Mets finally call up top infield prospect after impressive run in Triple-A
After tearing his ACL during Winter Ball in late 2023, the 24-year-old infielder was left watching the world move on without him.
Advertisement
Days blurred into months, and as the 2024 season passed him by, doubt surely crept in. But behind the scenes, he was grinding. Healing. Preparing. Waiting for the call that has finally come.
MLB insider Joel Sherman has confirmed what New York Mets fans have been hoping to hear: Mauricio is heading back to the big leagues. And if the numbers are any indication, he's not just back—he's on fire.
The numbers don't lie: Mauricio's red-hot streak in Triple-A
Imagine a match dropped into dry kindling—that's how quickly Mauricio has ignited the stat sheets in Triple-A.
Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
After brief tune-ups in Single-A and Double-A, where he posted a .321 and .402 OPS respectively, he exploded with the Syracuse Mets.
Advertisement
Through just nine games, Mauricio's slash line sits at a ridiculous .515/.564/.818. That adds up to a 1.382 OPS and a mind-blowing 252 wRC+.
To top it off, he's hit three home runs, stolen four bases, scored 10 times, and driven in eight RBI—all while striking out just 12.8 percent of the time.
Sure, it's a small sample size, but you don't need a telescope to see a star catching fire. Mauricio is making loud contact, running the bases like his knee never missed a beat, and looking every bit like the top prospect Mets fans once dreamed on.
Fitting into the Mets' 2025 puzzle
Mauricio's timing couldn't be better. Third baseman Mark Vientos recently went down with a hamstring injury, potentially opening up immediate playing time.
Advertisement
And with Francisco Lindor entrenched at shortstop, Mauricio's versatility becomes a major asset.
He's already shown he can handle second base, and the designated hitter role could offer a less physically demanding way to ease him back into major league speed.
For a Mets offense that has sputtered in spurts, Mauricio could be that necessary spark—the unexpected plug in a flickering circuit.
The team doesn't need him to be perfect. They just need him to be what he's always been projected to become: an electric bat with pop, speed, and enough swagger to energize a roster that has lacked a consistent offensive identity.
Credit: Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports
Can he outperform his 2023 debut?
His first go-around in the majors, back in 2023, was more learning curve than breakout. He managed a modest 79 wRC+ over 108 plate appearances—a reminder that even the most talented young players often struggle out of the gate.
Advertisement
But that version of Mauricio was still raw, still adjusting, still finding his footing. Now, he's battle-tested. He's seen adversity not just on the field, but in the hardest way imaginable: by being forced to sit and watch, fully sidelined by injury.
That kind of setback rewires an athlete's drive. It can break you—or it can shape you.
The signs suggest Mauricio chose the latter.
The emotional weight of the moment
Think of a boxer, bruised and bloodied, stepping back into the ring after a long layoff. The crowd holds its breath—not because they expect him to win, but because they want to believe he still can.
Advertisement
Mauricio is stepping into that ring again. And the stakes, while quieter than a championship bout, feel just as personal.
This isn't just about one player's comeback. It's about possibility. For the Mets, who have hovered in the realm of 'almost,' and for fans who've waited patiently for a reason to lean forward on the couch instead of sinking back into it.
Mauricio might not save the Mets season. But right now, he doesn't need to. He just needs to keep doing what he's done these past few weeks—play with heart, hustle, and the fire of someone who knows how quickly it can all be taken away.
Popular reading:
Mets lefty reliever makes huge strides in rehab; could be an option in July
Advertisement
Related Headlines
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
7 minutes ago
- New York Times
This Week in Mets: What does New York really need at the trade deadline?
