LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 03: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves looks on prior to game one of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on October 03, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
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The Atlanta Braves are in the middle of another postseason battle with the Los Angeles Dodgers, with the National League Division Series between the two stalwart franchises providing plenty of on-field drama.
But as the Braves continued their battle to take down the two-time defending World Series champions, an off-field storyline surrounding franchise slugger Ronald Acuna Jr. threatened to steal some of the spotlight.
The superstar remains one of the most important pieces of the Braves’ lineup, but on Monday, a viral interview clip surfaced on social media that appeared to feature him hurling an expletive at a departed member of the Braves coaching staff, perhaps former manager Brian Snitker.
Atlanta Braves Superstar Ronald Acuna Jr Goes Viral For Brian Snitker Linked Controversy
A Spanish-language interview clip from Acuna’s “La Bestia” podcast featuring Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras was unearthed by Barstool Sports on Monday, with a translation that caught fans by surprise.
“They didn’t bother me again,” Acuna said, per the translation, in response to a question from Contreras about how the Braves’ coaching staff has been since a “crazy” member left. “You know that (expletive) thought he was the king.”
Speculation surrounding the viral clip suggested Acuna was referring to Snitker, with an extended version apparently confirming that. In any case, the interview response drew some controversy, including from former Braves pitcher Alex Wood, who retired after the 2024 season.
“Is this about Snitker?” Wood asked in response to the clip. “This can’t be real. If it is this says worlds more about Ronald Acuna than it does about Brian Snitker. Idk if I’ve ever met one person that didn’t like Snit. Disgusting behavior.”
Atlanta Braves Focus On Los Angeles Dodgers Amid Ronald Acuna Controversy
Fueling speculation that Acuna was referring to Snitker is the fact that the two had an at-times tense relationship in the past.
Last year, with Snitker still at the helm, Acuna criticized what he viewed as a double standard after teammate Jarred Kelenic was not disciplined for a baserunning mistake. Acuna later apologized to Snitker and his teammates, explaining that frustration surrounding his injury recovery had contributed to the post.
“Back in August 2019, Acuna was pulled from the game following a similar play,” Mike Axisa noted for CBS Sports at the time. “Snitker said the following after that game: ‘He didn’t run. You’ve got to run. It’s not going to be acceptable here. As a teammate, you’re responsible for 24 other guys and that name on the front is a lot more important than that name on the back of that jersey.’”
Whatever Acuna might have intended in the recent interview, the timing might create some difficulty for Atlanta. The team would hardly welcome some off-field controversy as its attempts to overcome the odds-on World Series favorite in its ongoing playoff series.
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