Ronald Acuna Jr. voted 2023 Player of the Year by MLB peers, Braves fans hail star's dominance: "Beyond well deserved"
Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. was voted Player of the Year as well as the National League's Most Outstanding Player. Fellow big leaguers voted on the awards.
The outfielder is coming off one of the most impressive seasons fans have seen in quite some time. He led the National League in plate appearances, at-bats, runs scored, hits, stolen bases, OBP, OPS, OPS+, and total bases.
Acuna Jr. finished the regular season with 41 home runs, which tied his career-best from the 2019 season. He was crucial to the Braves' dominance during the regular season.
Atlanta finished the year with a 104-58 record, the best in the league. However, they were bested by the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series.
"So beyond well deserved" one fan posted.
"Give him all the awards" another fan posted.
Atlanta Braves fans do not believe there is anyone more deserving to win these awards. Few players meant as much to their teams as Ronald Acuna Jr. did.
On the American League side, Shohei Ohtani won the AL Most Outstanding Player Award. The league could not have picked better representatives from each league.
Ronald Acuna Jr. and the Atlanta Braves will be looking for payback next season
Many around the league believed Ronald Acuna Jr. and the Atlanta Braves would steamroll past the postseason. They were clearly the best team in the league, but they became ice-cold in the playoffs.
It is tough being the best team in the league during the regular season while being bounced in the NLDS. This will be a feeling they carry with them through the offseason and into the next season.
Much of the team's core will be back next year and are already next season's favorites to win the World Series. However, they could be without some key contributors.
Charlie Morton, Eddie Rosario, and Kirby Yates have options heading into the offseason. A.J. Minter, Max Fried, Michael Soroka, and Kyle Wright, among others, are arbitration-eligible.
If Morton does not return next season, Atlanta will likely look at the market. While they probably will not go after Blake Snell or Japanese sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto, they could look at acquiring Jack Flaherty or Michael Wacha.
Atlanta will be an interesting team to track in the offseason. While they have a great core returning, the front office has some money to play with.