'The ability to imagine is the largest part of what you call intelligence. You think the ability to imagine is merely a useful step on the way to solving a problem or making something happen. But imagining it is what makes it happen.' —'Sphere,' Michael Crichton The trade deadline is as many days away as Ronny Mauricio had hits Sunday night, and the Mets have won seven in a row. Let's get right to it and break down as narrowly as we can what the Mets could really use this week. Advertisement President of baseball operations David Stearns has already singled out center field as the logical area for an offensive upgrade, were the Mets to make one. New York entered Sunday with the second-worst OPS in baseball from the position. The situation in center is tied to the uncertainty the Mets have at second and third base. Jeff McNeil is going to start pretty much every day at second or center, and New York has Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, Mark Vientos and Tyrone Taylor as options to fill out the lineup. (Vientos could also see time at designated hitter, depending on the health of Starling Marte and Jesse Winker down the stretch.) In a perfect world, Baty and Mauricio could start against righties, and Vientos and Taylor could start against lefties. But Vientos and Taylor have had poor seasons overall, including against southpaws. That's been a team-wide problem for New York's right-handed hitters. The Mets entered Sunday ranking 20th in baseball in OPS against southpaws; strangely, that's attributable almost entirely to the right-handed hitters in New York's lineup struggling against lefties. The Mets' left-handed hitters have an OPS more than 100 percentage points better against lefties than their righty hitters. So the best fit in center field is someone who handles the position defensively — Stearns has very clearly emphasized that — while excelling against left-handed pitching. Looking at the center-field options, that knocks out the lefty-swinging Jarren Duran (who would probably cost too much to consider anyway) and Cedric Mullins (who has been in a deep slump since the end of April). It leaves three interesting names: Luis Robert Jr., Harrison Bader and Dane Myers. Robert, you know. He hit 38 homers in 2023 and has been terrible ever since. He has been hot lately, and there's a school of thought that a change of scenery would reinvigorate him. If the Mets acquired him, it would be because they want him in center field most days, which would put McNeil at second and leave third base to the trio of Baty, Mauricio and Vientos. There'd be more protection in case one or more of those young players struggled. Advertisement Despite the recent struggles, Robert would require a real return. The closest comparison I can find for him is the Milwaukee Brewers' 2014 trade for Gerardo Parra, which cost the Brewers a recent first-round pick (No. 38 Mitch Haniger) and a starter having a breakthrough year in A-ball en route to being a fringe top-100 prospect (Anthony Banda). The Mets would not want to give up that much. Bader, you know. He was in Queens last year, and his season turned disappointing in part because he didn't hit left-handed pitching as well as he has over his career. He's had a nice year with the Minnesota Twins and an especially hot July. A good comp for a Bader trade is either the Mets' trading Tommy Pham away in 2023 (for Jeremy Rodriguez, whom FanGraphs viewed as a top-100 prospect within a year) or the New York Yankees' trade for Andrew Benintendi in 2022, when a recent first-round pick (No. 38 again) was the key piece going to the Kansas City Royals. Myers, you might not know. