Atlanta Braves are resisting urge to promote phenom Ronald Acuna

Andruw Jones was one of the best players to ever play for the Atlanta Braves. He was a true five-tool talent, as Jones could hit for power, hit for average (early in his career), run and was a 10-time Gold Glove winner with a great arm and unprecedented range in center field.

Ten years after Jones last played for the Braves, he has been cloned. Yes, the Braves have another player just like Jones. Ronald Acuna is so much like Jones, it’s scary.

You’ve likely heard the name, as Acuna’s legend has grown throughout the summer. At 19, Acuna is taking the same track Jones did two decades ago.

The only difference is this time the Braves may resist calling up their heralded phenom, at least right now.

Acuna started the season in High-A Florida. After hitting .287 in 28 games, the Braves sent him to Double-A Mississippi. He lasted 57 games there and hit .326 with nine home runs. His best work has been at Triple-A Gwinnett, where Acuna has hit .358 with eight home runs and 28 RBI in 41 games.

Entering Saturday’s game, Acuna had a 14-game hitting streak. He has hit .406 in that span, with a .418 on-base percentage, four home runs, 14 RBI, five stolen bases and 13 runs scored.

He’s 19 years old doing this in Triple-A, a league where the average age is probably somewhere around 27 years old.

Acuna has gotten better as he has moved up the minor league ladder, and his statistics are eye-popping for someone of any age. The fact that Acuna is doing this at 19 only shows how similar he is to Jones.

After Jones had his remarkable season in Macon in 1995, he skyrocketed up the Braves system in 1996. Jones started first in High-A, and after 66 games and 17 home runs, he was sent to Double-A. Then a .369 average and 12 home runs in 38 games got Jones a ticket to Triple-A. Jones hit .378 in 12 games there, and the Braves then called him up to Atlanta.

Jones was 19 years old. He then became a star with two home runs in the 1996 World Series at Yankee Stadium.

So why would the Braves call up Jones then and likely decide to keep Acuna in the minor leagues this season? Well, the team was a bit different in 1996. The Braves were the defending World Series champs, and they were one of the best teams in the sport. This year’s Braves team is nothing like that.

The decision has been made, at least for now, to keep Acuna in the minor leagues and not promote him to Atlanta. The Braves are finishing the third year of the rebuild. Instead of going for another World Series appearance, this team is simply trying to make it closer to .500.

The Braves would prefer to start Acuna’s clock next year. If they wait a bit into the 2018 season, they had have control over his contract for an extra season, much like the Chicago Cubs did when they waited on calling up Kris Bryant in 2015.

But Acuna is tempting the Braves. Every night, he seems to just get base hits. It’s just incredible what he’s doing. And he’s 19.

The Braves likely will attempt to trade Matt Kemp or Nick Markakis this offseason to make room for Acuna. Kemp has two years and $36 million left on his contract, while Markakis has just one season and $11 million remaining.

They’ll find a way to open a spot for Acuna. The big thing the Braves need in this rebuild is a star, and Acuna could be it. Just imagine if the Braves have another Jones. Acuna has done nothing to disprove the theory that’s exactly what he might be as a big leaguer. We may just have to wait a bit longer to watch him prove it.

This story was originally published August 26, 2017 at 3:30 PM with the headline "Atlanta Braves are resisting urge to promote phenom Ronald Acuna."