Ronald Acuña Jr. likes where the Braves are at. With him back, everyone does

In the series opener against San Diego on Friday, Acuña became the first player in MLB history to miss at least 150 games and then hit a leadoff homer in his first game back, according to StatsPerform.

The encore: In Saturday’s sixth inning, Acuña launched a two-run shot that gave the Braves a four-run lead en route to their 7-1 victory over the Padres to even the series. Two games, two examples of Acuña changing this team.

Some great news: Barring an unexpected development, the plan is for Acuña to play a third straight game on Sunday.

His return is going better than expected.

“Yeah, I’m proud and happy and just feeling extremely grateful to be a part of an organization that I think just puts so much time and effort and energy and care into my recovery process, and invested in me,” Acuña said through interpreter Franco García.

The point in all this: The Braves truly did invest in Acuña. Instead of returning around 10 months after surgery – as he did after his first ACL tear – he took almost a full year to recover. He looks to be all the better for it. The homers. The laser of a throw on Friday. The wheels he’s shown when he’s run.

In 2022, it looked like Acuña was a bit tentative when he returned. He also managed knee soreness and pain.

This Acuña just looks like, well, Acuña.

“And I think this is the second time, so he knew what was going on, I think,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He understood the whole procedure and timelines and all that, probably, this time better. You hate for a guy to know what to expect and have to do this twice. But I think he got it more. And I think all those at-bats probably helped facilitate what’s going on now, even though he couldn’t run around. He says he feels great, which is good. To me, he’s in the best shape of his life.”

Is that true?

Best shape of your life?

“Yeah,” Acuña said. “Honestly, yeah, I think he’s right.”

This is the best news for the Braves, who are 25-26 after Saturday’s win. They’re third place in the National League East, behind the Phillies and Mets. Both of those clubs are above .500. The Braves have been one game over .500 two different times, but cannot stay there.

They’re still fighting that uphill battle. Acuña, though, is fine with where they are at this moment.

“Yeah, I’ve always had a lot of confidence in this team, and I feel like that’s the last thing I’m gonna lose, is confidence in the guys in this clubhouse,” he said.

The ironic part about that quote: To others, that confidence is probably strengthened by Acuña’s return. The Braves aren’t the same team without him. They have tons of talent, but there’s no replacing a player as dynamic as No. 13. He’s a freak athlete. He can do things no one else can.

Three years ago, Acuña struggled to work his way back when he returned from his first torn ACL. Now, there’s seemingly been no adjustment period.

Perhaps it’s pure talent. Maybe it has something to do with the live at-bats he got during spring training, when he could hit but couldn’t run. Perhaps he’ll struggle after these two games.

But this seems certain: He looks like himself.

“It’s awesome,” Snitker said. “It does a lot for our club and the lineup as a whole. I’m glad that he’s getting off the ground good, you know what I mean? Because that’s tough when you haven’t played in a year. I don’t care how many at-bats you got in the minor leagues, I don’t care how many (Florida Complex League) at-bats you got. This is a different animal up here, with the people, the energy, the quality of play – so it’s good that the kid can come back after that and hit the ground running, literally.”

It started with the first pitch he saw on Friday.

“It’s kind of what I always say about him: You can’t ease your way into a game with Ronald,” Olson said. “(Friday) night, perfect example – first pitch, 115 (miles per hour) for a homer. He’s dynamic when he gets on the bases. The throw (Friday) night. He’s an MVP. It’s good getting that kind of guy back.”

Olson, Austin Riley and Marcell Ozuna – the other big bats – need to roll. The rotation has to continue giving this club a chance to win on the majority of nights. The bullpen, especially closer Raisel Iglesias, must hold up.

There’s a lot that has to happen for these Braves to reach their potential. They haven’t yet shown it.

But they seem to have the key ingredient: An elite Acuña.

“Everybody knows what kind of player he is,” starter Grant Holmes said. “He’s gonna come out and he’s gonna be a phenom, you know? He’s just one of those guys that’s gonna come out and do his thing.”