Atlanta Braves superstar, Ronald Acuna Jr., is not only one of Major League Baseball's most exciting athletes, but he also has an off-diamond fan-favourite love story. The Venezuelan slugger, known for his electrifying speed and power, tied the knot with model Maria Laborde on August 31, 202,3 in a private ceremony that combined romance and practicality in the midst of his historic season. The couple, who met through mutual friends in 2019, share two young sons and often share moments about their family in social media updates to the delight of their fans across the world.
A family based on shared moments and a significant age gap
Ronald Acuna Jr., born December 18, 1997, and Maria Laborde, born on August 2, 2000, give the couple a two-to-three-year age difference, making them an epitome of a contemporary celebrity couple where their personal connection is more important than the numbers. Their journey started in 2019, blossomed into parenthood with the birth of their first son, Ronald Daniel, in September 202,0 and their second son, Jamal Mitchell, in 2022.
The wedding day of the couple itself became legendary: arranged quickly due to Maria's Venezuelan visa restrictions, the ceremony happened just hours before Acuna made history with a grand slam and became the first MLB player ever to join the 30-home-run club and the 60-stolen base club in the same season.
Off the field, Maria Laborde has carved out her own identity as a professional model, working with major brands and regularly sharing updates on fitness, travel, and family life with her 158K-plus Instagram followers.
Balancing stardom and togetherness
Despite Acuna's fame and gruelling baseball schedule, family is a centre of both their lives. Maria also routinely posts glimpses of intimate moments, from sun-kissed road trips with her husband to everyday snapshots with their sons, humanising a life otherwise lived in the public eye.
Their age difference, while small in comparison to some celebrity couples, has become a talking point as it comes down to a relationship built on mutual support and shared milestones, and not headlines. Through whirlwind wedding plans, fatherhood, and cheering from the stands, the Acuna-Laborde family goes on to highlight the fact that love and life off the field can be as much a story as any baseball narrative.