In baseball, where effort can be as defining as talent, few things draw the spotlight and scrutiny quite like perceived lapses in hustle. Ronald Acuna Jr. is kinda standing at that place right now. Not just his performance. Not for his positive efforts on the field. But for a comment on his fellow outfielder, Jarred Kelenic. “If it were me, they would take me out of the game.” With the issue still boiling up between Acuna, Kelenic, and the Braves Manager Brian Snitker, a fan favorite of the Braves joined the brawl now.

Acuna seemed frustrated with Snitker for not benching teammate Kelenic after a baserunning miscue during a game against the Twins. Incidentally, in 2019, Acuna found himself benched by the same Brian Snitker for a moment of perceived lack of hustle. Evidently, things didn’t sit well with Acuna. And then came Acuna’s social media rant.

But not everyone is on the same page, and the former Braves outfielder, Jeff Francoeur, is one of them.

“There are 26 guys in that locker room that are busting their a– every single day. Every single day,” Francoeur said on the Atlanta Braves Radio Network. “And those guys are trying their b—- off every single day. You finally get something going in your direction. And you got a guy who’s supposed to be your teammate, tweeting, probably out in LA, something that is completely meaningless and stupid.”

Well, that’s a hard-nosed response from Francouer against Acuna. While he acknowledged Acuna as one of the top talents in the team, Acuna’s open social media rant against the manager is something Francouer couldn’t stand. While doing so, Francouer also highlighted how it was a different scenario in 2019 with Acuna than what the team faced with Kelenic now.

“And you want to go farther with context, Ron Acuña was warned time after time after time. After time. Let’s talk, like, 10 times to run before he ever got yanked. This is the first time Jarred Kelenic has ever done it.”

So, is it true that Acuna overreacted, or is it the double standard of the Braves manager? While Francouer is not on Acuna’s side, fans seem to be thinking otherwise. The 30-minute rant by Francouer against Acuna baffled the fans, and they took out their frustration on social media.

Fans are not impressed with the former Braves star

Fans didn’t seem ready to accept Francouer’s view against their top star. A lot of arguments are shared about how Acuna is eligible to comment, and to an extent, he is correct.

Is it right to publicly critique your teammate just because you are the team’s top performer? One fan shared a stat to compare how Acuna is ahead of Kelenic. He even tagged Francouer’s rant as the dumbest thing he had ever heard. Well, Acuna had a scorching form in 2023 with 41 HRs and 106 RBIs. Talk about his influence in the team, Acuna became the first player in MLB history to tally 40 stolen bases, 20 home runs, and 50 RBIs before the All-Star break. In contrast, Kelenic is coming with 11 homers from 2023. This year, Kelenic scored 2 HRs, showing a sign of reaching the place where Acuna is ruling. So, it would be too costly for the team to lose any one of them!

Francouer argued that Acuna might have the numbers to speak for him, but the Braves can still perform without him. Why not when the team won the 2021 World Series without Acuna in the postseason? Well, one user thinks otherwise. While Acuna was not there in the postseason, what about his impressive performance in the 2021 regular season? Just before his leg injury, Acuna scored 24 home runs, 52 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases, a good number to push the team to the postseason! Still replaceable as per Francouer?

More than what Acuna ranted against their manager or what Francouer said, fans are concerned about the scenario if Acuna chooses to part ways! “Don’t understand why they continue to disrespect the best player on this team time and time again.” While the user also lamented why Kellenic was not benched similar to Acuna, it should be noted that the latter was warned 9 times before getting benched. For Kellenic, it’s the first instance!

Acuna is just 27 now and has already won the NL MVP and 4x All-Star! Currently, he is on an 8-year deal with the Braves, making him one of the team’s longest-tenured stars. One fan thinks a player of this stature deserves more respect from the former players. “If Chipper wants to chime in or another hall of fame, I’ll listen, but I don’t wanna hear Jack from Jeff Francouer.” Might be a bit personal to say that a HOFer could comment on Acuna and not someone like Francouer! But let’s face it. The home boy of the Braves, Chipper Jones, is the only switch hitter in history with a career BA above .300 and more than 300 homers. The 8x All-Star winner and 1995 World Series winner was a jewel that came out of the Braves’ stable. In contrast, Francouer had a rather pale career, playing only 6 years with the Braves. Only a Golden Glove award came in 2007, and nothing else.

How does Kellenic fare against Acuna? One enthusiast shared why it is more important to offer more respect to Acuna over players like Kellenic. And that even Snitker looks pale against Acuna. Well, Acuna is an MVP-caliber athlete, a true five-tool player, and one of the faces of modern baseball. In contrast, Kelenic, while talented and improving, has struggled with strikeouts and long slumps at the plate. However, it’s something about equal management and not someone getting away with his star power!

So, let’s take a call from you here – whose side are you on? Francouer or Acuna?