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Atlanta Braves: Best hitting seasons of the decade

By James Kunkle

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 03: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves hits a fifth inning double against the St. Louis Cardinals in game one of the National League Division Series at SunTrust Park on October 03, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 03: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves hits a fifth inning double against the St. Louis Cardinals in game one of the National League Division Series at SunTrust Park on October 03, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 22: Freddie Freeman (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 22: Freddie Freeman (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /

#4 Freddie Freeman in 2013

I’m sure you knew we were going to have to follow Chipper Jones with Freddie Freeman. Naturally, Freddie Freeman had one of his best seasons as soon as Chipper Jones retired and the proverbial torch was handed over to Freddie Freeman.

You have to look past the 23 home runs he had and be more impressed with his 109 RBI, and most importantly, his .319 batting average.

Reaffirming what we already knew, Freddie’s OPS in 2013 was .897.

Bottom line is, 2013 was one of the better seasons from the always productive Freddie Freeman who has become the face of the franchise since Chipper Jones retired.

#3 Ronald Acuna in 2019

No doubt that when we do this kind of article in 10 years time, I think we will all expect to see the name Ronald Acuna at least two times. If his recently completed 2019 was any example, we are in for a decade of dominance.

First things first, he was a workhorse who played virtually every game until he got a little banged up at the tail end of the season. That injury also prevented Acuna from possibly reaching the 40-40 club.

I’m sure it will not be his last opportunity to chase that, however.

Forty-one home runs and 101 RBI. Making that more impressive is the fact that he hit lead-off basically from the middle of May on. He garnered some MVP consideration, and rightfully so after a year in which his WAR was 5.5.

Again, the freshly turned 22-year-old phenom should be on this list multiple times as long as everything works out for both him and the Atlanta Braves over the course of his contract.

Luckily for the Braves and their fans, he is with us for a long time.

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