Ronny Mauricio, Photo by James Farrance
Mets general manager Billy Eppler told reporters on Friday that 22-year-old Ronny Mauricio has begun the process of learning how to play left field in Triple-A Syracuse. The 93rd ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline came up as a shortstop, but transitioned to second base earlier this season. Mauricio will add more defensive versatility to his repertoire as he awaits a call-up to the majors. Mauricio has also struggled a bit at second, with six errors in 28 games.
“We know Ronny [Mauricio] can play on the left side on the infield. We know that we can put Ronny [Mauricio] at second base in a major league game too, but we also want to see how that athleticism play in the outfield. All the kind of indicators, all the measurables tell us that he could be able acclimate out there as well,” Eppler said.
Mauricio is having a remarkable start to the minor league season with the bat, slashing .336/.377/.550 with seven home runs, 33 runs batted in and nine stolen bases in 53 games. His adjustment to Triple-A pitching has been smooth, and it seems as if it will be only a matter of time before he is called up to the big leagues.
Francisco Álvarez, Brett Baty and Mark Vientos all started in Syracuse this season and are currently playing for the Mets. Given his production and versatility, it is likely that Mauricio will be given his opportunity at some point during the 2023 season.
