Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. Marries Longtime Girlfriend Before Making MLB History

Ronald Acuña Jr. got married and became the only member of the 30/60 club.

By Brian Jones

Aug. 31, 2023, will be a day Ronald Acuña Jr. will never forget. The day started with the Atlanta Braves outfielder marrying his longtime girlfriend and ended with him hitting a grand slam to lead the Braves to an 8-7 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The grand slam was significant because it was Acuña's 30th home run of the year, making him the first player in MLB history to hit 30 home runs and 60 stole bases in the same season (Acuña has 62 stole bases). 

One reason Acuña and his wife, Maria, got married on Thursday was because Maria's Venezuelan visa was set to expire at the end of the week, meaning she had to leave the United States and wouldn't be allowed to return for another three months. Acuña and Maria have two sons, Ronald Daniel, 2, and Jamall, 11 months, and the children would have to leave with Maria had her visa expired. 

"We're a family," Acuña told ESPN in Spanish. "Since we've known each other, we've wanted to be together. We have two kids. Family is meant to be together. That comes before anything else. I'm really happy that's going to happen now." On Wednesday, Acuña called his business manager, Nick Drbal of Xample to see if he could get the wedding scheduled. Drbal found a wedding venue, Whispering Oaks in Agoura Hills, California, and the family flew to Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon. Acuña and Maria got married on Thursday morning after Acuña aa arrived at the team hotel in Los Angeles at 2 a.m. The couple was scheduled to get married in their native Venezuela in the winter. 

"It means a lot to me," Acuña said. "The kids were born here, but the mom needs to come and go. I don't like that process. It's really a hassle. If we go to the playoffs, if we go to the World Series, and they're not with me, it's tough. I want my family to be here with me."  

Acuña has been a big reason why the Braves have the best record in MLB (88-45). The four-time All-Star is the frontrunner to win NL MVP because of his history-making season, and it comes after a challenging 2022 season when he hit just 15 home runs and had 29 stolen bases in 119 games. In 2021, Acuña missed the second half of the season due to a torn ACL. It was the same year the Braves won the World Series for the first time since 1995. 

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