MLB
Former Purple Sox star Mookie Betts completed second within the voting.
NEW YORK (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. had been ready for this second.
“From the day I obtained to the league immediately I all the time knew I needed to be the MVP,” the Atlanta Braves proper fielder stated by means of a translator. “It’s all the time been a dream of mine and I’m residing the dream come true.”
Acuña was a unanimous winner of his first Nationwide League Most Helpful Participant award on Thursday, taking residence the dignity after changing into the primary huge leaguer with 40 homers and 70 stolen bases in a season.
May he do it once more, and even turn out to be the primary 50-50 participant?
“I’m not making an attempt to foretell something, however so long as I’m wholesome I imagine something is feasible.” he stated.
Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani gained the American League award, changing into the primary two-time unanimous MVP. There have been 21 unanimous winners, and this 12 months marked the primary time two occurred in the identical 12 months.
Acuña obtained all 30 first-place votes and 420 factors in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Affiliation of America.
Mookie Betts obtained all 30 second-place votes and 270 factors, adopted by Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Freddie Freeman with 227 factors. Betts earned the 2018 AL MVP award with Boston, and Freeman was the 2020 NL MVP with Atlanta.
Acuña was second within the NL with a .336 batting common and led the main leagues with 149 runs, 217 hits, 386 whole bases and 73 stolen bases whereas hitting 41 residence runs with 106 RBIs. A four-time All-Star who turns 26 subsequent month, Acuña helped Atlanta to a significant league-best 104 wins earlier than the Braves misplaced to Philadelphia in an NL Division Collection.
He set his profession greatest for RBIs and matched his 2019 excessive for residence runs.
Acuña realized of the award whereas within the clubhouse of La Guaria, his staff in Venezuela’s winter league. Whereas he dropped off a scheduled nationwide name with BBWAA members, he spoke on a Zoom with Atlanta reporters.
He was on a attainable MVP observe in 2021 with 24 homers, 52 RBIs and 17 steals in 82 video games earlier than he tore his proper ACL on July 10 whereas making an attempt a catch on the warning observe, an harm that ended his season.
“It meant so much to me to have the ability to bounce again after I used to be harm,” he stated. “There was some doubt I may do what I used to be in a position to accomplish.”
Betts batted .307 with 39 homers and 107 RBIs, and Freeman hit .331 with 29 homers and 102 RBIs.
Atlanta’s Matt Olson was fourth with 223 factors, and Arizona’s Corbin Carroll, who gained NL Rookie of the Yr, was fifth with 165.
By ending fifth, Carroll earned $5 million. He will get a $2.5 million enhance to $30.5 million for each his 2029 and ’30 salaries and likewise of his 2031 choice, which features a $5 million buyout. His contract, agreed to in March, initially assured $111 million over eight seasons.
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