NEW YORK -- The hottest hitter in Triple-A right now may just be Ronny Mauricio, who is batting .560 with three home runs in seven games since his promotion to Syracuse. But that doesn’t mean he’s anywhere close to a call-up.
While those things might seem contradictory, the Mets have multiple reasons for keeping Mauricio, their ninth-ranked prospect, in the Minors for now.
One is that Mauricio is still working into game shape after undergoing multiple right knee surgeries over the past 18 months. He has yet to play more than two consecutive games in the Minors, and he only recently cleared that threshold for the first time. The Mets intend to remain prudent with Mauricio, which means his workload is likely to increase only gradually.
“We’re most focused on him getting the reps under him, getting the volume, hopefully continuing to swing a really hot bat,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “And then once we get to that point, it gives us something to think about.”
How long that will take, Stearns said, isn’t subject to an exact number of consecutive games or total plate appearances. That’s where the other aspect of Mauricio’s situation comes in: Although he played 26 games in the Majors two years ago, Mets officials still feel he could use some development time in the Minors.
“He’s likely never going to be the type of guy with Juan Soto-type plate discipline, but there are probably some strides he can make there,” Stearns said. “And so while he’s in Triple-A, we’ll encourage him to continue to make those strides while recognizing his gift is that he hits the ball incredibly hard.”
The third factor keeping Mauricio in the Minors is the reality that the Mets don’t have an obvious roster spot available for him.
Mauricio is not going to supplant Francisco Lindor at shortstop anytime soon. Team officials have been pleased by what Brett Baty has given them at third base, and Mark Vientos remains a healthy option there as well. Jeff McNeil, similarly, has given the Mets solid production at second base, while Luisangel Acuña has delivered value at that position off the bench.
Of those players, only Acuña and the red-hot Baty have accessible Minor League options. Stearns indicated that not only would the roster picture need to open up a bit for the team to promote Mauricio, but it would also need to have enough available reps to play the rookie on a regular basis.
“Figuring out exactly what that puzzle looks like is a real part of it,” Stearns said.
Despite all that, the Mets recognize Mauricio as one of the most promising offensive talents in Minor League Baseball -- a former Top 100 prospect who has produced elite exit velocities throughout the Minors and at the big league level. They also understand Mauricio is still just 24 years old and will impact the team at some point soon, even if it’s not right now.
“Number one is health and getting him back and building up the volume, and we’re continuing to do that,” Stearns said. “But any time you see players consistently hitting lasers all over the field, which is what he’s doing right now in Triple-A, you pay attention. And so we’re paying attention, and we’ll continue to monitor that and see where it goes.”
Senior Reporter Anthony DiComo has covered the Mets for MLB.com since 2007.