The stage is set, the lights are bright, and Truist Park is ready to roar — because in 2025, All-Star Weekend is coming to Atlanta. But for Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr., it’s more than just a celebration of baseball’s biggest names. It’s personal.
Acuña will be one of the headliners in this year’s Home Run Derby, marking his third appearance in the marquee slugfest. Only this time, he’ll be doing it with the crowd on his side and history in his sights.
Acuña Has A Dream Shot at Home
“It means a lot to me,” Acuña told Sports Illustrated through a translator. “Being in the Home Run Derby in my home stadium in Atlanta and in front of the home crowd is an absolute dream come true, and I can only hope to win.” That “hope” could turn into history.
No player in Atlanta Braves franchise history has ever won the Home Run Derby. Not Hank, not Andruw, not Chipper. If Acuña pulls it off under the lights at Truist Park, he wouldn’t just thrill the crowd. He’d etch his name in stone as the first Brave to ever claim the Derby crown.
La Bestia and the Bat That Goes Digital
This year’s Derby comes with a bit of extra flair, too.
Acuña is partnering with Call of Duty Mobile in a new collaboration that has introduced a special in-game cosmetic. The “La Bestia” bat is inspired by Acuña’s own power and swagger. It’s the same bat he’ll use during the Derby, bringing digital style into real-world fireworks.
Acuña Joining Rare Company
If Acuña pulls off the win, he’d join an elite group of sluggers who’ve won the Derby in their home stadiums — a list that includes Ryne Sandberg at Wrigley in 1990, Todd Frazier in Cincinnati in 2015, Bryce Harper in D.C. in 2018, and Adolis García in Arlington just last year.
The storyline writes itself. One of the game’s most electric players, chasing history on his own turf, with a chance to deliver something the Braves — and their fans — have never seen before.
The Kid Who Watched, Now the Star Who Swings
Like countless fans, Acuña grew up glued to the TV on Derby night. His favorite? The 2011 showdown when Robinson Cano won with his dad tossing him pitches — a perfect memory of baseball’s family roots and flair.
Now, Acuña is the one on that stage, the one kids will be watching.
He knows the competition is fierce. “They’re all incredible players,” he said. But this time, the superstar has something the rest of the field doesn’t: a sea of Braves fans in the stands, cheering on “La Bestia” with every swing.
