Despite all the odds, the New York Mets are fighting for the third Wild Card spot in the NL. They enter Wednesday’s game 3.0 games back of third place, making the path for them a difficult but doable one.
The Mets (and all other teams) will get a boost in September as the active rosters grow from 26 to 28 players. Each team can add one more outfielder and pitcher. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza gave some insight into which outfielders the Mets will be looking for.
Mendoza underscores the need for speed and versatility in this new addition. As The Athletic’s Tim Britton notes, that description certainly fits Mets prospect Luisangel Acuña. This quote suggests that Acuña will be on the team starting September 1.
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If the Mets are looking for speed, Acuña, like his brother Ronald, has plenty of it. He stole 34 bases in the minors this season at Triple-A Syracuse and has a 57-base haul in 2023. If they’re looking for versatility, Acuña has that too, as he can play both middle infield positions as well as center field.
While Acuña does indeed fit the description of what the Mets are looking for, it’s hard to justify promoting him as their new outfielder for September.
When the Mets signed him at the trade deadline last year, he was considered a top talent. That, and the fact that he is Ronald’s brother, understandably excited Mets fans. Unfortunately, his value has dropped drastically this season, as he hit just .263/.307/.367 with seven home runs in 116 games at the Triple-A level. An OPS of .673 is not what the Mets expected from the 22-year-old.
If the Mets decide to promote Acuña, it would be unreasonable to expect him to be used much more than occasionally as a pinch-runner, which isn’t ideal when he could be focusing on his development in Triple-A. Not only is he having a very subpar year offensively in the minors, but they’re also locked in at every position he plays.
Francisco Lindor plays every day at shortstop and is a candidate for NL MVP. Jeff McNeil and Jose Iglesias have combined to form an incredible team at second base, especially in the second half. Harrison Bader, Tyrone Taylor, and even Brandon Nimmo have played center field this season and are all better options than Acuña. Their outfield depth is pretty good overall.
If Acuña is promoted, he would be a designated runner. His bat isn’t good enough to play anywhere, and the Mets have talent at the positions he plays. That’s not exactly the best way to use a former top prospect, but the Mets are likely considering him because they lack organizational speed. His promotion would be exciting, but it’s hard to expect much from Acuña at the MLB level, at least this season.