JUPITER — The Mets’ high prospects is likely to be forcing some robust choices quickly.
Ronny Mauricio and Brett Baty have been used late within the Mets’ spring coaching loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday and so they each produced as soon as once more.
Mauricio and Baty each went 1-for-2 Monday at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, with Mauricio hitting one other house run, his second in as many days.
Initially, there was some concern concerning the variety of video games Mauricio had performed over the past calendar 12 months. The 21-year-old Dominican Shortstop performed 123 video games for Double-A Binghamton final 12 months and 46 for Tigres de Licey over the winter. He was named the Dominican Winter League MVP after a monster offensive exhibiting and appears to have carried the momentum proper over to the Grapefruit League.
“He hasn’t had much downtime so that’s probably why he’s swinging the bat well,” Mets supervisor Buck Showalter mentioned. “He’s had a lot of recent at-bats.”
The issues about exhausting their sixth-ranked prospect within the system appear to have subsided. His bat seems to be stronger than ever, his eye a bit extra discerning and his protection has improved as properly. Mauricio did make an error that Showalter attributed to the hardened discipline circumstances, that are to be anticipated within the noon South Florida solar, however the lanky Mauricio appears to be transferring across the infield with extra agility and ease.
“He’s a better defender — I can tell — than last year when he came over some,” Showalter mentioned. “His work habits, the pace to his game, a certain fluidity that he’s gaining. And I can see it in his confidence level.”
It’s nonetheless early so it’s potential that Mauricio slows down, however his hit software is what he’s identified for. So then the query turns into, when do the Mets transfer him? And the place do they transfer him? He’s blocked at each infield spot and in contrast to two different high prospects, Baty and Mark Vientos, he’s by no means performed any outfield. His commerce worth will probably be greater as a shortstop, which is a part of the rationale why the Mets have been adamant about leaving him at shortstop this spring.
Showalter has beforehand mentioned that he would favor to let a participant play himself out of his place. Should Mauricio maintain this up, he’ll be taking part in himself into the outfield and away from shortstop.
However, that may not be an issue for this spring. Mauricio is slated to begin the season in Triple-A the place he can proceed bettering his protection and refining his free-swinging methods.
Baty is likely to be a distinct story. The 23-year-old has hit safely in every of his three spring coaching video games, homering in his first. Monday, he singled off Tommy Parsons within the ninth inning and scored on Mauricio’s house run.
“Brett had a good at-bat,” Showalter mentioned. “I hit him first, I knew they were bringing in a left-hander and I wanted to make sure he got a chance to get two at-bats, which he did. We messed around with the order to make sure him and Ronny and those guys got an extra at-bat.”
Baty can be anticipated to begin the season in Triple-A and at this age and stage in his improvement, he must be taking part in on daily basis. But if he continues hitting like this and exhibiting stable protection at third base, he’ll power some robust choices on the finish of March.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com