Mets Shortstop Ronny Mauricio Reaches Next Level

As other top prospects within the Mets farm system got promoted last year, shortstop Ronny Mauricio remained behind at High-A Brooklyn, perhaps frustrated by the situation.

In September, the Mets finally elevated the 20-year-old to Double-A Binghamton, where he hit .323/.364/.452 in eight games.

“He needed to go to the next level,” a major league talent evaluator said. “That kind of pushed him. He felt he was left behind when (Brett) Baty left and (Mark) Vientos (skipped the level) and he was stuck in Brooklyn. Once he changed gears, he started turning it up.”

At Brooklyn, the Mets witnessed the arrival of Mauricio’s power—the switch-hitter homered 19 times in 100 games. But there was room for improvement on his .242 average and .290 on-base percentage.

Mauricio, the No. 3 prospect in the system, is expected to begin the 2022 season at Binghamton.

In 2017 the Mets signed Mauricio from the Dominican Republic for $2.1 million, then a franchise-record bonus for an international player. It has since been eclipsed by catcher Francisco Alvarez.

Mauricio was added to the 40-man roster in November and will appear in major league camp for a second straight spring. The Mets will have to start evaluating Mauricio at other positions, as shortstop Francisco Lindor is in the first year of a 10-year extension worth $341 million.

Team officials could decide that the 6-foot-3, 166-pound Mauricio fits at second base—a position at which the organization is thin throughout the system. Mauricio’s athleticism also suggests he could be a candidate for the outfield.

“Just watching him play, you could see his confidence and maturity and the way he prepared in between pitches,” the talent evaluator said. “Also, he started to figure out a lot of stuff defensively.”