RADIO
Ronald Acuna Jr. 2021 Outlook: Simply The Best Player Available
4 years agoIt doesn't get much better than Ronald Acuna Jr. in fantasy baseball. He had a slash line of .250/.406/.581 with 14 HR and eight steals over 202 PAs in 2020, making a positive contribution in every standard category. His contact quality metrics were excellent, combining 99.5 mph average airborne exit velocity with a 16% rate of Brls/BBE, both of which represented increases over 2019 (95.6 and 15%, respectively). As such, Acuna should be able to come close to repeating his 32.6% HR/FB. He was also caught stealing just one time, ensuring that the contending Braves keep asking him to run. Acuna's K% spiked to 29.7 last season, largely the result of a more patient approach at the plate (40.5 Swing% vs. 45.3% in 2019) rather than contact issues (11.6 SwStr% vs. 11.5 in 2019). The approach might hinder Acuna's batting average slightly, but the corresponding contact quality and BB% increase (18.8% vs. 10.6% in 2019) improves his overall profile. Acuna hits leadoff for the Braves, limiting the RBI opportunities available to him. Still, the 23-year-old is worth his first overall pick ADP because his five-category production is simply the best available on draft day.
