While the 2023 campaign has been mainly a disappointment, one pleasant surprise for the Mets has been how well the blue and orange’s top prospects have performed at the major league level.
Francisco Álvarez has blossomed into a Rookie of the Year candidate and has solidified himself as the Mets’ top catcher over veterans Omar Narváez and Tomás Nido.
Brett Baty has become the Mets’ everyday third baseman, and Mark Vientos had some excellent moments before being sent back down to get more consistent playing time.
With all of the production that the blue and orange have gotten from their young prospects, one still hasn’t been given a chance at the major leagues: Ronny Mauricio.
Mauricio’s major league journey started in 2017 when the Mets signed him as an international free agent.
The Dominican Republic native has quickly risen through the minor leagues and is playing like a top prospect in Triple-A. In 66 games with Syracuse, Mauricio has slashed .319/.362/.536 with 11 home runs and 41 RBIs.
Is it time for the Mets to call up Mauricio?
No, it is not. Does Mauricio deserve to be called up at some point this season? Absolutely but now is not the time. If the Mets keep losing and fall farther away from a wild card spot, they could be a conservative seller at the trade deadline.
In that scenario, we likely see Tommy Pham, Eduardo Escobar, and Daniel Vogelbach on other teams as the calendar flips to August.
Once the veterans are gone, Mauricio can get consistent playing time, whether at second base with Jeff McNeil playing in left to replace Pham or play him at his natural position of shortstop when Francisco Lindor needs a day off.
We saw earlier this season with Vientos that a lack of playing time and the ability to see major league pitching daily will lead to a struggle in production. Every player is different, but if Mauricio is not going to have consistent playing time off the bat, general manager Billy Eppler is better off leaving him Triple-A for the time being.