Braves' 'Icon' Ronald Acuña Returning to Familiar Spot in 2026

NORTH PORT – The uber-talented Ronald Acuña Jr. is inevitable, and the face of the Atlanta Braves took center stage again in his first spring training appearance. The star went right back to work in North Port, launching a baseball off the left wall at 112.4 miles per hour.

Acuña will occupy that lead-off spot for the Braves again in 2026, confirmed new manager Walt Weiss on Sunday afternoon.

Acuña's bid for the longest single of the spring pic.twitter.com/ZEUarDEfqY
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) February 22, 2026

“The lead-off spot has become part of his identity,” Weiss said. ‘He’s been really, really good at it, and I just happen to like him there, too.”

His last full year with the Braves (2023) delivered a 1.012 OPS, MLB’s first-ever 40-70 season, and Acuña’s first MVP. As the first man up to the plate every game, his bat was the catalyst for one of the best offensive teams in baseball’s history.

Acuña’s 2024 season was cut short by a second knee injury that cut into his 2025. He has appeared in just 144 games since 2023, but the production has remained solid when he is healthy (.275/.394/.462 with 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases) – it is just not what the former MVP is capable of when he is 100%.

The organization hopes for a similar impact from their starting right fielder, a glimpse he provided during his first at-bat of the spring. One person who would know the impact of facing a player like that to start a game is Chris Sale.

“I mean, you're talking about arguably one of the best hitters in the league, right out of the gate, and you know he's ready to swing,” the Braves ace said about Acuña on Sunday. “He's not going up there trying to see anything. He's trying to do some damage. So, it's a lot of fun starting the game up with him.”

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676 of Acuña’s 817 games played have come from the leadoff spot, and it has generated outstanding results. To someone like Sale, seeing him be the first man out of the dugout to start a game is just as much a disservice to the pitcher as it is a benefit to Braves fans.

“Obviously, our fans love him. He's a Braves icon, right? And, I think just the energy he brings, like even today, you see him walk up to the plate, and these people are losing their minds. Then it's 112 [miles per hour] off the bat. [As a pitcher] you’d better be prepared.”

Now, fully healthy and back in the lead-off spot, Ronald Acuña Jr. is ready to return to icon status and bring the Braves’ offense along with him.