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Just saying hi to Krusty...

"Acuna is the star of the show

All due respect to Rays prospect Brent Honeywell, who struck out four in two innings, and Marlins prospect Brian Anderson, who singled and doubled, it was Atlanta prospect Ronald Acuna who left us as impressed as anyone on the field. That's despite the fact that he went 0-4, because remember, this is a showcase of talent more than it is about winning or losing.

Entering the day hitting .325/.374/.507 since being promoted to Double-A, Acuna cracked the hardest-batted ball of the game, 112.3 mph with a 13-degree launch angle, in the seventh inning off of Royals prospect Foster Griffin. That combination falls for a hit 78 percent of the time, and it was actually the only Barrel of the day -- a ball that qualifies as the near-perfect combination of exit velocity and launch angle. Unfortunately for Acuna, center fielder Corey Ray (Brewers) was positioned perfectly, preventing the hit.

Not only was it the hardest hit of the game, it was harder than any Brave has had all season.That's not all. Acuna had the three hardest outfield throws of the game, hitting 92.9 mph, 95.2 mph, and 96.7 mph. Forget the 0-for-4; suddenly, it's easy to see why MLBPipeline calls him a five-tool talent, and reminds us that "evaluators get downright giddy when discussing Acuna.""


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