Astros pitcher commended Braves star’s plate discipline

admin | April 19, 2024 | Other Clubs | No Comments

Ronald Acuña Jr. has earned some big time respect around the league. One Astros pitcher claims Acuña Jr. is on another level.

Once at the top level, some of the world’s best athletes quickly recognize elite competition. This is especially true when they play the reigning MVP in just their second career game.

This is exactly what happened between Houston Astros pitcher Spencer Arrighetti and Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. The 24-year-old RHP praised Acuña Jr. following the Braves’ 6-1 win on Monday night.

Arrighetti says Acuña Jr. is the best in the NL for a reason

Arrighetti was particularly impressed by Ronald Acuña Jr.’s plate discipline. You hear a lot about how pitchers don’t get batters to chase as much as they used to in the minors. Ronald, on the other hand, goes above and above the Major League level of patience.

“That guy knows the zone better than anybody,” Arrighetti said of Acuña. “I thought two (of the two-strike pitches) were close, but I went back and watched, and he was right. He’s the best in their league for a reason.” https://t.co/iTS7s8OYrN

— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) April 16, 2024

The most bizarre aspect of the situation is that Ronald’s plate discipline metrics are nowhere near his regular range. He appeared to be closer to MVP form in the Houston series, but Ronald’s early difficulties have skewed his numbers in 2024.

Acuña Jr.’s o-swing percentage reached a career high of 33.2% in 2024. Fangraphs statistics shows that his career average o-swing% is 26.8%. As a result, he is in the 44th percentile for chase% this season. Compare this to previous year, when he was in the 84th percentile. Throughout his Major League career, Acuña Jr. has consistently rated in the 73rd percentile for chase percentage.

Once he returns to those incredible numbers, the rest of the league will be in serious trouble. Ronald Acuña Jr. is the top player in the National League for a reason, as Arrighetti correctly predicted.

We had a glimpse of it in the series opener against the Astros’ rookie RHP, and on Wednesday, the reigning National League MVP hit his first home run of the 2024 season. Hopefully, this is a harbinger of things to come for Ronald Acuña Jr.