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal mentioned him briefly last week. He's a 29-year-old with the Miami Marlins whose defensive metrics grade out well; he has the same number of outs above average as Tyrone Taylor in fewer innings, though he's behind in defensive runs saved. And Myers has hit lefties very well: an .866 OPS for his career, and an .866 OPS this season. Myers is basically having the season the Mets expected out of Taylor, and in that regard, it's not a given he'll outperform him the rest of the way. Myers would come with four additional years of team control, so the Marlins do not need to move him. But he's 29, and Miami has a center-field prospect waiting. I don't have a good comp for a Myers trade. The closest I can come up with is when the Chicago White Sox traded catcher Reese McGuire with three more years of team control to the Red Sox, though for veteran reliever Jake Diekman. A Myers trade would probably include a fringe top-20 prospect in the organization as the headliner, if I'm speculating. Advertisement You wouldn't have known it from this weekend in San Francisco (at least for the first 26 innings), but think back to last year's National League Championship Series. What haunted the Mets' bullpen more than anything? Walks. The bullpen entered Sunday with a 9.3 percent walk rate, the 14th highest in baseball. That's not too bad, right? Well, unfortunately, Max Kranick and his 3.4 percent walk rate won't be part of the calculation. Let's look at six key relievers and their walk rates: (For what it's worth, Brooks Raley has walked two of 14 batters faced this season. His walk rate with the Mets in his last full season in 2023 was 10.6 percent.) That 11.0 percent combined walk rate would be the second-highest in the league. So, what would really help the Mets' pen would be a late-game arm who is stingy with free passes. And the three players who stick out the most in that regard are Minnesota's Griffin Jax (6.8 percent walk rate) and Pittsburgh Pirates teammates David Bednar (6.8 percent) and Dennis Santana (6.0 percent). Jax's relatively low walk rate stands out because he doesn't throw many pitches in the strike zone. He throws fewer than half his pitches in the strike zone (similar to, say, Reed Garrett) while generating an incredible amount of chase on his slider and changeup. (He has the fourth-best chase rate in baseball.) The best comp for a Jax deal is probably Cleveland's deal for Andrew Miller in 2016, which cost it two top-100 prospects (and two other pitchers who made the big leagues). Bednar, a two-time All-Star, has returned to form after being sent down back in April. He relies on his 97 mph four-seamer as well as a curveball and splitter; the curve would be a different look for the bullpen, as almost no one else throws it. Advertisement The best comp for a Bednar deal is another one Pittsburgh made: sending Mark Melancon to the Washington Nationals in 2016 and getting Felipe Vázquez back. Vázquez became an All-Star closer before sexual assault charges ended his major-league career. The difference between Santana and Jax is that Santana still throws a fastball a fair amount of the time, and he throws it in the zone. Santana generates chase (the 13th most in baseball) with his slider. Santana has been especially tough against left-handed hitters, holding them to five hits in 57 at-bats — none of them for extra bases. Santana doesn't strike out hitters the way Jax and Bednar do. Santana could compare to an earlier Pirates trade, when they sent reliever Richard Rodriguez to the Atlanta Braves in 2021 for a young starter in Bryse Wilson. I'd trade for 1999 Shawon Dunston and 2015 Addison Reed. No, I'd basically make these moves in tandem. If the Mets prioritize Robert in center field, they can make a smaller move for the pen with Santana. If they really want Jax, they can do something smaller for Myers in center. If they want to take the middle road, Bader and Bednar work. The Mets finished a sweep of the San Francisco Giants on Sunday to push their winning streak to seven. At 62-44, New York leads the National League East by 1 1/2 games over the Philadelphia Phillies and is within a half-game of the Chicago Cubs and Brewers for the best record in the National League. The San Diego Padres came back over the weekend to split a four-game series in St. Louis and salvage a 5-5 trip to start the second half. San Diego is 57-49 and owns the final NL wild card, one game ahead of the Cincinnati Reds. The Giants, as you may have deduced from above, were swept by the Mets. San Francisco dropped to 54-52 and is now three