The Players’ Tribune’s Signature Stories: Ronald Acuna Jr.
The 7th Annual Awards
- Best Athlete Storytelling
- Best Documentary: Short-Form
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
The Players’ Tribune’s ‘Signature Stories’ is a culmination of everything the brand is known for - honest and open storytelling, visually stunning photography and engaging video - all seamlessly combined into a unified, beautiful user experience. Through ‘Signature Stories’ audiences are able to get closer than ever to their favorite athletes, including the most recent piece by baseball star, Ronald Acuna Jr. who leveraged TPT’s Signature Story series to share his journey and struggles with mental health.
How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?
For the last decade TPT has been the blueprint for athlete-led storytelling, empowering athletes from around the world, at all levels of professionalism, to take control over their own stories & experiences & to share them in authentic, thoughtful & impactful ways.
Signature Stories’ raw authenticity is the main reason that the series has been such a success with audiences, & Ronald Acuna Jr.'s piece is no exception. Fans & non-fans alike are infatuated with the lives of athletes & are constantly looking to further understand & connect with those they idealize. By sharing his honest, unfiltered story with the world, Acuna reminds us all that we're all human & regardless of our public profile, career or talent - we all struggle, we all triumph & we all have stories to tell.
Furthermore, Signature Stories sets a new precedent for how athlete-storytelling can & should be created & shared. One of the main differentiators between pieces in this series and TPT’s other content is the extensive process of writer & athlete collaboration, empowering athletes to put it all out on the table, sharing even their personal photos/videos, & leaving no stone unturned. The storytelling industry is always changing & this series will surely be a turning point in that evolution.
Objective
Since its inception, The Players’ Tribune (TPT) has been dedicated to amplifying the voice of the athlete and, through trust and respect, building a safe space for athletes to share their most personal stories. For the last decade, TPT has been the go to destination for athletes wishing to open up to the public about their innermost selves - think Kevin Love’s 2018 piece on his struggle with anxiety - and in 2022 the brand took this mission a step further and introduced a new content vertical, ‘Signature Stories’.
The Players’ Tribune’s ‘Signature Stories’ is a culmination of everything the brand is known for - honest and open storytelling, visually stunning photography and engaging video - all seamlessly combined into a unified, beautiful user experience. Through ‘Signature Stories’ audiences are able to get closer than ever to their favorite athletes, including the most recent piece by baseball star, Ronald Acuna Jr. who leveraged TPT’s Signature Story series to share his journey and struggles with mental health.
Too often athletes are seen as one-dimensional and with ‘Signature Stories’ The Players’ Tribune is taking a 360 approach to their unique experiences, showcasing the nuance and depth that surrounds the lives of athletes.
Strategy & Execution
Today's sports fans want to get to know the human side of athletes, not just their stats, scores or highlight reel moments. In this digital age, with access to various social media platforms aimed at connecting people around the world, we're surprisingly disconnected & craving the human to human connection that TPT's able to provide through authentic, athlete-led storytelling.
In his Signature Story piece, "I Mean No Harm, I Swear", Ronald Acuña Jr. opens up about his journey - from his humble beginnings in La Sabana, Venezuela, to becoming a professional baseball player. He shares tales of early rejections & discouragement, how his life changed forever when the Atlanta Braves finally offered him a contract, & how even despite his success, he still struggled with his mental health during the transition from his home country to the U.S.
From a distribution standpoint, this piece lives natively on TPT’s site & has been shared across their social media channels as well as Acuna’s own personal profiles. Additionally, TPT empowered greater distribution of this story by allowing other sports media publications access, creating a network of distribution that enabled all fans, regardless of preferred medium or outlet, to witness & take part in Acuna’s unique story.
Organizations
- Minute Media
- The Players’ Tribune
Links
Featured
- Ronald Acuna Jr.
Credits
Ronald Acuña Jr.
Contributor
The Players' Tribune
Jackson Krule
Senior Visual Producer
The Players' Tribune
Celebrate in NYC
Join us for the 7th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 24, 2025 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.
