Among all the trades Mets general manager Billy Eppler made at the deadline, the biggest headline grabber might’ve been sending Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers. And no, not just because of Max’s comments afterward. It’s because that deal netted them Luisangel Acuña, the organization’s new top prospect.
Acuña was at Double-A Frisco at the time of the trade, so his Mets career began at the same level with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. He was having a terrific year with Frisco. Through 402 plate appearances, he slashed .315/.377/.453. This included 34 extra-base hits (25 doubles, two triples, seven homers), 51 RBI, 68 runs scored, and 42 steals.
Luisangel Acuna goes 2 for 4 – the second hit coming in the 9th on a 8 pitch at-bat but he is unable to score as the @RumblePoniesBB fall 2-1 on Sunday #Mets #LGM #MetsTwitter @ernestdove @MiLBMetsMadness @bkfan09 @WexlerRules @ImAriBeRKO @bronxfanatic pic.twitter.com/xrSc1AWnC8
— Mets News and Links (@JohnFromAlbany) August 20, 2023
But once he landed in Bingo, things began slow for him at the plate. As one Reddit user points out, Acuña’s first seven games with the Rumble Ponies included a .170/.264/.191 triple slash. That sussed out to a .456 OPS and 33 wRC+.
Even if he wouldn’t admit it, starting slow is completely understandable given the situation. He’s 21 years old and was just traded for the first time. And not only that, but he also is immediately in the spotlight as the Mets’ new top prospect.
Things have turned around over the past couple of weeks, though. In his most recent 12 games, Acuña is hitting .357/.455/.393. That’s led to a .847 OPS and 145 wRC+. One thing he’s been doing quite consistently is stealing bases. He’s already swiped 10 more since getting acquired. That gives him 52 for the season, which is six behind his brother.
You knew this kind of production was coming at some point. It’s just nice to see it happen sooner rather than later. I’m sure Acuña is happy about it, too. MLB.com is projecting him to make landfall in the big leagues at some point in 2024.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
