Ronny Mauricio is headed to Queens however the place he’ll play is a distinct story.
The Mets are anticipated to name up Ronny Mauricio and Brett Baty from Triple-A Syracuse when rosters increase to twenty-eight on Sept. 1. This will mark the primary time Mauricio, Baty and fellow prospects from the 2023 class Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez have all been on the main league crew collectively. However, the Mets have a tough activity forward of them with regards to figuring out the place three of the 4 will play sooner or later. They can begin to decide that Friday.
As there are with each rookie, there are questions on Mauricio’s recreation that he’ll must reply and may begin to reply with this call-up. As of now, he doesn’t actually have a defensive place.
Mauricio was signed as a shortstop in 2017 throughout the worldwide signing interval, however he’s been blocked by Francisco Lindor since 2021. The Mets have had a number of years to arrange for this however solely began transferring him across the diamond this season whereas he was in Triple-A as a option to not overwhelm him throughout a key growth interval. Mauricio has been working at second base for the previous couple of months however has additionally performed in left discipline and at third base. Last winter, he performed third base within the Dominican Winter League.
Manager Buck Showalter places a heavy emphasis on protection and likes to work rookies in slowly. This may imply utilizing Mauricio as a chosen hitter a number of days per week after which giving him one other few days within the discipline.
Mauricio can be blocked at second base by Jeff McNeil, however not absolutely since McNeil performs within the outfield part-time. Third base is presently a platoon between Jonathan Arauz and Vientos, and left discipline is a rotating group of fringe gamers. There isn’t any apparent outfielder of the long run within the Mets’ system proper now, although Luisangel Acuña and Drew Gilbert ought to be there in one other yr or two.
Third base hasn’t been mentioned a lot with regards to Mauricio, although some exterior of the Mets have speculated about whether or not or not the new nook is a greater match for him. Baty is the presumed third baseman of the long run, however very similar to with Mauricio and Vientos, the concept of transferring him to left discipline has been mentioned. Baty had an up-and-down rookie season. His -7 outs above common reveals that the Mets made the suitable choice to ship him again to Triple-A to work on his protection. Vientos has improved at third base, however his future continues to be possible elsewhere.
Mauricio’s huge construct (6-3, 166 kilos), and his pure instincts could possibly be a match at third base. He excelled on the place whereas enjoying for Licey de Tigres in winter ball final season.
Barring catastrophe, Lindor will proceed to play shortstop day by day by the remainder of the season in order that’s one place we will cross off the record.
Mauricio’s bat is the principle attraction. The 22-year-old Dominican slashed .292/.346/.506 with 23 dwelling runs in 116 video games for Triple-A Syracuse this season. He additionally stole 24 bases, the second time in as a few years he’s hit 20 or extra dwelling runs and stolen 20 or extra bases, having performed so final season with Double-A Binghamton.
However, there are nonetheless huge questions on that huge bat. Mauricio hasn’t proven a willingness to shrink the zone. Last season in Double-A, he walked 24 occasions in 541 plate appearances. This season, he walked 10 extra occasions than final season in 9 fewer at-bats, which doesn’t precisely characterize an enormous shift in his strategy. His stroll price has hovered round 4.0-4.5, which isn’t nice.
Earlier this season, Mets common supervisor Billy Eppler stated he wished to see Mauricio chase fewer balls exterior of the strike zone. Eppler likes hitters who can take a number of pitches, grind out at-bats and get on base. Mauricio doesn’t precisely match that mildew. He has lengthy been tormented by his personal incapacity to take pitches is usually fooled by bad-breaking stuff exterior of the zone. That could possibly be why the Mets have prevented calling him till now.
The dwelling runs and the exhausting hits are spectacular, however scouts haven’t precisely been impressed by his strategy on the plate and he’s and not using a place proper now. There is pleasure across the transfer, however it expectations ought to be tempered.
This call-up could possibly be an try by the Mets to showcase him for a possible commerce over the winter, or it could possibly be a option to drum up some pleasure throughout the last month of the season. Either means, he’ll lastly get an opportunity to see if he can hit huge league pitching and get some defensive reps within the infield.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com