The NL Rookie of the Year race is heating up in Atlanta this weekend

It’s a really interesting year in terms of major awards around MLB this season, with there being legitimate debate for each piece of hardware. Both MVPs have multiple candidates, and we’ll even hear both sides of the should-pitchers-be-eligible-for-MVP debates in the National League. Both Cy Youngs are relatively wide open, and the NL will have the should-pitching-wins-still-matter debate. Then, both Rookie of the Year races have really unique cases on both sides of the debates. Over in the NL, we have two wildly and improbably successful young outfielders we’ve seen in some time, and this weekend we are watching Ronald Acuña and Juan Soto duke it out on the field before they duke it out for the award this winter.

For Acuña, the case revolves around all-around talent and ability to affect a game in different ways. In fact, Jeff Passan spoke to a scout who thought Acuña could join Mike Trout in the conversation for best player in baseball by the end of next season. Now, that’s patently absurd and an example of being able to find scouts who will say anything, but it does speak to the kind of player someone is. If you get mentioned with Trout, it means you are obviously very good, and also very good at everything, not just elite at one or two portions of the game. Acuña has impacted the game with his bat, glove and legs all year, and it’s hard to argue against that kind of impact from a 20-year-old who’s been the best player on a division winner.

As for Soto, the case revolves around pure awe and domination. Whereas Acuña has been the all-around force, Soto has been the picture of excellence at the plate. Now, the overall difference between the two bats hasn’t been much by wRC+, where Soto edges out Acuña by just a few points. However, the 19-year-old has a more sustainable style at the plate and seems to have a higher ceiling with the bat in his hand. Much like Acuña’s all-around skillset can serve to make his talent at the plate underrated, Soto’s talent at the plate can serve to make his all-around skillset underrated as well.

Personally, at this moment in time I’d vote for Acuña, but really the takeaway is that we are extremely lucky to have both of these players in the same league, never mind the same division, for years to come.