games behind San Diego for that last wild card. The Pirates come to the Bay for three games before the Giants head east. Advertisement at San Diego RHP Frankie Montas (3-1, 4.62 ERA) vs. RHP Dylan Cease (3-10, 4.59 ERA) LHP Sean Manaea (1-1, 2.19) vs. RHP Yu Darvish (0-3, 9.18) RHP Clay Holmes (9-5, 3.40) vs. RHP Nick Pivetta (10-3, 2.81) vs. San Francisco LHP David Peterson (7-4, 2.83) vs. LHP Robbie Ray (9-5, 2.93) RHP Kodai Senga (7-3, 2.00) vs. RHP Carson Seymour (0-0, 3.00) RHP Frankie Montas vs. TBD Red = 60-day IL Orange = 15-day IL Blue = 10-day IL • Paul Blackburn should be back within a week, likely in the bullpen. The Mets don't need a sixth starter again until late August. • Tylor Megill might be back that final week of August to be that sixth starter. Megill should start a rehab assignment soon. • Jose Siri still hasn't restarted a running program, but the Mets still think he should be back at some point this season. Triple A: Syracuse at Buffalo (Toronto Blue Jays) Double A: Binghamton vs. Harrisburg (Washington) High A: Brooklyn vs. Jersey Shore (Philadelphia) Low A: St. Lucie at Jupiter (Miami) • Even after adding Gregory Soto, the Mets should add a setup man • Our trade deadline mailbag answers questions about Clay Holmes, Mark Vientos and more • An overview of the Mets' needs and possible solutions • Intel on how the Mets feel about center field; intel on how others think they'll behave in the pitcher markets • It was a big week for Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty • The Mets should care about every little upgrade • The Athletic's trade deadline big board So, after I found last week's sci-fi novel (Ray Nayler's 'The Mountain in the Sea') lacking a little in the cheap thrills department, I read Crichton's 'Sphere.' It was basically the opposite of Nayler's book: a lot of propulsive plot, though with less currency behind it (and a bit of an anticlimactic ending). Thus concludes my mid-summer interlude into science fiction. The Dunston trade in 1999 worked out. But one for reliever Billy Taylor did not. Which two relievers did the Mets send to the Athletics in return for Taylor? I'll reply to the correct answer in the comments. (Photo of Jeff McNeil: Ishika Samant / Getty Images)
New York Times
7 minutes ago
- New York Times
MLB trade deadline 2025 live updates: Tracker, news, rumors and analysis of every deal
Major League Baseball's trade deadline is a moment in time. This season, the deadline is set at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday. In theory, absolutely nothing changes until that moment. In reality: Everything changes in the days leading up to the deadline. Nearly 70 trades were completed in the month before last year's trade deadline. The vast majority happened in the last two days, but the market began to pick up steam in the final week. A.J. Puk was traded five days before, Zach Eflin and Randy Arozarena were traded four days before, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Carlos Estevez were traded three days before, Isaac Paredes and Jason Adam were traded two days before, Tommy Edman and Yusei Kikuchi were traded one day before, and Jack Flaherty was traded in the final minutes before the deadline passed and Major League trades ceased. As of this morning, the trade deadline is three-and-half days away, and we're expecting some action. The Athletic's trade deadline live blog will be your go-to source for breaking news and instant analysis. We'll have our usual in-depth coverage on the main site — and you'll see plenty of links to that work here on the blog — but this will be our landing page for all things trade deadline. We'll be with you more or less all day, Monday to Thursday, presenting some of the reporting you might have missed and providing quick feedback when deals come together. For all of you arm-chair GMs — aren't we all? — this can be baseball's most exciting week outside of the playoffs. Whether your favorite team is buying, selling or threading the needle, thanks for joining us. May all of your two-month rentals be CC Sabathia, and all of your lottery ticket prospects be Yordan Alvarez.
