No. 10 Luisangel Acuña
B/T: R/R
Age: 22 (3/12/2002)
Ht: 5’8 Wt: 180
Acquired: Trade with the Rangers for Max Scherzer in 2023
ETA: 2025
2024 Stats: AAA: .258/.299/.355/.654, 7 HR, 50 RBI, 40 SB, 32 BB, 96 K, 587 PA
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
Overview
In 2018, the Texas Rangers signed Luisangel Acuña out of Venezuela for $425,000. Acuña spent the 2019 season with the Rangers Dominican Summer League team, appearing in 51 games and slashing a stellar .342/.438/.455, with 14 extra-base hits, two home runs, 17 stolen bases, 34 walks, and 26 strikeouts.
After missing the 2020 season due to the postponed minor league season, Acuña was promoted to the Rangers. Appearing in 111 games, he hit .266/.345/.404 with 18 XBH, 12 home runs, 44 stolen bases, and 49 walks with 110 strikeouts.
In 2022, Acuña started the season with the Rangers’ High-A affiliate. The Venezuelan native appeared in 53 games, batting .319/.418/.485 with 10 doubles, eight home runs, 28 stolen bases, with 34 walks and 60 strikeouts. In August, he was promoted to AA, playing in 37 games, slashing .224/.302/.349 in 37 games with eight XBH, three home runs, 12 stolen bases, and 17 walks with 36 strikeouts.
After struggling in AA during the end of the 2022 season, Acuňa thrived in 2023 with the Rangers AA affiliate to start the season, playing in 84 games hitting, .315/.377/.453 with 27 XBH, seven home runs, 42 steals, and 37 walks with 76 strikeouts before being traded to the Mets in July 2023 in exchange for Max Scherzer and $35 million in cash. After being acquired, the Mets immediately assigned Double-A Binghamton, appearing in 37 games for Binghamton, hitting .243/.317/.304 with two home runs, 15 stolen bases, and 15 walks with 30 strikeouts.
The 22-year-old started the 2024 season in Triple-A with the Syracuse Mets, where he played 131 games, slashing .258/.299/.355 with 26 XBH, seven home runs, 40 stolen bases, 32 walks, and 96 strikeouts. In September, Acuña earned a call up to Flushing, where he found some success. Acuña appeared in 14 games with 39 at-bats for the Mets in the big leagues, slashing .308/.325/.641 with three XBH, three home runs, one walk and six strikeouts.
During the winter, the infielder played for the Cardenales de Lara of the Venezuelan Winter League, appearing in 31 games, hitting .337/.419/.495 with three home runs, 18 stolen bases, and 11 walks with 18 strikeouts.
At 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, Luisangel possesses a smaller, more compact version of his brother Ronald Acuña’s batting stance. Acuña has plus-level power along with a solid whiff rate. He had a 17.6% whiff rate against Triple-A fastballs, a 28.2% rate against breaking balls, and a 26.7% rate against off-speed pitches. After being promoted to the big leagues in September, Acuña had a 27.1% whiff rate against major league fastballs, a 21.4% rate against breaking balls, and a 16.7% whiff rate against off-speed pitches.
Defensively, Acuña provides his greatest value at shortstop, though he is also a threat at second base.
Overall, Acuña’s best trait is lightning speed on the basepaths. He has eclipsed 40 plus steals over the past four seasons. Across his entire professional career, Acuña has stolen 198 total bases while being caught only 50 times. In 2024, he was successful on 40 of 54 stolen base attempts.
2025 Outlook
After spending the majority of the 2024 season in Syracuse while playing 14 games in the MLB after being called up in September, I expect Acuña to start the season in the big leagues. Speaking to reporters at ‘Amazin Day’, manager Carlos Mendoza said the middle infielder will step into a “huge role” in 2025.
“He’s going to have a big role, he’s going to have a huge role,” Mendoza said. “I said [Jeff] McNeil is going to be a big part of our team — Luisangel is right there too. We keep saying that the young players are going to get opportunities. Luisangel will get his. He’s taking ground balls at third base, so he’s a part of that mix. He showed us that he can play at this level, and he’ll continue to get opportunities.”
However, with Francisco Lindor as the Mets’ starting shortstop and Jeff McNeil at second base, it’s unlikely that Acuña will start the season as an everyday player.
