Ronald Acuna Jr. is going to let his play do the talking, but not before setting a lofty goal.
"I want to be like Mike Trout," Acuna told ESPN's Eddie Matz. "I want to be at that level. I want to be great. I want to get to the big leagues, stay in the big leagues, and play for a lot of years. Everything that comes with it. Be an All-Star, win championships, all that."
Acuna, baseball's most heralded and recognized prospect, is expected to make his major-league debut Wednesday when the Atlanta Braves play the Cincinnati Reds. In doing so, the talented 20-year-old outfielder will become the youngest player in the majors.
After an eye-opening spring training (where he hit .432/.519/.727 with four home runs and added four stolen bases), Acuna admitted the team's decision to send him down - which is widely understood to have been motivated by MLB's service-time rules - caught him off guard.
"I was very surprised," Acuna said. "They told me I was going to compete for a spot, and I took it as that. I left it all out on the field. So, yeah, I was surprised. I didn't understand at the time because I'd done such a good job. But, hey, it's fine. I feel good. I'm going to continue to work."
In getting the call, Acuna will join Freddie Freeman, Ozzie Albies, and Dansby Swanson, the core of a surprisingly competent Braves team that enters Wednesday with the ninth-best record in baseball (12-10) and a slightly better 13-9 Pythagorean record.
In 17 games in Triple-A, Acuna has slashed .232/.321/.304 with 85 wRC+.
