Ronny Mauricio was given an opportunity to prove himself on the biggest stage when rosters expanded at the beginning of this month. The New York Mets waited longer than fans expected to call him up from Triple-A Syracuse, but despite all of the concerns centered around some of his inconsistencies, the infielder has quieted that noise in his limited time at the big league level.

The second baseman had a big individual performance in the Mets’ 4-3 loss against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday. Arizona opened the scoring in the top of the fourth with two runs, but the Mets were able to punch right back. Jeff McNeil hit a solo home run, and after back-to-back walks to Pete Alonso and DJ Stewart, Mauricio stepped into the batters box. With the count standing at 0-2, Diamondbacks starter Zach Davies threw an 81 MPH changeup at the bottom of the strike zone, but the Mets’ infielder was able to get all of it. Mauricio ripped the ball into the right center gap, scoring Alonso and Stewart from first on his double.

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Mauricio also had a big part to play in the team’s hope for a comeback in the bottom of the ninth, as he was able to draw a walk off former Mets reliever Paul Sewald. Brett Baty put down a sacrifice bunt, allowing him to get in scoring position with just one out. Mauricio recognized that the Diamondbacks closer was so focused on home plate, giving him the chance to showcase his electrifying speed. The 22-year-old stole third with no throw, catching Arizona completely off guard. While the Mets were unable to take advantage of having a runner of third base with less than two outs, it was impressive to see him do that in such a big spot.

Questions surrounded Mauricio and his ability to contribute at the big league level, but through a week and a half, he looks like a player that benefitted from his extra time in Triple-A Syracuse. He has at least one hit in seven of his first nine games, and he already has three multi-hit games.

“This is where I’ve wanted to be since I started playing baseball. It’s an incredible day,” Mauricio said when he was called up. Yes, he may have waited longer than expected for his debut, but this is a player than has the skills to impact winning at this level.

Mauricio is slashing .313/.353/.375 with no home runs, two extra-base hits and three runs batted in. He also has four stolen bases without being thrown out on the base paths. The Mets have 19 games left in the 2023 season, and Mauricio will play in most if not all of those contests. If he continues to perform at this level, he should be on the Opening Day roster next season. The organization has expressed their motivation to win in 2025 and 2026. If that is truly the goal in mind, Mauricio is a player and an athlete that can contribute to that moving forward.