Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. stuns Yanks with 301-foot assist

Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. stuns Yanks with 301-foot assist

Ronald Acuña Jr. surprised the New York Yankees with an incredible throw that concluded the third inning during the Atlanta Braves' series-opening 7-3 win on Friday night.

The All-Star right fielder successfully threw out Jorbit Vivas at third base as the runner attempted to tag up on a deep fly ball to the right corner.

Measuring 301 feet -- with no bounces -- this is the longest outfield assist of the season and marks the first throw exceeding 300 feet without bounces since Mookie Betts' 302 that prevented Ketel Marte from turning a double into a triple on July 31, 2020.

"His accuracy is incredible," Braves manager Brian Snitker remarked about Acuña. "He’s a significant asset in right field. His arm is exceptionally strong and precise, and the ball carries well; his release is excellent. He’s something special out there."

Acuña caught the ball just before the warning track, facing away from the infield. He spun around and made a throw that reached third base just in time for Nacho Alvarez Jr. to tag a slowing Vivas, who disregarded third-base coach Luis Rojas' signal to slide.

"I always try to anticipate those plays," Acuña stated through an interpreter. "That’s really my main focus, anticipating the play before it unfolds. I wasn’t trying to do anything beyond that. Thankfully, I have a strong arm."

Alvarez appeared relaxed as the throw neared, trying to deceive Vivas, who would have likely been safe had he sprinted and slid.

"[Vivas] got fooled," Yankees manager Aaron Boone commented. "That simply cannot happen. I did that throughout my career at third base. Just act oblivious, play dead. And that’s what [Vivas] interpreted. Alvarez’s body language deceived him. He recognized it was a deep fly ball, so it caught up to him. ... It’s a lesson that this cannot occur.