New York Times
7 minutes ago
- New York Times
C. Notes: Reds find themselves in the thick of the race at the trade deadline
CINCINNATI — Up until the All-Star break, the Cincinnati Reds were never more than four games above .500, nor more than four games under .500. They won the first two games after the break to put them at 52-47 before losing their next three. But Sunday's 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays put them a season-best six games over .500 at 56-50. Advertisement Entering the week of the trade deadline, the Reds have moved from a team that was on the periphery of contention to fully in contention, just one game behind the San Diego Padres for the third spot in the National League wild-card race. The Arizona Diamondbacks, 51-55, have already started selling, and the floundering St. Louis Cardinals have gone 3-7 since the break and could begin selling off their assets. That leaves the Reds in a prime position to try to improve their roster at the deadline. 'Wins at any time of the year are super important, but especially right now when decisions are being made,' Reds closer Emilio Pagán said after recording his 22nd save of the season Sunday. 'Some of the conversations I've had with (general manager) Brad (Meador) and (president of baseball operations) Nick (Krall), they're just as pumped as we are. They want to do something special here, too. This has been building now for a few years. I think the city and the organization is aware of that. We didn't do what we wanted to last year, but we're playing good baseball right now, and hopefully we can put ourselves in a spot to do something pretty cool.' The Reds expect starter Hunter Greene to return next month, which could help bolster a starting rotation that has been good of late. Right-hander Brady Singer added to the recent run of strong pitching performances Sunday against the Rays, allowing a run on three hits in 7 1/3 innings to improve to 8-8 on the season. Singer was one of the players with playoff experience that Krall and Meador brought in this past offseason, along with catcher Jose Trevino, outfielder Austin Hays and infielder/outfielder Gavin Lux. They also hired Terry Francona as manager. His resume includes three pennants and two World Series championships. 'We have a group of guys that are looking to make a push in the playoffs,' Singer said. 'The city deserves the playoffs as well.' Your Cincinnati Reds have won 10 of the last 14‼️#ATOBTTR — Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 27, 2025 The Reds haven't made the playoffs since 2020, haven't made the playoffs in a full season since 2013 and haven't had a home playoff game since 2012. They haven't advanced in the postseason since 1995, and their last World Series title came in 1990. Only one player on the team was born when the Reds last won a World Series. Starter Nick Martinez was born Aug. 5, 1990, just months before the Reds swept the Athletics for the franchise's fifth title. Advertisement As far as deadline needs, the two things the Reds need the most are a power bat, preferably right-handed, and at least one more bullpen arm. Where will those come from? It's tough to say. It's unlikely Krall would mortgage the franchise's future to take a chance on this year's team, but he'll need to do more than the last time the team was in this position, 2023, when the biggest addition was lefty reliever Sam Moll. Though the Reds play their home games in one of the best home-run ballparks in the game, they rank 20th in total homers this season with 109. The Reds' slugging percentage of .393 ranks 18th in baseball. Francona has leaned heavily on the bullpen pieces he has, with Tony Santillan tied for the big-league lead with 51 appearances this season, including all three games against the Rays, and Scott Barlow's 49 appearances tied for seventh. Pagán also threw in all three games against the Rays. Francona has said he'll never publicly discuss team needs because that would be telling his current players that he doesn't think they're good enough. He has been the beneficiary of deadline deals before, however. In 2004, Francona was in his first year with the Boston Red Sox when the team dealt franchise icon Nomar Garciaparra to the Chicago Cubs and got shortstop Orlando Cabrera from the Montreal Expos and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz from the Minnesota Twins. Those two played large roles in the franchise's run to its first title since 1918. In 2016, Francona's Cleveland squad added left-handed reliever Andrew Miller from the New York Yankees. Miller won the MVP of the American League Championship Series and set a record for the most consecutive scoreless innings by a reliever, with 15. He also struck out a record 29 batters in that postseason. So, although the Reds like what they have in the clubhouse, upgrades can pay big dividends. Advertisement In hockey, there's a 'Gordie Howe hat trick,' which consists of a goal, an assist and a fight, three things the Hall of Famer was known for. In Friday's game against the Rays, Reds center fielder TJ Friedl had a bunt single and a home run, the sixth time in his career he has done both in a game. How 'bout stealing a couple runs, @RedsCowboy? @TjFriedl1 — Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 26, 2025 So, what would make a Friedl hat trick? 