Ronald Acuna Jr. Has Decreased His Whiffs
4 years agoAtlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. is hitting .327/.424/.702 this year and is leading or tied for the major league lead in runs and home runs. The 23-year-old is striking out less as the rest of the league strikes out more. He has the third-largest drop in strikeout rate, from 30 percent last year to 13 percent in 2021. Acuna has done that by posting the fourth-lowest chase rate in baseball, especially laying off offspeed pitches outside the strike zone. As a result, pitchers aren't throwing Acuna as many breaking pitches. The superstar has essentially forced pitchers to give him more fastballs, which he has been feasting on. One of the best hitters in the game is improving, which is scary to think about. It's why he was the consensus No. 1 overall pick in fantasy this year.
Source: MLB.com - Mike Petriello
Source: MLB.com - Mike Petriello