With a single heartfelt message following his 2025 Comeback Player of the Year award, Ronald Acuña Jr. moved the entire Braves community as he revealed the deeply personal, family reason behind his unbreakable desire to stay in Atlanta for the rest of his career.
ATLANTA — Ronald Acuña Jr. has never been shy about his love for Atlanta. His recent social media posts, including “Braves44VER” and a simple, powerful “I PROMISE,” have long signaled his desire to be a Brave for life.
But following his emotional 2025 NL Comeback Player of the Year award, the superstar outfielder revealed why that bond is so profound. In a heartfelt interview, Acuña Jr. shared a “stunning family truth” from his darkest professional moment—a private act of kindness from the Braves organization that, until now, was unknown to the public and has left fans “emotional.”
The story, he explained, is the entire reason “this is my home, forever.”
The “Stunning Truth”
Acuña pointed back to his first devastating ACL tear in July 2021. He was at his lowest point, facing surgery and a grueling rehab, knowing he would miss the team’s eventual World Series run.
“I was broken,” Acuña shared, fighting back emotion. “I was in Miami, I was scared, and I was alone. My family was all back home in Venezuela. I couldn’t go to them, and they couldn’t come to me. It was the hardest time in my life.”
Then, he revealed the “stunning” act that changed everything.
“I woke up from my surgery, and I was confused. And then I heard my mother’s voice,” Acuña said. “I thought I was dreaming. I opened my eyes, and my mother and my father were both there in the hospital room.
“The Braves did that. Alex [Anthopoulos] and the team, they didn’t tell me. They secretly arranged to fly my parents from La Guaira [Venezuela] all the way to Miami. They took care of everything just so I wouldn’t have to be alone. They took care of my family so they could take care of me.”
“How Can You Ever Leave?”
This “stunning” revelation—that the organization’s first thought was not just his knee, but his family—has “moved the entire Braves community.”
Acuña Jr., who just completed a “miraculous” comeback from his second ACL tear, explained that this act cemented a “debt of loyalty” that no contract could ever buy.
“People talk about contracts, about money,” Acuña finished. “They don’t understand. This team is my family. This city is my home. When I was at my worst, they gave me my family. How can you ever leave a place like that? I PROMISE. This is my home, forever.”
Fans have “erupted” with a new wave of support, with many stating the revelation “brings tears to their eyes.” Acuña’s “Braves4EVER” promise is no longer just a hashtag; it’s a deeply personal vow, rooted in a “stunning” family truth that explains everything.
