Braves star Ronald Acuna was impressive in his Home Run Derby debut, but fell one home run short from advancing to the finals during Monday’s event in Cleveland.

The 21-year-old Acuna faced Pirates first baseman Josh Bell in the first round and hit 25 homers, including a 464-footer, to defeat Bell and advance to the semifinals.

Acuna faced Mets rookie Pete Alonso in the semis and pounded 19 homers, only to have Alonso hit his 20th in the final seconds to advance to the finals.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Atlanta Braves pitcher Raisel Iglesias (26) pitches in the final inning of an MLB game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (Daniel Varnado/for the AJC)

Credit: Daniel Varnado/For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Featured

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — pictured at an August rally in Peachtree City that also featured Vice President JD Vance — appears to have scored another legal victory over gubernatorial rival Attorney General Chris Carr in their battle over campaign finance issues. (Arvin Temkar/AJC 2025)

Credit: Arvin Temkar / AJC