Jurickson Profar makes eye-catching statement about Ronald Acuña Jr.

The Braves didn’t make a lot of moves this offseason, with the only notable one being Jurickson Profar. However, in Atlanta’s mind, the additions of Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. back from injury trump any acquisition.

Strider was the Cy Young favorite going into the 2024 season, and the expectation is that he’ll miss minimal time as he returns from internal brace surgery. At his best, the Braves ace is among the best arms in baseball.

Ronald Acuña Jr. should be regarded just as highly, if not higher. When we last saw a fully healthy Acuña across an entire season, the Venezuelan superstar put together a historic campaign en route to unanimous MVP honors.

During that season, Ronald Acuña led the NL in runs (149), hits (217), stolen bases (73), on-base percentage (.416) and OPS (1.012). He ranked second in slugging percentage (.596) and batting average (.337). His 41 home runs and 106 RBIs ranked among the top six in the league too.

But the combination of speed and power is what that season will be remembered for — becoming the first player to hit 40-plus homers and tally 70-plus steals in a season. Previously, nobody had eclipsed more than 46 steals during a 40-homer season. That was the first time anybody had more than 52 steals during a 30-homer season.

When healthy, there might not be a more electric player in the sport. A healthy Ronald Acuña Jr. is otherworldly, and his new teammate knows that. Profar has played with and against the best players on the planet. He’s played with the richest man in baseball in Juan Soto, and Profar believes Acuña is on a different level.