12-year-old brother of Ronald Acuña verbally agrees to sign with Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are betting that reigning MVP Ronald Acuña’s talent transcends to his younger siblings.
The Phillies verbally agreed to a deal with the star outfielder’s 12-year-old brother Kenny Acuña, according to Héctor Gómez. The deal would become official when the preteen is eligible to sign in the international free agent class in January 2028.
Philadelphia has reason to be optimistic about the potential of this young player. Ronald has been a star since his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2018, which he followed with a 41 home runs/37 steals second season. That set the stage for 2023, where, after a trio of seasons shortened due to injury and COVID restrictions, he posted a historic season of 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases.
In the minor leagues sits 21-year-old Luisangel Acuña, ranked a top-100 prospect by multiple outlets, including MLB Pipeline (66), Keith Law (45), and MLB Prospectus (76). In double-A last year, he hit .294 with nine home runs and 57 stolen bases in 121 games.
Next up is Kenny, who is shown swinging the bat in this Instagram video posted by Guillermo Arcay and shared to social media platform X by Gómez:
The Alex Salazar Academy in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, where Ronald has also trained, posted a video of the 12-year-old infielder hitting a home run in batting practice: