MLB Player Ronald Acuña Jr.
Also making Time’s 2023 list are two pro athletes who are open about their Christian faith. Baseball record-setter Ronald Acuña Jr., 25, is an outfielder for the Atlanta Braves. Last month he became the only MLB player to steal 70 bases and hit 40 home runs in a single season.
The 2018 National League Rookie of the Year calls faith “the most important thing,” saying it’s “what helps maintain you.” Speaking to Sports Spectrum during his rookie year, Acuña emphasized the value of regular prayer. “Every time I take the field or even when I wake up, I have a conversation with God,” he said. “I feel like I always pray to him and have that relationship, and I feel like he listens.”
In his tribute in TIME magazine, fellow Venezuelan and MLB standout Miguel Cabrera said Acuña might become the best baseball player from their homeland. “I hope God keeps him healthy so he can reach 3,000 hits and 500 home runs,” Cabrera wrote. “I don’t want to be the lone Venezuelan on that list.”
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