Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. voted player of the year by peers

NEW YORK — Ronald Acuña Jr., the talented right fielder from Atlanta, has been named the Player of the Year and National League’s Outstanding Player in the annual Players Choice Awards, organized by the Major League Baseball Players Association. The announcement was made by the union on Thursday.

In the American League, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, who excels as both a designated hitter and a pitcher, received the title of Outstanding Player.

Acuña made history by becoming the first player to hit 40 home runs and steal 70 bases in a single season. He finished the season with a remarkable batting average of .337, along with 41 home runs, 106 RBIs, and 73 stolen bases. No player has ever accomplished the feat of hitting 40 home runs and stealing 50 bases in a season before.

Ohtani’s season was equally impressive. He maintained a batting average of .304 with 44 home runs, 95 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases. On the pitching front, Ohtani displayed his prowess by going 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings. Unfortunately, Ohtani’s pitching season came to an end on Aug. 23 due to a torn elbow ligament, and his hitting season concluded on Sept. 3 due to an oblique strain. However, he is expected to dominate the free agent market in the future.

Another notable award recipient was Marcus Semien, the second baseman for the World Series champion Texas Rangers, who earned his second Marvin Miller Man of the Year award. This prestigious award is given to a player who exemplifies leadership and inspires others. Semien, a member of the union’s eight-man executive subcommittee, also received the award in 2021.

Phil Bradley, a former outfielder and current union special assistant for international and domestic special events, was honored with the Curt Flood Award for his contributions to advancing players’ rights and his dedication to the union.

The outstanding pitchers were Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees in the American League and Blake Snell of the San Diego Padres in the National League.

The NL Comeback Player of the Year was Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs, while Liam Hendriks from the Chicago White Sox received the same honor in the AL.

Lastly, the Outstanding Rookie award went to Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL and Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles in the AL.