After bouncing back from devastating knee injuries, Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. was named the NL Comeback Player of the Year, while Texas’s Jacob deGrom won the AL honor after returning from his second Tommy John surgery.
Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. has had a phenomenal career in Major League Baseball thus far. In eight years, he has a .289 batting average and a .908 OPS with 186 home runs and 459 RBIs. He has five All-Star selections while winning three Silver Slugger Awards and one NL MVP.
Acuña has dealt with knee injuries on two separate occasions. In July 2021, he tore his right ACL, causing him to miss out on the Braves’ World Series-winning season. In 2024, it was his left ACL, which he tore in May, allowing him to play in just 49 games.
The most recent tear also caused him to miss nearly the first two months of the 2025 season, but he was incredible when he came back.
Acuña’s Triumphant Return
Acuña returned to the field on May 23, when he homered on the first pitch he saw in almost a full calendar year. This jumpstarted a fantastic 2025 season, in which he hit .290 with 21 long balls and 42 RBIs in 95 games.
On Thursday, Acuña’s triumphant return was recognized by MLB, as he was announced as the NL Comeback Player of the Year at the MLB Awards show in Las Vegas.
“Ronald Acuña Jr. returned in a big way in 2025. He’s your NL Comeback Player of the Year!” MLB captioned its X post.
His 2025 season showed Braves fans that he can return from injury time and again without losing a step. He is the second consecutive Brave to win the award, following Chris Sale in 2024.
deGrom Captures AL Honor
In the American League, Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom was voted the AL Comeback Player of the Year.
The 37-year-old deGrom, who missed most of 2023 and 2024 while recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, returned to the mound and was dominant. The two-time Cy Young winner went 12-8 with a 2.97 ERA in 30 starts, striking out 185 batters in 172.2 innings and earning his fifth career All-Star selection.
With the 27-year-old Acuña back to full form, Braves fans are excited about the future for their franchise right fielder. Acuña will be entering the final season of his eight-year, $100 million contract in 2026, though the Braves hold club options for 2027 and 2028.
