Photo by Ed Delany, MMO

One of the very first things new GM Brodie Van Wagenen said was “We will win now, and we will win in the future.” Using a roster filled with talented arms and bats, then supplemented by making a flurry of moves, headlined by the acquisitions of Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz, and Wilson Ramos, among many others, is very clearly part of the plan to win now. One of the very special and talented pieces of the future? 17-year-old Ronny Mauricio.

Think about what you were doing at 17-years-old. At that age, my biggest concern was getting to school early enough to find a decent parking spot, or trying to get someone to go to prom with me, you know, normal problems for a 17-year-old. Then there are kids like Ronny Mauricio, who is playing games with the big league club.

Seen as the #3 International Prospect, and top SS prospect in the 2017 International class by Baseball America, Mauricio signed with the Mets for a $2.1 million signing bonus. A new organizational record, surpassing fellow Dominican SS, and fellow Met, Amed Rosario. And ever since inking that deal as a 16-year-old, the switch-hitting SS has done nothing but impress.

Mauricio stands at 6’3” and 165 pounds, he still has to grow into his body and frame, and with that will likely come some extra pop to go with it. He has some pop as it is, but could very much fill into his body and have some 20 home run potential.

Quite frankly, he is someone who I can see be categorized as a five-tool player. He already has the ability to hit for average, has plus speed, and a plus arm. With development to improve his power and fielding. We could be witnessing the makings of a blue-chip prospect.

We’ve had the pleasure to see glimpses of this over the past couple days and weeks in Spring Training while has been with the big league camp, sure it was just a small sample size, just nine plate appearances, however, we saw a lot in those chances. Showing his steady and smooth swing that cuts through the zone, and has a swing that shows more power and pop from the right side of the batter’s box.

In terms of future projections, there are two current shortstops that I think Mauricio has the potential of matching up with, Carlos Correa of the Astros, and Didi Gregorius of the Yankees.

Both developed more as a hitter through the minors and now both prove to be  20+HR/10+SB caliber players and two of the top players in the game at their positions. With some seasoning and more development, I fully expect Ronny Mauricio to be in this caliber of player when he is a staple in our lineup.

The best showcase we’ve gotten to see of Mauricio’s talent was a game against the Cardinals, where he reached base three times, got two hits, drew a walk, drove in two runs, and even stole a base. A type of stat line that I’m hoping we get used to seeing when he’s in the bigs in a few years.

Mauricio currently comes in as the Mets sixth-best prospect by MLB Pipeline and 98th overall by Baseball America, but if he keeps doing what he’s doing, he could very easily push Andres Gimenez out of the top prospect position in the organization, and may even push the top 50 overall in the MLB. This kid is special, and we haven’t even seen him scratch the surface of his potential. Mets fans, the future is in good hands with Ronny Mauricio.

The infielder will report to Low-A Columbia to begin the 2019 season.