PHILADELPHIA — When Ronny Mauricio returned to Syracuse last month, it took only a few games before his Triple-A teammates discovered what the Mets had known for years. The Mets infield prospect can absolutely rake.
But since returning to the big leagues after only nine games in Triple-A, the 24-year-old Mauricio has had to make some adjustments to better pitching. Some of the adjustments have come easier than others. Mauricio is hitting just .182 (8-for-44) with a double a two home runs in 13 games since he was called up to replace Mark Vientos on the big league roster.
“On and off, I feel like there’ll be days where he’s not missing fastballs, and obviously days where they’re making him chase,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “There’s games where you get some good at-bats by not chasing, but that’s part of it.”
It’s a small sample size, but Mauricio is chasing about 41.5% of pitches outside of the zone, and has been fooled often by offspeed offerings. This has long been Mauricio’s downfall. Well before he tore his ACL in a December 2023 winter league game in his native Dominican Republic, the Mets wanted to see Mauricio take more pitches and refine his approach. His career .313 OBP diminishes his offensive impact.
And he’s not naive to these struggles. When asked if he thinks he’s able to control the zone, he was honest in his assessment.
“I don’t think so,” Mauricio told the Daily News. “I’m working hard on it. I’ve been chasing so many balls down and out of the zone, but I’m working to shrink my zone.”
The good news is that Mauricio’s surgically-repaired knee has not hindered him in any way. At 6-4, 166 pounds, Mauricio is somewhat lanky, but he’s strong. He’s still able to derive power from his lower half without any pain or limited mobility from his knee. The swing is still the same. It’s fluid and graceful from the left side, while staying through the middle of the zone. The strength allows for a high impact and hard hits.
“My knee is ready and my leg is stronger,” Mauricio said. “I’m able to damage.”
However, the exit velocity hasn’t been there consistently in the big leagues yet. He’s hitting balls an average of 88.6 MPH off the bat right now, which is what happens when a player isn’t swinging at the right pitches.
The Mets are attempting to develop a trio of players in the big leagues, with Mauricio being one of them. It’s not easy and it’s not ideal, but the Mets are in a tough spot needing to use some of the tools these young infielders provide.
“This is a guy that missed so much time, and here we are asking him to play every day at the big-league level,” Mendoza said. “So we know he’s got talent, but we’ve got to be patient.”
Defense has been another story. It’s clear Mauricio is comfortable at third base, which is a positive indicator of development. The Mets brought up Mauricio as a shortstop and were slow to move him to second base in Triple-A in 2023. His experience at third is limited, but the Mets have given him 10 starts there to allow him to get comfortable at the hot corner.
Having played in the major leagues as a September call-up in 2023, Mauricio is comfortable with Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil in the infield, and is eager to learn more from Lindor. Routine plays are completed properly, and while a few throws have been off-line, he boasts a strong arm and good footwork.
“He’s done a nice job on the routine balls,” said infield coach Mike Sarbaugh. “He’s made some good plays to his left, and just, I think he’s getting used to the speed of the game. I think he’s done a nice job.”
Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Mets finally gave him a shot at second base.
“The days that he hasn’t played, he’s been working at second base,” Mendoza said. “We know how good Brett [Baty] has been at third, and Mauricio has been fine at third base too, but I thought today was a day where we could put Mauricio at second base and keep Baty at third.”
With the Mets tentatively planning to activate Vientos on Monday, Mauricio is the likely candidate to demote. The Mets are able to give him instruction and work with him in the major leagues, but the staff seems to agree that more time in Triple-A could be beneficial for him this season. Mauricio doesn’t seem to disagree.
Whether he stays or goes, he’s just happy to be in a position where he can work on improving after so much time away from the game.
“I’m happy to be in the field, I’m happy to be able to play every day,” he said. “And that’s the more important thing. I’m choosing to try to enjoy the moment here.”
