Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. feels ‘better and better’ as he plays more games this season

LOS ANGELES – Regardless of how well or poorly he is hitting, Ronald Acuña is able to remain confident. This is a quality that defines him.

“My mentality is always like that,” Acuña said, in English, before Sunday’s game against the Dodgers. “My confidence is never gone.”

This is one reason Acuña will always be a terrific game or two away from going on a tear. Not only is he one of baseball’s most naturally talented players, but his unwavering confidence gives him a boost.

Entering Sunday, Acuña was batting .274 with a .750 OPS – good for the average major leaguer, but not up to the reigning National League MVP’s standards. The encouraging part: Acuña had two hits, including a clutch game-tying homer, on Friday and then went 3-for-4 with a double on Saturday.

“I’ve been better now,” Acuña said. “When I play more games, I feel better and better.”

The Braves on Sunday were swept with a 5-1 loss at Dodger Stadium. Acuña went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.

Acuña cited a shortened spring training – due to irritation in the meniscus of his right knee – as one reason for his slow start. Acuña has always been someone who thrives when playing every day.

In spring training, Acuña played in only 11 big-league spring games. He took 22 at-bats in those contests. He got at-bats in other ways as he built up after injuring his knee, but that’s not the same as playing in actual games.

“More confident, more comfortable,” Acuña said of how he feels when he’s playing regularly. “I feel better, and I’m just trying to make good contact.”

Asked on Friday if Acuña might’ve been a bit behind because of the time he missed in spring, Braves manager Brian Snitker said: “I don’t think so. He had a lot (of at-bats) before we started.”

One particular trend with Acuña thus far: He’s not hitting four-seam fastballs as well as usual. He’s batting .194 versus that pitch. But on Friday, Acuña got to a fastball at the top of the zone and hit it out to left-center field for a game-tying solo shot.

“I missed a lot of fastballs at the start of the season because I didn’t have a lot of ABs in spring training – because of my knee, what happened in spring training – but I feel better now,” Acuña said.

Charlie Morton, who started Friday’s game, provided nice perspective.

“I think his timing’s just a little off,” Morton said of Acuña. “Because when a guy like that is swinging through balls that he usually hits – not only hits, but hits hard – it’s more of just a timing thing. For me, it’s like, guys are gonna go through ups and downs, guys are gonna go through periods where they’re doing that. Guys are gonna get hot, guys are gonna get cold. Everybody’s human.”

And after Sunday’s game, Snitker said: “He’s set a bar so high – anything he does other than extraordinary, everybody’s gonna be asking me why. He works hard just like all the rest of them. He’s contributing, he’s scoring a bunch of runs, he’s playing great defense, and the offensive thing will come.”

Acuña’s average exit velocity is still above average. But his strikeout rate, in this small sample early in the year, is much higher. (He entered Sunday with a strikeout rate of 26.9% after cutting it to 11.4% last season.)

When asked about Acuña before Friday’s series opener, Snitker said the outfielder is “adding a lot to what we’re doing. He’s scoring a lot of runs, making plays.”

And then Snitker provided three simple words that served as his largest vote of confidence.

“He’ll be fine,” Snitker said.