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The Braves are well aware of the immensely valuable commodity they have in Ronald Acuña, Jr., and others have taken notice. Following a monster rookie year that culminated with a Rookie of the Year Award, a playoff berth, and one of the biggest hits in Braves history, publications have already anointed Acuña as one of the faces of baseball. On Thursday, The Athletic ranked Acuña first in its annual Trade Value piece, just ahead of others such as Juan Soto, Alex Bregman, and Francisco Lindor.
MLB Trade Value Part 3 is live! We unveil our Top 25, plus a note about Mike Trout, and baseball's exceptionally weird salary system. https://t.co/WdHema2x8A @TheAthletic @TheAthleticMLB
— Jonah Keri (@jonahkeri) March 21, 2019
The Braves also placed Freddie Freeman 21st and Ozzie Albies 31st, with Mike Foltynewicz and Josh Donaldson placed among the honorable mentions. With contracts, age, and projectability figuring so heavily into the equation, it is heartening to see the Braves so well-represented near the top. Acuña projects to be a star, and having a solid supporting cast, with more ammunition following closely in the pipeline, the Braves appear to constructed for sustained success.