Ronald Acuña Jr. didn’t just knock the rust off — he blew the roof off in his first weekend back from a year-long ACL recovery. We’re talking about a guy who hadn’t seen a live pitch with the Braves since May 26, 2024 — and then walked up Friday night and crushed the first one he saw. That ball might still be orbiting.
Come Saturday, and the same story—another bomb. Two home runs in two days, and suddenly, just like that, the Braves have their MVP back. The fans are fired up, Acuña’s return igniting their passion again. The lineup looks lethal again. But while Acuña’s fireworks grabbed the headlines, there is a much quieter — and colder — storyline unfolding right next to him.
A Fast Start That Fizzled Out
Alex Verdugo came to Atlanta this spring with one thing in mind: redemption. After slipping out of favor with the Yankees and watching his market go ice-cold, the 29-year-old outfielder signed a last-minute, one-year, $1.5 million deal. It was low-risk for the Braves and high-stakes for Verdugo — a “prove-it” pact if there ever was one.
Early on, he showed flashes. Verdugo lit things up in April with a strong .850 OPS, reminding folks that he still had something left in the tank. The swing was crisp, the energy was solid, and he looked like a guy trying to claw his way back into long-term MLB relevance.
But May changed everything. The numbers fell off a cliff. Zero home runs. A weak .526 OPS. Suddenly, that springtime spark looked like a short-lived flicker. With Acuña’s triumphant return, the pressure on Verdugo has turned white-hot.
Nowhere to Hide in a Crowded Braves Outfield
With Acuña back in full MVP mode — two home runs in his first nine at-bats — the Braves’ outfield is now crowded, and Verdugo’s production isn’t making a strong case for staying with his spot in serious jeopardy.
His return strengthens Atlanta’s outfield but creates a crowded roster situation for the coach to try and deal with. Fans are even calling for Verdugo to be “eliminated from consideration.” That’s harsh language, but the math backs it up: Verdugo has fewer home runs in 29 games with the Braves than Acuña hit in two days.
And don’t forget — this isn’t new. Verdugo’s up-and-down patterns are what got him bounced from New York. While he did display glimpses of his ability during the month of April, May has revealed the same inconsistencies that haunted his New York tenure.
Hanging On By a Thread
You’d think Verdugo was next in line to be let go. But plot twist: when the Braves activated Acuña, they designated Orlando Arcia instead. Arcia, the 2023 All-Star shortstop, had been putting up miserable numbers of his own — a .194 average and a .445 OPS in limited action. But for Verdugo, that was just a temporary stay of execution.
He’s not safe. Not even close. He’s hitting like a man on the brink, and the noise around his future is only getting louder. He is a guy who went from a $9.2 million salary with the Yankees to the fringes of a contending Braves roster in less than a year.
With Acuña stealing the spotlight and reshuffling the lineup, Verdugo’s margin for error has all but vanished. His second chance is on life support — and the MVP just returned to take center field.
