*This content was translated by AI.
Superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. (29, Venezuela) of the Atlanta Braves unleashed pent-up emotions toward his former manager.
On the 6th (Korean time), Acuna Jr. appeared on a video posted to his YouTube channel "La Bestia" alongside Venezuelan teammates William Contreras and Jackson Chourio (both of the Milwaukee Brewers), engaging in casual conversation.
In a relaxed setting where they discussed camaraderie and empathy that led to winning the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) as Venezuelan players living abroad, as well as practical difficulties faced by Major Leaguers, a controversial scene emerged.
While venting his dissatisfaction with former manager Brian Snitker, he let slip profanity. The U.S. media outlet Heavy also reported, "Ronald Acuna Jr. harshly criticized Manager Brian Snitker," drawing attention to his remarks.
Acuna Jr. said, "After him (Snitker) left, no one bothered us anymore," adding, "You know what? That f__ing guy thought he was the king here."
Snitker served as the Atlanta manager for a full 10 years before handing over the reins to Walt Weiss at the end of the 2025 season, taking on the role of senior advisor. Having managed only for Atlanta, he accumulated 811 career wins in Major League Baseball (MLB), securing six division titles and the 2021 World Series championship.
Acuna Jr. had been sharing his professional career with Snitker continuously from his debut in 2018 until just before the start of this season.
Of course, it was somewhat predictable that Acuna Jr. harbored negative feelings toward former manager Snitker. In April last year, during a game against the Minnesota Twins, Jared Knelson hit a large fly ball but failed to run at full speed; he was caught watching it, and since it did not become a home run, he was out at second base. Recalling the past, Acuna Jr. did not hide his discomfort.
At the time, Acuna Jr., who was recovering from a torn ACL, posted on his X (formerly Twitter), "If I had acted like that, I would have been benched," only to delete it later. Manager Snitker explained that he did not know until watching the replay, but Acuna Jr.'s expression of discomfort was not unfounded. In August 2019, in a similar situation where he failed to run at full speed and ended up with a single, he was immediately substituted. It could be perceived that he expressed discomfort over being treated differently, given that no special action was taken against Knelson's behavior, which even resulted in an out and poured cold water on the team.
However, at the time, Acuna expressed his apology to Manager Snitker and his teammates, denying that he held any ill will toward the manager. This makes the recent remarks all the more shocking.
Acuna Jr., who hit 26 home runs in his first season to win Rookie of the Year, has earned the National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 2023, five All-Star selections, and three Silver Slugger awards. He is a top-tier superstar in the league, having signed a massive eight-year, $100 million (133.9 billion won) extension with Atlanta in 2019.
However, his influence has diminished due to frequent injuries since 2024. This season, he underperformed expectations with a .255 batting average (104 hits in 408 at-bats), 20 home runs, 55 RBIs, 61 runs scored, and 21 stolen bases in 107 games, along with an on-base percentage of .345, a slugging percentage of .415, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of .796.
He has also struggled in the five postseason games this season, batting just .167 (3 hits in 18 at-bats). Although he remains one of the players with the greatest influence on the team, former manager Snitker, who serves as senior advisor, also holds significant symbolic weight within the organization. Attention is now focused on how public opinion regarding Acuna Jr. will evolve going forward.
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*This content was translated by AI.
