If we assume that the National League MVP is being voted for at this point, Ronald Acuna Jr. (26‧ Atlanta) is definitely a player worth getting into three fingers. He is so great in his performance. It is fortunate that he overcame the aftermath of his injury.
Acuña Junior is making an outstanding performance with a batting average of 0.355, 6 homers, 19 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 1.039 in 31 games this year until the 4th (Korean time). Acuña Jr., who had been working on rehabilitation for a long time due to a fatal knee injury in 2021, raised concerns with a batting average of 0.266 and an OPS of 0.764 in 119 games last year. It was an unsettling view that his knee injury might have robbed this dynamic player of his athletic ability.
However, he was still young, and Acuna Jr. is proving that he is alive this year, not only hitting well but also leading the league in stolen bases. Atlanta, which had signed Acuna Junior early with an eight-year, $100 million contract,크크크벳 is also breathing a sigh of relief.
However, there is a ‘catcher’ who strikes out Acuna Junior. In the game between Miami and Atlanta on the 4th, the knife retrieval of Miami veteran catcher Jacob Starlings (34) was a hot topic.
In the game, Atlanta took the lead by concentrating firepower from the beginning of the game. Atlanta scored 7 points in the 2nd inning, then added 1 point in the 3rd inning and 5 points in the 5th inning, virtually putting a wedge in the game. The result of the game also ended 14-8. Miami also raised the white flag. In the ninth inning, the fielder, Starlings, was put on the mound to serve fans and prepare for the next game.
But Starlings was a good catcher. The Starlings got a hit by the leading pillar. However, he gained strength by cooking Hilliard with a double stroke.
Then, he struck out Acuna Jr. with a looking strikeout in 4 pitches, receiving great applause from Miami fans. He put a slow 46.3 mph ball into the strike zone. Acuña Junior laughed as if he hadn’t expected it. In 1B-1S, he threw a 78.1 mph fastball. Acuna Junior had no intention of just passing by. He turned the bat vigorously, but it was a foul.
Then, Starlings threw an 85-mph fastball low on the fourth pitch and struck out Acuna Jr. The ball entered the batter’s lap, and when the speed suddenly rose, Acuña Junior just looked at the ball as if he hadn’t expected it. Starlings went down the mound with a smile, and Acuña Jr. had to prepare for defense with an expression of ‘I got hit’.
Starlings is a catcher who made his major league debut in Pittsburgh in 2016 and has played in 379 games so far this year. By the way, he is also quite talented as a pitcher. As a member of Pittsburgh, he appeared in one game in 2019 and blocked one inning without a run, and this year also came out as a pitcher in two games and endured with one run in two innings. There are quite a few fielders on the mound, but few can get an 85-mph fastball to the low end like Starlings. Miami fans who saw this scene on social media welcomed him, saying, “It’s okay to have a pitcher.”