Luisangel Acuña’s Sizzling Winter Comes at Key Time
Luisangel Acuña‘s tenure with the Mets, while short, hasn’t been all rainbows and butterflies. After coming over to New York in the Max Scherzer trade in July 2023 from the Rangers organization, the brother of NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. never found his footing in the Mets’ minor league organization. The 22-year-old hit .277/.369/.426/.795 between High-A and Double-A in 2022, compiling 150 hits, 16 doubles and 40 stolen bases. Before the trade to the Mets in 2023, he played 83 games in Double-A Frisco, hitting .315/.377/453/.830 with 25 doubles and 42 stolen bases. However, in 37 games with Double-A Binghamton, Acuña only produced a .243/.317/.304/.621 line with three doubles and 15 stolen bases.
Acuña didn’t fare much better in Triple-A Syracuse during the 2024 season, putting together a .258/.299/.355/.654 line with 20 doubles, 40 stolen bases and 96 strikeouts through 131 games. However, when Francisco Lindor hurt his back in September, Acuña received a call-up and produced on the big league stage. In his 39 at-bats, he hit .308/.325/.641/.966 with two doubles, one triple and three home runs in 14 games.
He opted to play in the Venezuelan Winter League and continued his success there. Through 32 games, the infielder has 34 hits (five doubles, one triple, three home runs), and is hitting .337 with a 914 OPS. Acuña hasn’t been caught stealing once.
Photo by Brad Penner-Imagn Images
What Does This Mean For The Mets?
Entering Monday, the Mets’ infield depth consists of Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil, Mark Vientos, Acuña, Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio. Lindor, Vientos and McNeil are locked for the 2025 roster (assuming McNeil isn’t trade bait). If the team doesn’t sign anyone else, Vientos would shift to first, leaving a hole at third. Likely candidates would be McNeil or Baty for everyday roles, and Acuña could move to second. While he’s a natural shortstop, the Mets have used him at second when playing with Lindor.
Likely, the Mets will sign a first baseman. Whether it will be Pete Alonso or someone like Christian Walker, or if the team signs a third baseman like Alex Bregman, shifting Vientos to first permanently, remains to be seen.
All to say, the fact that Acuña carried a hot bat from September to the Venezuelan Winter League is a positive sign for the Mets. He never looked like the prospect they thought they were receiving after the trade, however he finally looks like he’s hitting his stride. If he can continue that surge, he can leap Baty, a player who hasn’t been able to produce in major league at-bats, and Mauricio (ACL), whose rehab process is taking longer than expected.
Acuña likely won’t ever be the star his brother is, but he is the type of player the Mets look to build around. A flexible player who offers versatility at the plate, speed and defense.
Final Thoughts
As the Mets continue to construct their roster for 2025, the team can look to Acuña as a player who starts the season in Queens. While he may not have an everyday role, he can work as a platoon player, similar to how the team used Tyrone Taylor and Jose Iglesias in 2024. While Winter Ball isn’t a direct translation of how a player’s season will go, it’s a positive sign for Acuña, a player who’s previously struggled in Arizona Fall League play. Of course, Acuña might be a trade piece in the end, but his value might prove dividends for the Mets in 2025.
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