. Hopefully, Acuna can win the trophy this year.
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