PHILADELPHIA — Maybe in another life, Ronald Acuña Jr. was destined to be the biggest heel in professional wrestling, strutting down to the ring to a chorus of boos as his entrance music echoed throughout the ECW Arena, the glorified warehouse not far from Citizens Bank Park that once hosted a grittier, nastier version of WWE.In this life, however, Acuña is still the antagonist in Philadelphia, a city with a reputation for hostile professional wrestling crowds. He doesn’t even need villainous music to draw a pop. Just his name being announced is enough to trigger a reaction.“It’s amazing,” Acuña said on Sunday, after delivering the finishing move in the Braves’ 5-4 triumph over the Phillies. “I love it because every time I go to the field, they talk to me on every (at-bat.) But I love it. I love the fun. They boo me every time, and I enjoy that.”MLB September callups to noteKeith LawDown by three runs in the eighth inning, and after seeing six straight triple-digit pitches from Phillies reliever Alex McFarlane, Acuña slugged a game-tying three-run homer off a 100.5 mph fastball away in the zone. Then the real show began, one that he could savor.Acuña took his time admiring the ball sail 414 feet into the left-field bleachers, trotting around the bases for 32.6 seconds — a glacial pace by baseball standards — before reaching home plate and raising his arms in jubilation.Moments later, Acuña came out of the dugout with a wide smile and gave a curtain call to the Phillies fans who love booing him. For a warm mid-afternoon game in September, Acuña’s swing and antics made the game feel like a chilly October postseason battle, where every crowd will be unforgiving.“I don’t think it matters where you’re playing,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “You have to embrace being in hostile environments. In the postseason, every environment is like that. The great ones have a flair for the dramatic.”Acuña is on his way to becoming one of the best players to wear a Braves uniform, having recently hit his 200th career homer with the franchise that signed and developed him into a superstar. But it’s going to take more than just one loud swing — and everything he’s done up to this point — to get him firmly into that conversation.The next month, and if all goes according to plan, the postseason, will give him more opportunities to cement his Braves legacy.The timing for Acuña’s turnaround couldn’t be better for the Braves, who are trying to fend off the Phillies for the NL East crown. He was hitting .188 after returning from his second stint on the injured list up until Aug. 26, when Weiss gave him an off-day against the Los Angeles Dodgers to reset. Since then, Acuña has looked every bit the player who earned the right to become a villain.In the first of two series against the Phillies over the next week, Acuña is hitting 7-for-12 with six RBIs and two home runs, one of which incited another reaction that would make a wrestling heel proud.During Saturday’s loss, Acuña took Zack Wheeler deep, then punctuated the feat with a demonstrative celebration. Wheeler took notice. After the game, he told reporters that the celebration “doesn’t really bother me all that much.” Then he proceeded to take a not-so-subtle jab at Acuña, noting that the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber handles his business with less theatrics.“Our guy just rounds the bases,” Wheeler said, “and he hits 50 here.”Then Wheeler admitted that he felt a little extra motivation to strike out Acuña later in the game, an admission that lined up with the velocity reading that flashed on the stadium ribbon boards. Once more, Acuña had gotten under an opponent’s skin. It’s the kind of spark that could come in handy as the Braves navigate the homestretch of the season.“We’re going to need him down the stretch,” said Austin Riley, who hit a game-winning triple in the inning after Acuña’s blast. “If we really want to make a run at this thing, we’re going to need him. And so it’s nice seeing what he’s doing here lately.”It won’t stop with the Phillies, as the Braves have the AL-best Tampa Bay Rays in between another series against Philadelphia before playing the Chicago Cubs, who are trying to maintain the top NL Wild Card spot, and the Houston Astros, who are in first place in a tight AL West.The moment the calendar flips to October, the intensity will pick up. Every team wants its story to end with a championship. If the Braves are to be the last team standing, they will need Acuña at his best. And that means a full embrace of being seen as the villain.Though he acknowledges that he enjoys the boos, Acuña stopped short of saying that he enjoys being a heel. Of course, he’s good at it, even if it’s less intentional and more organic than the villains that grace the squared circle.“I wouldn’t say I love it — it’s just something that happens,” Acuña said in Spanish. “When I’m out there with the guys doing my thing, I get fired up; I can’t really control it, but it serves as motivation for me. It’s not the most important thing, though. What matters most is the team.”