International Player Profile: Bryan Acuña

Minnesota is favored to sign Bryan Acuña later this week, and he comes from a family of baseball players. His father, Ronald Acuña Sr., signed with the Mets in 1997. He played parts of eight minor league seasons and hit .282/.330/.364 (.694) while never playing higher than the Double-A level. He posted a .722 OPS in two High-A seasons with 36 extra-base hits in 148 games. His power never developed, but he continued to play in the Venezuelan Winter League until he was 30-years-old. 

Two Acuña brothers have already signed and started their professional careers. Ronald Acuña Jr. has played parts of four big-league seasons with three top-12 finishes for NL MVP. He has a .925 OPS with two Silver Sluggers and two All-Star selections for his young career. Jose Acuña signed with the Rangers in 2018. Last season as a 19-year-old, he played 111 games at Low-A, where he hit .266/.345/.404 (.749). He was over two years younger than the competition at that level, and he hit double-digit home runs and doubles. Now the focus turns to Bryan, the youngest Acuña brother. 

Bryan Acuña Scouting Report 
Bats: R | Throws: R | HT 5'11" | WT: 155
MLB Pipeline Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 45 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

Offensively, Acuña has impressed scouts for multiple years. Back in 2019, he was one of the top prospects at an international showcase held in Arizona. At the time, he was drawing comparisons to his older brother, and his swing looked advanced for a 14-year-old. He has grown up around the game, and many of his scouting reports praise his baseball IQ. His hit tool compares well against many other players ranked ahead of him. There is also room for him to add more power as he grows and fills out his frame. 

Like many top international prospects, Acuña will sign as a shortstop, but there are no guarantees that will be his position for the long term. For comparison, Roderick Arias, the top-ranked international prospect this year, is also a shortstop, and he grades as a 55 Arm and a 55 Field. Acuña ranks behind him in both categories, but these are teenagers with plenty of development left to accomplish. Eventually, he may need to shift to second base, where he should profile as an above-average offensive player.

Both of his older brothers topped out around 6-feet. Ronald, at age-24, weighs in at just over 200 pounds, while Jose was listed at 181 pounds last season as a 19-year-old. This should give some insight into how Bryan's body will develop into his early 20s, which is about when he'd reach the upper levels of the Twins farm system. 

As Jamie mentioned yesterday, there are no guarantees on the international market, especially when dealing with teenage players. Minnesota had an unbelievable class in 2009, but there have been other misses along the way. Now, Twins fans hope the youngest Acuña will use his baseball acumen to follow his family to the big leagues.

Do you think Acuña's swing is similar to his brother's? What type of ceiling will he have? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. 

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