Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. Announces He'll Compete in 2025 MLB Home Run Derby

Ronald Acuña Jr. has been on a tear since returning from an ACL tear that cost him a calendar year, hitting .385 with nine homers, 16 RBI, 31 runs and a whopping 1.188 OPS in 29 games.

And now he'll be taking that hot streak into this summer's Home Run Derby, as confirmed on Wednesday:

There's no doubt that Acuña has the power to be a contender in the annual event—he hit 41 homers in both the 2019 and 2023 seasons, the latter of which was his NL MVP campaign. For his career, his 162-game average in home runs is 38, an impressive mark.

The four-time All-Star and former NL Rookie of the Year and MVP will be participating in his third Derby. In 2019, he was eliminated in the second round by New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso, 20-19. He again lost to Alonso by the exact same margin in the first round of the 2022 Derby.

This year, he'll be trying to win in front of Atlanta's crowd at Truist Park, which is serving as the host city for this year's All-Star festivities. He will also be looking to become the first Braves' player to ever win the Derby.

Acuña indicated last week that he planned to participate in the Derby:

Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Teoscar Hernández is the defending champ. Acuña is currently the only player to have committed to this year's event.