Many fans won't want to relive memories of the 2023 New York Mets, but the team's failure did lead to a significant overhaul of a farm system that desperately needed it. The signature white flag move came in late July when the Mets shipped out Max Scherzer one day after he asked to speak to the front office about the direction of the franchise. Scherzer wound up in Texas, where he won a World Series ring with the Rangers, and the Mets landed one of their top prospects in infielder LuisAngel Acuna, the focus of this week's edition of Minor League Mondays.
The brother of Atlanta Braves' MVP outfielder Ronald, Acuna is a much different type of player than his older brother. Acuna is a 5-foot-8 middle infielder who is more of a contact and line drive hitter than the pure power Ronald offers, but there is plenty of speed in LuisAngel's game.
Texas signed the younger Acuna in 2018 as an international free agent and saw him rocket through their farm system over the past few years. 2023 saw Acuna start off at AA Frisco, where he hit .315 with seven home runs, 51 RBIs, and 42 stolen bases in 84 games. That production attracted the attention of then-Mets' General Manager Billy Eppler, who convinced Steve Cohen to pay down almost $36 million for the remainder of Scherzer's contract to add Acuna to the Mets' farm system.
Although his production dipped after the trade, Acuna showed enough positive signs towards the end of last season for the Mets to push him to AAA Syracuse to start this season. Acuna is still adjusting to the more advanced level of competition, batting .211 with a homer and five RBIs in 17 games, but he is still running with seven steals in that time frame as well.
Scouts are still high on Acuna, who is rated as the team's third-best prospect according to MLB.com, and there is every reason to believe he can be a fit in the more athletic version of the Mets that President of Baseball Operations David Stearns is trying to build. There is 20-home run potential for Acuna if he adds a bit more strength to his frame but the fact he puts the ball in play a lot is a valuable skill since his speed will allow him to be a weapon on the base paths.
The bigger question is where Acuna, a natural shortstop, will fit defensively at the big league level. Francisco Lindor is under contract for the next eight years, which will require the Mets to solve a complicated jigsaw puzzle since both Acuna and Jett Williams, two of their top hitting prospects, are both natural shortstops who aren't quite big enough to play third.
Acuna has experience at second base and in center field, where he has racked up seven games so far this season, but the Mets have let him get plenty of reps at shortstop in order to not put too much on his plate as he adjusts to facing more advanced pitching. The plan is presumably to let Acuna get on a roll offensively before worrying about exposing him to second base and center field more frequently, which is the final step before an eventual appearance in the big leagues.
With Acuna already on the 40-man roster it is just a matter of time before he is a consideration for big league playing time. The Mets are currently playing well and have Jeff McNeil as their primary second baseman with Joey Wendle as a capable backup so there is no reason to rush Acuna along. Expect the Mets to let Acuna play close to a full season with AAA before considering him for a call-up in September, although that plan could change if he tears the cover off the ball with Syracuse or the Mets suffer a significant injury that opens up second base for Acuna.