See it: Ronny Mauricio Hits Tape Measure Home Run in Spring Game
"Operator, I'd like to report a murder."
Mets top prospect Ronny Mauricio annihilated a baseball in his team's Grapefruit League game against the Washington Nationals on Sunday.
Leading off the bottom of the eighth inning, Mauricio launched a 1-1 pitch from Anthony Castro, which sailed well beyond the wall in right center field. The home run traveled a total of 450-feet at 110 mph.
After the game, Mauricio was asked by reporters if he has ever hit a ball that far to which he replied: "Yeah, I hit one 507-feet before last year in Somerset."
Mauricio's stock has certainly been rising over the course of the past year. Last season for Double-A Binghamton, Mauricio crushed 26 home runs and drove in 89 RBIs with a .767 OPS. He was also the MVP of the Dominican Winter League.
Mauricio, a natural shortstop, is blocked at the position with Francisco Lindor locked up on a long-term deal for the next decade. He is also blocked at second base, where reigning NL batting champion Jeff McNeil just signed an extension. Third base might be Mauricio's best shot of playing the infield, but fellow top prospect Brett Baty is waiting in the wings and is close to contributing at the big-league level.
So, while Mauricio's path to the major leagues is unclear, he has been turning heads so far this offseason and there is no question that the talent is there.
Read More:
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- How Brett Baty is Approaching Mets' Third Base Competition
- MLB Insider Lists Mets as Shohei Ohtani Suitor
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