'I don't know, maybe robbing a homer,' said Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson, who has played most of his professional career with Friedl. The home run was Friedl's 10th of the season and the 50th of his career. The bunt hit, in the fourth inning, was his big-league-leading eighth of the season and the 34th of his career. In 2023, Friedl had 17 bunt hits and 18 home runs. Francona said sometimes a bunt can help get a player going, as it did for Friedl. 'He wasn't feeling good swinging the bat,' Francona said of Friedl's performance Friday. 'But he found a way to be productive, got a bunt down and kept the line moving. And they can say what they want, you can talk numbers all you want, but mentally, it's like when a basketball player shoots a layup early, because then you start to feel it. I think there's something to that.' Heading into Monday's 5 p.m. ET deadline for MLB Draft picks to sign, the Reds have inked 17 of their 20 picks from this month's draft to contracts, all but three high school players who were the team's final three picks. The unsigned picks are shortstop Ethan Moore from Illinois, RHP Myles Upchurch from Washington, D.C., and catcher Leamsi Montanez from Puerto Rico. Moore, a switch hitter, has committed to the University of Tennessee, where the Reds' top pick, shortstop Steele Hall, had committed before signing with the Reds. Upchurch, a 6-foot-4 pitcher, signed with the University of Alabama. Montanez, a left-handed hitter, is uncommitted. Advertisement After a disappointing series loss on the road to the Washington Nationals, the Reds rebounded to sweep the Tampa Bay Rays at home, finishing the week 4-2. It was their fifth series sweep of the season. Since May 15, the Reds have the fifth-best record in baseball, at 36-26, but just the third-best record in the National League Central behind the Milwaukee Brewers (40-20) and Cubs (36-24). Not only do the world champion Los Angeles Dodgers come to town for three games beginning Monday (with Shohei Ohtani starting opposite Nick Martinez on Wednesday), but the trade deadline is also Thursday at 6 p.m., with the Reds beginning their three-game series against the Atlanta Braves at 7:10 p.m. After a rare Friday day game, the Reds will head to Bristol, Tenn., to take on the Braves at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Speedway Classic. • RHP Hunter Greene (right groin strain) is scheduled to make a start for Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday in Omaha, Neb. He is scheduled to throw 55 pitches and then pitch again Saturday. • RHP Ian Gibaut (right shoulder impingement) has begun playing catch and is scheduled to throw a bullpen later this week. • LHP Wade Miley (left flexor strain) has extended his throwing to 120 feet and is scheduled to throw a bullpen Friday. • RHP Carson Spiers (right shoulder impingement) will miss the rest of the season and have elbow surgery soon, although the date has yet to be determined. • Triple-A Louisville (45-57): 3B Sal Stewart went 4-for-4 with two homers and a double (11 total bases) and scored three times Saturday. In nine games at Triple A, he has gone 10-for-36 (.278) with three homers. OF Héctor Rodríguez, who was promoted at the same time, is 14-for-34 (.411) with a home run and four doubles since being called up to the Bats. Rodríguez also has more walks (seven) than strikeouts (five) in his first 41 plate appearances, giving him an on-base percentage of .512. Advertisement • Double-A Chattanooga (52-40): RHP Trevor Kuncl, signed as a minor-league free agent from Mexico this past offseason, recorded his 14th save in Sunday's victory. Kuncl, 26, is 2-0 with a 1.09 ERA and has converted 14 of his 15 save opportunities. Over 29 appearances and 33 innings, he has allowed just 22 hits and four earned runs while striking out 31 and walking 12. • High-A Dayton (30-62): In an up-and-down season, RHP Luke Hayden had nearly identical back-to-back starts, including Friday's start against South Bend, when he allowed a run on two hits in 5 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts and four walks. In his previous start, July 18 against Great Lakes, he gave up a run on two hits in five innings with three strikeouts and three walks. Hayden combined to throw just four innings in his first two starts of the month, allowing eight runs, including five on six walks on July 3 against Lake County. Overall, he's 2-5 with a 4.09 ERA, but batters are hitting just .204 against him. However, he has 51 walks and 61 strikeouts in 70 1/3 innings. • Class-A Daytona (43-50 before Sunday night's game): 3B Alfredo Alcantara made his Class-A debut Friday after being promoted from the Arizona Complex League. Alcantara, 19, had a pair of hits in each of his first two games with the Tortugas, including a double, a home run and three RBIs on Saturday. In Arizona, he hit .315/.444/.443 with two homers, 33 walks and 44 strikeouts in 44 games and 189 plate appearances. (Photo of Brady Singer: Dylan Buell / Getty Images)
