⚾ Inside Acuña Jr’s Wild Offseason, Historic Year

Behind the scenes of a turbulent winter, reunion and historic season for Ronald Acuña Jr. [View in browser]( In today’s FOX Sports Insider with guest writer Jake Mintz: What led to Ronald Acuña Jr.'s incredible season? … There are lots of young wide receivers in the elite tier, but is this the best group of receivers ever? … and more! The last time Ronald Acuña Jr. played a playoff game, he retired in the middle of it. It’s Jan. 24, 2023, and the face of the Atlanta Braves is 2,000 miles away from Truist Park, wearing a lighter shade of blue and a T on his chest. The prodigal son of La Guaira, Venezuela had returned to native soil to bat third for his hometown Tiburones in Game 2 the Venezuelan Winter League championship. Winter ball cannot feasibly be compared to the upcoming Phillies-Braves National League Division Series. The quality of stateside major-league play is far superior. Acuña’s Braves and the rival Phillies are two of the most talented, star-studded teams on earth. The five-game set is sure to be a spine-tingling battle of juggernauts, as Acuña enters October with a very real chance to win his first (on-field) ring. But the sheer passion of Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional is indisputable. Baseball is the most popular sport in Venezuela and the national circuit is the only opportunity to watch high-level baseball. For Acuña, the homecoming hero playing in his country’s championship series for the first time, the stakes were immense. But not everyone was happy to see him. Only a few days before the LVBP finals, Acuña, through a translator, conveyed that he was unlikely to play for Venezuela in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. His rationale: The Braves were uneasy about any lingering effects from his 2021 ACL tear. Many Venezuelans were skeptical of Acuña’s reasoning: Why would the Braves let him play winter ball on a different continent, without any supervision, but restrict him from baseball’s premier international showcase, set to be played at an MLB stadium just hours from Atlanta’s spring training complex? Multiple sources confirmed to FOX Sports that the Braves organization hadn’t planned to discourage Acuña’s participation. They were comfortable letting him play for Tiburones, so the WBC shouldn’t have been a problem. But whether due to miscommunication or reasons unknown, the most talented Venezuelan player in the world appeared destined to miss the tournament. For the rest of the story, [click here.]( [STORY IMAGE 1] [IN OTHER WORDS] - Jefferson, Chase, Lamb, Hill. Former NFL defensive back and scout Bucky Brooks breaks down why this is the [golden era of wide-receiver play](. - Speaking to reporters before his first practice of 2023, Jonathan Taylor [tried to avoid contract drama]( and focus on his return to the field, Ben Arthur writes. - The Phillies were clearly better than the Marlins in the wild-card series. Are they [good enough to make another deep October run]( Ben Verlander weighs in. - Can the Terps knock off the Buckeyes? [Can Oklahoma get revenge vs. Texas]( Our college football experts break down the big Week 6 games. For the latest news and updates, [click here.]( [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Maryland Terrapins at No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes (Saturday, FOX, 12 p.m. ET) The Buckeyes return home coming off a bye week looking to give the Terrapins their first loss of the 2023 season. Nebraska Cornhuskers at Illinois Fighting Illini (FS1, 8 p.m. ET) The Cornhuskers and Illini collide in a battle of two tough Big Ten squads each looking to pick up a crucial conference win. Texas Rangers at Baltimore Orioles (Saturday, FS1, 1 p.m. ET) The Rangers aim to keep their hot streak alive when they head to Baltimore to battle the Orioles in the first game of the ALDS. UCF Golden Knights at Kansas Jayhawks (Saturday, FOX, 4 p.m. ET) Two elite offenses clash when the Golden Knights take their high-scoring attack on the road the face the Jayhawks. Minnesota Twins at Houston Astros (Saturday, FS1, 4:45 p.m. ET) The Astros begin their journey to repeat as World Series champions when they battle the Twins in the first game of the ALDS. No. 24 Fresno State Bulldogs at Wyoming Cowboys (Saturday, FOX, 8 p.m. ET) The Bulldogs aim to remain unbeaten when they head to Wyoming to take on the Cowboys. New York Giants at Miami Dolphins (Sunday, FOX, 1 p.m. ET) The Giants look to right the ship when they travel to Miami to battle the high-flying Dolphins’ offense. Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Rams (Sunday, FOX, 4:05 p.m. ET) Jalen Hurts and the Eagles head out to Los Angeles to face Matthew Stafford and the Rams in an NFC showdown. Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers (Sunday, NBC, 8:20 p.m. ET) Two of the best in the NFL meet when the 49ers welcome the Cowboys to San Francisco in a potential NFC title game preview. For all of today's games and scores, [click here](. [BET OF THE DAY] New York Jets at Denver Broncos (-1.5), Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET PICK: Broncos (-1.5), to win by two points or more From FOX Sports Wagering Expert: Chris Fallica I’d be careful with the narrative that Zach Wilson has turned a corner and the Jets' season could be saved. Yes, Wilson played one of his better games Sunday night vs. Kansas City. But the Jets offensive line is still a problem, and it's not like Wilson was perfect the other night. On the flip side, Denver was gifted a win by the horrific Bears on Sunday, but a win is a win. This might just be a spot where the Broncos are a little undervalued against a team where public opinion might be a tad high after everyone saw them take the Chiefs to the final minutes Sunday night. For the latest betting odds, [click here](. [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [Google Play]( [App Store]( [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [App Store]( [Google Play]( Also available on these devices: [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV | Vizio | LG Smart TV] [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV | Vizio | LG Smart TV] Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2023 Fox Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. 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