Though it should come as no surprise, the Braves are benefitting from the fact that they have Ronald Acuna Jr. at the top of their order. No, he is not on some unconscious stretch right now or single-handedly winning games left and right. However, he is showing why his mere presence at the top of the Atlanta order makes this lineup so much more consistent and productive, even against top competition.
Consider Acuna’s body of work over his six-game hitting streak:
8 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, 4 extra-base hits, 3 RBIs, 2 Stolen Bases
For an offense that has seen Matt Olson, Marcell Ozuna, and Ozzie Albies struggle mightily over the past few weeks, Acuna Jr.