Ronald Acuña Jr. on his career: ‘It’s no secret I want to be a Brave for life’

NORTH PORT, Fla. — The reigning National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. reported to Atlanta Braves spring training early in North Port.

Channel 2′s Alison Mastrangelo reported live from CoolToday Park for Channel 2 Action News at 5:00 p.m. after the Braves workouts on Friday.

Acuña was out on the field immediately with his teammates going through warmups. He was even the first one in the group to take some swings during batting practice.

During his media availability, Acuña was asked if he would like to spend his whole career with Atlanta.

“It’s not a secret that I want to be a Brave for life,” Acuña responded. “I hope I can stay here forever and hopefully we can make that happen soon.”

Acuña is currently under contract through 2026 after the Braves signed him to an 8-year, $100 million extension back in 2019. The deal included two club options for 2027 and 2028.

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It’s been a busy off-season for Acuña. He won the NL MVP in November and played winter ball for his home country in Venezuela. He said his time back home allowed him to continue to develop and mature as a player.

Acuña is coming off a record-setting season hitting 41 home runs and stealing 73 bases. It’s something that had never been done before in baseball.

Since he’s coming off a 40-70 season, could we expect maybe a 50-50 or even a 60-60 season?

Acuña said anything is possible as long as he stays healthy.

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