Ronald Acuna Jr.'s brother Luisangel wears Braves superstar's No. 13 batting guard during NLDS showdown
Luisangel Acuna, the brother of Atlanta Braves superstar oufielder Ronald Acuna Jr., had his first taste of postseason action on Saturday in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The younger Acuna paid homage to his elder brother by wearing a batting guard with the No. 13 when he stepped up to the plate as a pinch hitter for the New York Mets.
MLB shared an image of Luisangel Acuna wearing a batting guard belonging to his brother on his postseason debut.
The younger Acuna earned his major league debut as a September call-up for the Mets last month.
The 22-year-old middle infielder started the year in the minors with Triple-A Syracuse. Acuna made an impressive start for the Mets after batting .308/.325/.641 in under 40 at-bats during the regular season, including three home runs, six RBIs and an OPS+ of 168.
He was handed a spot on the Mets postseason roster as the backup shortstop for Francisco Lindor. However, he didn't see any action during the Wild Card Series victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Acuna eventually made his postseason debut as a pinch hitter in the top of the ninth inning, with the Mets carrying a four-run lead on the road against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
Luisangel Acuna the latest in a family of ex-MLB players
As the younger brother of the reigning NL MVP, there was a great deal of action when Luisangel Acuna came to the plate. The Mets rookie couldn't produce anything special, though, as he struck out against Phillies reliever Tanner Banks.
The older of the two brothers, Ronald Acuna Jr., won the NL Rookie of the Year as a 20-year-old with the Atlanta Braves in 2018. Last season, he became the fifth player in MLB history to join the 40-40 club.
Acuna ended the campaign with 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases, en route to winning the MVP award unanimously. He suffered a premature end to 2024 after going down with a knee injury in May.
Meanwhile, Luisangel Acuna is the latest addition from a Dominican family with several former MLB players. He's the nephew of Jose Escobar, whose son Edwin Escobar played a couple of seasons in the big leagues.
The Acuna brothers are also cousins of Alcides Escobar and Kelvim Escobar, both of whom played for more than 10 years in the MLB.