The Atlanta Braves have been the Philadelphia Phillies' arch-rivals for a long time, with superstar nemesis Ronald Acuña Jr. leading the way in wreaking havoc on the good guys. After all, Acuña is a four-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger, NL Rookie of the Year in 2018, as well as the NL Most Valuable Player in 2023, so he seems to be practically unstoppable.
Throughout the years, the Phillies have been trying to find ways to get on an even playing ground against him and the Braves. They managed to squeeze out some success against them in the NLDS last season, but now they may have finally found a long-term, legitimate, viable solution.
Phillies have a verbal agreement with Kenny Acuña
It appears the Phillies have reached a verbal agreement to sign Ronald Acuña Jr.’s younger brother Kenny Acuña, per Héctor Gómez. The younger Acuña is currently only 12 years old and, as a result, won’t be eligible to officially sign until 2028. The Phillies somehow worked hard to lock him down as early as possible, perhaps seeing his potential future as bright or maybe even better than his big brother.
Stashing away unproven yet potential talent is a can’t-lose approach for the Phillies, as it’s better to be safe than sorry. If the younger Acuña develops into a player who is at least half as good as his older brother, that would mean the Phillies already have a quality future ballplayer on their hands. But if Kenny turns out to be just as good or even better, this current low-risk, high-reward move would instantly become a jackpot for the Phillies’ organization.
There might be three Acuñas playing in the NL East one day
Kenny isn’t the first brother of Ronald's to excite MLB scouts and front offices. The Texas Rangers signed shortstop prospect Luisangel Acuña before trading him to the New York Mets in the Max Scherzer Trade Deadline deal last season. Luisangel is still just 21 years old but is already turning heads as the No. 66 top prospect heading into 2024.
It certainly would be exciting to perhaps one day see the Acuña brothers facing off against each other. There’s a chance we could see all three Acuña boys playing in the NL East in the future. And who knows, if their bond is strong, perhaps the Phillies may even be able to reel in Ronald to join forces with Kenny on the same team as a dynamic brothers duo in the future.