Paul Articulates – LuisAngel Acuna

Last year, when Francisco Lindor hurt his back during a non-slide play at second base, the Mets called up LuisAngel Acuna to fortify the infield for a few weeks.  Acuna came up with low expectations because even though he was a highly touted prospect when acquired in 2023, his 2024 season in AAA had not been very spectacular.  But as long as he was up, Carlos Mendoza decided to see what Acuna could do, so he inserted him at short.

Acuna outperformed all expectations in the 14 games that he played in September.  He compiled a .308/.325/.641 slash line and played some excellent defense in some very pressurized situations during the Mets’ stretch run.  He played the game like he had been there for years with poise and confidence.  His batting average in the majors was 50 points higher than it was in the minors and his OPS was 312 points higher.  This of course was just a small sample, and there was not much of a scouting report on him but it certainly showed that this kid could play!  

Acuna was on the playoff rosters for the series in Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles but he only saw limited action because Lindor was back and performing like the MVP.  But suddenly he was back on everyone’s radar and if he plays well in the spring, he is a reasonable expectation to be back up in the majors in 2025.

After the playoff run was over, people began to wonder where he was going to continue his work in the off-season.  He chose to play in Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional (LVBP) which is otherwise known as the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League.  The league, which features many players from across the Caribbean and South/Central America also hosts several players from MLB and MiLB during its winter season.  Competition is fairly good there, and it is a great way to hone your skills during the winter months.  Critics would say that the league is the equivalent of AA ball, and there is tougher competition in the Dominican Winter League.

Acuna is of Venezuelan descent (Born in 2002 in Caracas), and one would expect him to be very comfortable playing there.  He is rostered on the Lara Cardinals, where he has played 2B, SS, and CF.  He also has been tearing it up in the league, with a slash line of .337/.419/.495 through 29 games.  This is exactly what the doctor ordered for Acuna who is following up his impressive MLB debut with a dominant performance in winter ball.  Does it matter that he is playing “AA competition”?  I don’t think so – he was very welcome in Binghamton in 2023 when he came to the Mets.  He had a rough 2024 start with Syracuse and I’m sure his confidence took a little hit, so he is now rebuilding that in winter ball.

Acuna needs that confidence to put together a strong spring in St. Lucie to convince the MLB club that he should travel north with the team.  That is not an easy assignment, as Mark Vientos would attest.  Vientos had a very strong spring last year but was sent to Syracuse for the first month.  Acuna would like to avoid the same fate, especially after getting a taste of a pennant race and post-season playoff ball with the Mets.

Time will tell what his competition looks like.  Trade rumors are swirling around about Jeff McNeil, no one knows if Jose Iglesias will be back, and Ronny Mauricio will definitely be back.  David Stearns said that Brett Baty has learned to play second base, and he also signed utility man Jared Young.  Jett Williams should be fully recovered from injury to start the spring so there will be several players vying to make the roster.  From what I saw last year, Acuna has a legitimate shot.