Braves Today

Who Did it Better: Ronald Acuña Jr. or Shohei Ohtani

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and LA Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani are likely back-to-back MVP winners with historical seasons. But who did it better?

CJ Errickson

Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. and Los Angeles Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani have made history the last two seasons.
Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. and Los Angeles Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani have made history the last two seasons. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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While the Atlanta Braves are set to kick off a season-deciding three-game series at home against the New York Mets on Tuesday, the team was off on Monday.

Last week, Major League Baseball witnessed Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani started a club of his own as he became the first player in baseball history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 stolen bases. While impressive, for Brave fans, it is impossible to forget what outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. achieved just last season. 

The reigning National League Most Valuable Player in 2023, Ronald Acuña Jr., may be on the sidelines this season due to a season-ending injury. Still, his 40/70 season was one for the ages for a multitude of reasons. While comparison is the thief of joy, it begs the question of whether Acuña or Ohtani had the more impressive feat.

 Let’s break this down. 

Ohtani is a designated hitter with no responsibilities other than batting in 2024. While no one can take away what he has done with his bat, there are some questions about the total picture of what he achieved compared to the Braves’ outfielder. 

In 2023, Acuña played 159 of 162 games in the regular season. He played all of those in the outfield while batting and stealing bases. The season is significantly more demanding in the outfield than being a DH. There is no counterargument to that. 

Additionally, Acuña's AVG was .337 versus Ohtani’s .294, and the hit difference is also noticeable for the time being. Acuña had 2017 hits in 2023, Ohtani has 184 with six games to play in the season. Ohtani took a huge lead in the RBI department (123-106), especially after he put up 10 on the hapless Marlins last week.

New-school analytics say strikeouts don't matter, but stat head don't lift their eyes from a spreadsheet long enough to see a runner stranded on 3rd with one out.

One of the more impressive stats of Acuña's MVP season was his 84/80 strikeout to walk ratio. Ohtani has fanned 160 times while walking 78.

When comparing historical, elite seasons, there's really no right answer, but if Shohei had to endure the same day-to-day physical rigors as Acuña Jr. did in 2023, the 50/50 club has a good chance of not existing. 

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CJ Errickson
CJ ERRICKSON