Nationals' Juan Soto on Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr.: 'I See Myself in Him'

Ronald Acuna Jr. and Juan Soto are two of the biggest young stars in Major League Baseball. Acuna, 22, is only a year older than Soto, but they broke into the league together: Soto with the Washington Nationals, Acuna with the Atlanta Braves. 

Both play the game with an unmistakable flair. Prone to bat flips and celebrations, the duo represent the future of the game in plenty of ways. 

In the present, they can't help but notice the similarities in themselves. 

"The first time I saw him, he was like a brother," Soto told David O'Brien and Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic. "I see myself in him. We've kept in touch and played together and just enjoy fighting each other on the field."

Though the two remain rivals in the National League East, their friendship has begun to transcend their action on the field. 

As two young Latin American players trying to push the game forward, there's an appreciation for what the other is doing that bonds them.

Soto said: 

"I think we hit it off because where we come from. We know where we come from and we play baseball about the same. We have a passion for the game, and we had a lot of fight for Rookie of the Year. And that fight just kept us together, kept us joking. Everything we do we wish the best (for the other guy). It was a fun fight for Rookie of the Year and we were like, whoever gets it deserves it. I think that’s why we get along."

Acuna, who hails from Venezuela, beat out Soto for NL Rookie of the Year by 55 points in the Baseball Writers Association of America vote, but the Dominican Republic native was able to one-up him a year later, nabbing a World Series title with the Nationals in 2019. 

As their accolades continue to pile up—and as the two go highlight-for-highlight on a nightly basis—they try to keep their friendship above all else. Even as one's success usually comes at the expense of the other's. Instead of getting angry at themselves, they try to be supportive of what they're doing on the field. 

For two young stars who still have their entire careers ahead of them, it's a healthy approach. For MLB at-large, it may provide a new wave of player interactions, not unlike the NBA, where the friendly banters of the current players have overtaken the intense rivalries of the 1990s. 

Acuna said:

"It just makes me happy and excited to see him show that emotion because obviously we've become friends and we've shared those experiences on and off the field. So whenever he has that success, I'm just happy for him as a friend and as a player. And obviously it motivates me as well because anytime you see someone you're friends with doing well, it's a good feeling."