Where is Ronald Acuna Jr. and 5 other questions after 2024 MLB season’s first month

Remember when Ronald Acuna Jr. was on a mission last season? After missing most of 2021 due to tearing his ACL, it was clear that the Braves’ right fielder was still recovering in 2022. But he was 100 percent in 2023, and it showed.

Acuna played in all but three games last season, making 735 plate appearances and 643 at-bats where he scored 149 runs, had 217 hits to go along with a 40/70 campaign of 41 homers and 73 stolen bases. All that was good enough to win him the National League’s MVP award honors. But that Acuna hasn’t showed up yet in 2024.

The first eye-jarring thing about Acuna in 2024 is his lack of home runs. He has just one this season thus far, which he didn’t hit until April 17 against the Houston Astros on the road. He homered in his second game last season and had four by the end of April. He also had 38 hits, with nine doubles, 14 RBIs, and 14 walks to just 18 strikeouts. This season, he has 26 hits, five doubles, six RBIs, and 18 walks to a staggering 30 strikeouts, which ranks 39th worst in the league and leads the Braves in that category.

Acuna has seemed to lose his power stroke, and the numbers continue to prove it:

What’s also noteworthy is that while Acuna’s swing percentage outside the zone is better compared to last year’s — 29.2% last season at this time to 28.8% now — his overall contact percentage has dropped quite significantly, going from 78.3 percent to 72.5 percent this season, per FanGraphs. This shows a stark difference not only in Acuna’s power from just a season ago but also in his plate discipline, at least through one month in.

Is it time for the Angels to say goodbye to Anthony Rendon?

It’s pretty apparent by now that Anthony Rendon’s time as an Angel has been a disaster. Angels fans are frustrated, the Angels’ front office is likely frustrated, and Rendon himself is definitely frustrated.

“Not [feeling] too great,” Rendon said after the April 20 game against the Cincinnati Reds (via MLB.com). “Frustration. Anger. Mad. Any of those adjectives you want to use.”

It was later revealed last Friday that Rendon partially tore his left hamstring, according to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register. He’s placed on the 10-day IL, but he’ll be gone a lot longer than that, with no clear timetable on his return.

Being sidelined with injuries is the continuing narrative for Rendon, unfortunately. From 2021 to 2023, Rendon has played in just 148 out of a possible 486 games. What becomes problematic for the Angels is that he still has three years and $114 million remaining on his seven-year, $245 million deal he signed back in December of 2019.

This has just been a bad partnership for both sides, and it now looks like there needs to be a cutting of ties. Money will be lost with the Angels having to eat tons of money, whether they actually trade him for a pack of peanuts or designate him for assignment. But what would be different than what they’re doing now, as he once again is sidelined?

What’s wrong with the Astros?

Raise your hand if you had the Houston Astros in last place in the American League West after the first month of the season? Better yet, if they weren’t the holders of double-digit wins yet by the end of the first month, currently at 9-19. Needless to say, it’s been a disappointing start for the Astros to begin the season.

Yes, it’s true that nothing lasts forever, but the drop-off for the Astros, who once again made it all the way to the ALCS last season, is significant. They’ve been swept in four series already this season, having won only two thus far and have lost eight out of their last 11 games.

Their pitching, with some notable injuries, is going to have to get some major upgrades, with a 10th worst 77 runs allowed, contributing to the team’s -22 run differential. They also have the sixth-worst starting rotation ERA in the league at 4.90 with only nine total quality starts.

Are the Cardinals going to finish last in the NL Central again?

Remember when the St. Louis Cardinals never used to lose 90 games or more and didn’t finish in the bottom of the National League Central? Well, for the first time in 33 years, that happened last season, and it could very well happen again in 2024.

The Cardinals can’t figure out how to score runs this season, having scored the third-lowest in the MLB this season with 100. They are also tied for second-worst in the league in homers hit with the White Sox at 18. Things have gotten so bad for the Cardinals’ offense that they’ve already sent down Jordan Walker and Victor Scott II in attempts to bolster the lineup somehow.

What pitcher(s) will go down next this season?

The first month of the 2024 MLB season wasn’t too kind to pitchers. The league suffered season-ending injuries to some of its best with guys like Cleveland Guardians’ Shane Bieber and Braves’ Spencer Strider to elbow surgeries. Those were the worst of the worst, but there have been other cases too, like the recent injury to new San Francisco Giants’ pitcher Blake Snell. The lingering fear is this is just the beginning and that there will be many more along the way.

When will Paul Skenes finally get called up to the Pirates?

While the Pirates have had a promising first month, going 14-15 and four games out of first in the National League Central, all any Pittsburgh fan wants to talk about is when rookie pitcher Paul Skenes is going to be called up?

Last summer’s No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft has been blowing away the competition at the minor league level so far. He didn’t allow a single earned run until his fifth start of the season, currently holding a 0.53 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched.

But the Pirates are being as careful as they can with Skenes, knowing they may have a once-in-a-lifetime type prospect on their hands. With a fastball that hits 100 mph to go with a nasty slider and devastating sinker, the Pirates should have an eventual ace on their hands, it’s just not sure when that will be is the problem.