Longtime enemies of the Philadelphia Phillies, the Atlanta Braves are led by superstar adversary Ronald Acuña Jr. in their destructive ways against the good people. Acuña appears to be virtually unstoppable—he is a four-time All-Star, a three-time Silver Slugger, the 2018 NL Rookie of the Year, and the 2023 NL Most Valuable Player.
The Phillies have been looking for ways to level the playing field with him and the Braves throughout the years. They may have at least discovered a long-term, respectable, workable answer, but they were still able to pull off some success against them in the NLDS last season.
Kenny Acuña and the Phillies have a verbal agreement.
Héctor Gómez reports that the Phillies seem to have verbally agreed to sign Kenny Acuña, the younger brother of Ronald Acuña Jr. Since the younger Acuña is only 12 years old right now, he won’t be able to sign a contract until 2028. Somehow, the Phillies made a concerted effort to shut him down as soon as possible, maybe sensing that he had a brighter future than his older brother.
Stashing away unproven yet potential talent is a can’t-lose approach for the Phillies, as it’s better to be safe than sorry. If the younger Acuña develops into a player who is at least half as good as his older brother, that would mean the Phillies already have a quality future ballplayer on their hands. But if Kenny turns out to be just as good or even better, this current low-risk, high-reward move would instantly become a jackpot for the Phillies’ organization.
There might be three Acuñas playing in the NL East one day
Kenny isn’t the first brother of Ronald’s to excite MLB scouts and front offices. The Texas Rangers signed shortstop prospect Luisangel Acuña before trading him to the New York Mets in the Max Scherzer Trade Deadline deal last season. Luisangel is still just 21 years old but is already turning heads as the No. 66 top prospect heading into 2024.
It certainly would be exciting to perhaps one day see the Acuña brothers facing off against each other. There’s a chance we could see all three Acuña boys playing in the NL East in the future. And who knows, if their bond is strong, perhaps the Phillies may even be able to reel in Ronald to join forces with Kenny on the same team as a dynamic brothers duo in the future.
