CINCINNATI — The Atlanta Braves got Ronald Acuña Jr. back two weeks ago. Now, the vintage version of him has returned, too.Perhaps all Acuña needed was a power surge. After hitting a grand slam over the Green Monster in Boston, Acuña carried his Fenway Park momentum to Great American Ball Park, homering in every game of the Braves’ three-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend. He launched two home runs Saturday night and delivered a pair of leadoff blasts during the series.It doesn’t get more romantic than him kissing his baseball bat after hitting the first long ball of his binge Thursday at Fenway.“The homer is the hit that can help you feel confident,” Acuña said in Spanish on Thursday. “I felt it immediately when it went out.”
GRAND SLAM OVER THE GREEN MONSTER FOR RONALD ACŨNA JR. 💥 pic.twitter.com/3PuU8pNy7N
— MLB (@MLB) May 28, 2026It was his first homer in more than a month, a stretch that included a two-week stint on the injured list with a left hamstring strain. He didn’t need to wait nearly as long for the next one … or the others that arrived.In his first 42 games through Wednesday, Acuña had just two home runs, 12 RBIs and eight stolen bases in 12 attempts. In his next four games, five of his six hits were home runs, he drove in eight runs and he went 4-for-5 in steals.The drought was uncharacteristic. Acuña continued to reach base and impact games with his speed, but his power took a hiatus. Over the past week, it has returned in a hurry. It’s complementing his game again. He’s driving the baseball with authority, turning walks into scoring opportunities with his speed and forcing opposing pitchers to alter their approach from the moment he steps into the batter’s box.“When he gets going, he’s one of those guys that almost makes the game look easy,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “He’s one of the best that there is.”The timing couldn’t be better for Atlanta, as it is still without Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy.In going 4-2 on the road trip, the Braves became the first team in the majors to reach the 40-win mark. Much of their success has been fueled by role players such as Mauricio Dubón, Mike Yastrzemski and Dominic Smith as Atlanta navigated a wave of injuries.But there is a difference between getting production from unexpected sources and having one of baseball’s most dynamic players performing at his peak.Acuña, at his best, can change the complexion of a game with a single swing. He can change it with a stolen base. Sometimes, he can do it simply by walking to the plate.
