Inside The Mets

New York Mets Should Call-Up Star Top Prospect to Boost Offense

The New York Mets should consider calling up this star top prospect, who is heating up in Triple-A Syracuse.

Pat Ragazzo

Aug 8, 2023; Bridgewater, NJ; Mets' new minor league prospect Luisangel Acuna is shown at TD Bank
Aug 8, 2023; Bridgewater, NJ; Mets' new minor league prospect Luisangel Acuna is shown at TD Bank / Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com / USA
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Don't look now, but this star top prospect is heating up in Triple-A Syracuse, which could earn him a call-up to the major leagues sooner rather than later.

Second baseman Luisangel Acuña, who the Mets acquired from the Texas Rangers at last year's trade deadline for ace Max Scherzer, has been on a tear lately in the minor leagues.

In his last 14 games, Acuña is 16-for-54 (.296 average) with one home run and seven RBIs. He also crushed a three-run homer for Syracuse in Sunday's game.

After a rough start to the minor league season offensively, the 22-year-old has been on fire with the bat lately. As a result, the Mets could possibly call him up to make his major league debut if second baseman Jeff McNeil continues to struggle at the dish. McNeil, a former batting champion, Silver Slugger Award winner and two-time All-Star, has hit just .242/.317/.341 with a .658 OPS in 26 games, which is not the type of production he has been accustomed to in his career.

If the Mets bring up Acuña, he would play second base everyday, shifting McNeil to left field. But this would push Harrison Bader to the bench and Brandon Nimmo to center field thus weakening the Mets' defense. Bader has also gotten off to a hot start of his own, delivering several big late-inning hits, as well as slashing .275/.301/.338 with a .639 OPS in 22 games.

On the other hand, the Mets could help preserve Bader's health, as he has been hit by the injury bug a ton in his career, by using him in a part-time role.

McNeil could also shift to a utility man role, replacing Joey Wendle. This would allow Bader to remain in center everyday, keeping Nimmo in left.

Should Acuña keep up this hot streak, and McNeil remains cold at the plate, the Mets might not have any choice but to call-up their top prospect to see if it will improve their offense. Acuña also provides an impact defensively and on the base paths with his speed as an avid base stealer. The top prospect would form a strong double play combination with shortstop Francisco Lindor. If he continues this impressive showing at Syracuse, a call-up could be imminent.

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Pat Ragazzo

PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the reporter, publisher, site manager and executive editor for the Mets and Yankees websites on Sports Illustrated. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has been seen on several major TV Network stations including: SNY, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1. And can also frequently be heard on ESPN New York FM 98.7 FM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM as a guest. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @ragazzoreport. Pat also serves as the Mets insider for the "Allow Me 2 Be Frank" podcast with Frank "The Tank" Fleming of Barstool Sports.