Mets prized prospect Ronny Mauricio burst onto the scene with 5 hits in his first three MLB video games, however it wasn’t the 22-year-old’s offense that left his supervisor and double-play accomplice buzzing.
Buck Showalter and shortstop Francisco Lindor individually praised Mauricio for instinctively backing up throws to first base over the weekend regardless of his restricted expertise as a second baseman.
“The one thing that has impressed me the most is how composed he is,” Lindor after Sunday’s 6-3 win at residence in opposition to the Mariners. “There’s a couple plays where no one really is going to talk about. He has backed up first base many times. … These little things like that show me that his IQ and his baseball awareness, it’s at a high level.”
The Dominican-born Mauricio is a pure shortstop, however he additionally hung out at second base, at third base and in left subject at Triple-A Syracuse earlier than being known as up Friday. Blocked at shortstop by Lindor, who’s below contract by means of 2031, Mauricio began all three video games in opposition to the Mariners at second base, a place he says he’s embracing.
“It’s been really good,” Mauricio mentioned Sunday. “I’m starting to feel more comfortable there. There’s a lot of work to do to get fully accustomed to play second base, but so far, so good and I’m looking forward to it.”
The switch-hitting Mauricio signed with the Mets for $2.1 million as a global free agent in 2017 and established himself as one of many groups’ high prospects earlier than his MLB debut. In 116 video games at Triple-A this 12 months, Maurcio batted .292 with 23 residence runs, 71 RBI, 30 doubles and 24 stolen bases.
He recorded two hits in Friday’s sport in opposition to Seattle, had two extra Saturday and added one other Sunday. He additionally stole two bases and scored a run through the three-game set.
“It’s been great,” Mauricio mentioned. “Since the very moment they called me to tell me that I would be up here, I said, ‘You know what? Let’s go out there, let’s go have fun, because these first moments don’t happen twice.’ I just want to continue to go out there, continue to play well, and try to help the team win.”
Mauricio says he “learned a lot” throughout his first three MLB video games, together with observing how opposing pitchers approached his at-bats.
Showalter mentioned he’s watching to see if Mauricio can impression the sport even when he’s not hitting, including, “So far, so good.”
“That day where people just went out there and pumped fastballs — ‘Let’s see if you can hit this, kid’ — that doesn’t happen,” Showalter mentioned. “Why do they play him the other way right-handed in the outfield? I love watching these teams. They’ve never seen him. What are they basing that on? Basing it on minor-league numbers, basing it on Double-A, Triple-A, on scouting reports, on metrics and what his swing path is. Everybody knows. You’re not sneaking up on anybody.”
Showalter plans to play Mauricio at a number of positions through the season’s remaining month. Asked which place he believes is Mauricio’s finest, the supervisor replied Sunday, “We’re gonna find out.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com
