Courtesy of Mets Twitter Account
Over the first few weeks of spring training, the New York Mets have showcased a lot of their young talent with top prospects like Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ronny Mauricio getting some playing time in the Grapefruit League.
These players were all among the group of first cuts the Mets just made, as they continue to gear up for the regular season and focus on their major league talent. But the development the young prospects have undergone up to this point has been invaluable.
At just 19 years old, Mauricio flashed a lot of potential this spring, as he showcased great bat control at his young age. The shortstop went 5-for-11, with a run scored and three RBI across his seven games played.
Mauricio met with the media Wednesday morning to discuss his experience at big league camp and he exuded confidence as soon as he entered the Zoom room. Mauricio has transformed over year since we last saw him, adding muscle to his physique that he believes will help him survive the beating his body will take over the course of a full season.
When asked about some of the players who helped him out most in camp, Mauricio named J.D. Davis and Francisco Lindor as a few veterans that took him under their wing and taught him a lot about what he needs to do to become a major leaguer.
Lindor is certainly the perfect mentor for a young player like Mauricio, as they are both shortstops who have been top prospects. Lindor knows what it will take for Mauricio to make it the big leagues and more importantly, what he needs to do stay there.
At the same time, Lindor could eventually be standing in the way of Mauricio becoming the Mets next franchise cornerstone at the shortstop position. When asked about that though, Mauricio doesn’t seem fazed by Lindor’s presence in the slightest.
Mauricio spoke about focusing on his own game and doing everything in his power to improve in his development as he continues to get better. The switch-hitter is intent on growing himself into becoming a major league talent, knowing that the rest will work itself out when the time is right.
He mentioned how he could get his opportunity at the big league level with the Mets, or with another team, which is why his focus is simply on improving. Mauricio also mentioned a willingness to learn new positions if the Mets ask him to, although he has only played shortstop at this stage in his career.
The bottom line for the Mets is they still have plenty of time before having to make any decisions on where Mauricio fits into their plans at the major league level. There is still years of development standing between Mauricio making his MLB debut, so New York simply has to focus on helping him become the best player he can be for when he get’s that opportunity.
Still, this is a very talented prospect, with no ceiling to what his potential will be one day. Mauricio has all the tools to become a great player, he just has to take the time now to refine them.
