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Atlanta Braves: Could Ronald Acuna Eventually Get Mike Trout-Like Contract?

By Jake Mastroianni

OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 18: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels stands in the dugout before their game against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on September 18, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 18: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels stands in the dugout before their game against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on September 18, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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TEMPE, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 28: Mike  Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels lines out in the spring training game against the Texas Rangers at Tempe Diablo Stadium on February 28, 2019 in Tempe, Arizona. Atlanta Braves (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
TEMPE, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 28: Mike  Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels lines out in the spring training game against the Texas Rangers at Tempe Diablo Stadium on February 28, 2019 in Tempe, Arizona. Atlanta Braves (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

After Mike Trout got his record-setting deal on Tuesday, many Atlanta Braves fans started speculating about a similar deal for their young stud.

It was reported on Tuesday that the Anaheim Angels and Mike Trout are nearing a 12-year, $426.5 million deal. And my first thought was, could the Atlanta Braves do this with Ronald Acuna someday?

Now let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves here. Acuna has had 433 at-bats at the Major League level, no one is comparing him to Mike Trout … yet.

But many in the national media do believe he is the next young superstar in our game.

And with the way things are in free agency right now, it appears to be more beneficial for teams to lock their young superstars up early before they hit free agency.

But let’s look at Mike Trout’s career real quick and see just what it took for him to earn such a large extension.

In 2011 he got a cup-of-coffee and really didn’t impress, hitting just .220 in 123 at-bats.

But in seven years since then he’s been to the All-Star game every time, won two AL MVP awards, and finished in the top four of the AL MVP voting in each of those seasons.

In five of the past seven seasons Trout has hit 30-plus home runs, hit over .300, and stolen 20-plus bases.

Those are obviously some incredible numbers and accolades, and I don’t think anyone is expecting Acuna to match them.

Trout is quite possibly the best player to ever play this game.

But I think Acuna could come get pretty close to matching some of the production Trout has enjoyed the past seven seasons.

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