It’s already been a terrific day for Ronald Acuna Jr. The outfielder was voted as a National League All-Star Game starter, earning his fifth career trip to the Midsummer Classic. Now, Atlanta’s face of the franchise will attempt to deliver a win for his squad against the Angels. Ahead of tonight’s series finale, what should we expect from Acuna Jr.?
Tonight, the Braves are favorites (-158) over the Angels, with the over/under set at nine runs. Before the start of Thursday’s matchup, here’s my favorite Ronald Acuna Jr. player prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Ronald Acuna Jr. 2+ total bases (+115)
After missing nearly two months while recovering from a torn ACL, Ronald Acuna Jr. has come out hot. Through 36 games, the superstar is slashing .346/.465/.598 with nine home runs and 18 RBIs. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been enough to elevate an underperforming Braves squad. This season, Atlanta is averaging just 4.08 runs per game, the seventh-lowest mark in baseball.
In theory, Thursday’s contest should present an opportunity for the Braves to do some damage on offense. The Angels have allowed the seventh-most runs per game to opponents this season (4.89). However, Jose Soriano, one of LA’s best starters, is due to take the mound in this one. Through 97.0 innings of work, the right-hander owns a 3.99 ERA and 84 strikeouts. Granted, the 26-year-old is the definition of boom or bust. In June, Soriano tossed a combined 13.2 innings with one total run against the Yankees and Astros. The hurler followed that up with eight earned runs during his last outing against the Nationals.
Soriano doesn’t allow many long balls, posting a league-best 0.4 HR/9 ratio. However, his 1.47 WHIP and 9.1 hits per nine innings leave much to be desired. Acuna Jr. has looked off at the plate recently, hitting .229 over his last ten appearances. Still, it’s only a matter of time until the All-Star gets back on track.
As previously mentioned, Soriano tends to limit the damage. However, the righty’s knack for putting runners on should give Atlanta’s hitters plenty of opportunity. Whether it comes via double or two base hits, Acuna Jr. is more than capable of delivering two bags. At plus money, expect another impact performance from Ronnie during tonight’s matchup.
