Watch: Rangers Prospect Luisangel Acuña Homers in Hickory

Top 10 Rangers prospect hits his first home run of the season as Hickory beats Greensboro

Infielder Luisangel Acuña had a big start during the Hickory Crawdads’ contest against the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Wednesday evening.

Acuña, the Rangers’ No. 10 prospect on MLB.com, launched a home run and had four RBI in the first two innings of the game.

One of those home runs was captured by Hickory’s Twitter account.

Acuña goes 💣 pic.twitter.com/Rvc5mVCUNF

— Hickory Crawdads (@HickoryCrawdads) May 12, 2022

Matthew Edwards / Down East Wood Ducks

Matthew Edwards / Down East Wood Ducks

Matthew Edwards / Down East Wood Ducks

The Crawdads won the game, 8-3, and Acuña’s three-run home run was the fuel that pushed them to that victory. The Crawdads also turned five double plays in the game. It was his first home run of the season.

Acuña, the brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr., is playing his third minor-league season for the organization after breaking in during the 2019 season. Last season, with Down East in Low Class A, he hit .266 with 12 home runs and 74 RBI before getting his promotion to Hickory this season.

With Down East last season he ranked third in the Low-A East in runs (77), hits (110) and steals (44).

Acuña has played just five games this season after suffering a hamstring strain in April, and he’s hitting .294 with a home run and five RBI.

The 20-year-old can play both second base and shortstop and is targeted for a 2024 call-up by MLB.com. When the Rangers signed him out of Venezuela, he commanded a near-$500,000 signing bonus. He also earned the organization’s defensive player of the year award in 2021.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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