This article is a part of Verducci’s View, a new weekly baseball newsletter from Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci. Every Monday, Tom empties out his notebook over email and covers MLB’s hottest topics, provides in-depth analysis through both text and video breakdowns, looks forward to what’s worth watching during the week and more.
Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Braves may be hitting .259 with career lows in exit velocity and hard-hit rate, but don’t be fooled by the overall stats. If the star outfielder can fight through a left shin contusion he suffered Tuesday night on a foul ball at the plate—he’s currently considered day-to-day—he’ll be a force to be reckoned with in October. Ever since mid-August when Acuña began to knock off the rust from two IL stints, he’s been a dangerous, dynamic hitter.
