No. 1 Ronny Mauricio, SS

B/T: S/R Age: 19 (4/4/2001)
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 166 lbs
Acquired: Signed as IFA during 2017-2018 IFA Signing Period
ETA: 2022
2019 Stats: .268/.307/.357, 20 2B, 5 3B, 4 HR, 37 RBI, 4.6 BB%, 14.6 K%, 93 wRC+

Chris Becerra and the rest of the Mets international scouting team have done a brilliant job identifying and signing high-upside Latin American middle-infielders over the last few seasons, bringing aboard talents such as Federico Polanco, Wilmer Reyes, Andres Gimenez, and Ronny Mauricio. The last member of that list, Mauricio, is arguably the most exciting Mets farmhand since Amed Rosario.

Beccera and his team bet on Mauricio, signing him to a then-record 2.1 million dollar deal during the 2017-2018 international signing period. The deal surpassed Rosario’s previous record of 1.75 million dollars. Rosario rocketed up prospects lists once reaching Double-A, a track the Mets hope Mauricio follows.

The lanky switch-hitter immediately grabbed scouts’ attention upon making his professional debut. He enjoyed a quality first half with the GCL Mets before his production tapered out as the season wore on.

Chalk that up to a 17-year-old going through the minor-league grind for the first time in his life, which did nothing to discourage the Mets’ brass. At the end of the season, they promoted Mauricio to help the Kingsport Mets’s playoff push. Despite the three year age gap between Mauricio and the average Appalachian League player, Mauricio slashed .223/.286/.333 in 35 at-bats.

Baseball America’s Ben Badler raved about the shortstop in his preseason piece, predicting a breakout campaign for the then 17-year-old. In their preseason rankings, Fangraphs’s write-up of him was more promising, comparing him to current superstars like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Carlos Correa.

It’s easy to simply glance at the .268/.307/.357 slashline Mauricio posted in his first round of Single-A ball in 2019 and come away unimpressed, but that would just be negligent. Despite being three and a half years younger than most of his peers, the switch-hitter still managed to post a solid stat line in a league where pitchers usually shine brightest.

From the beginning of the season to August, Mauricio held his own, which is all the more impressive considering he was the youngest in the SALLY. From April 4th to August 1st, Mauricio posted a .282/.323/.380 line, racking up 20 doubles, four triples, three home runs, and 27 RBIs. However, as the summer wore on, weariness took a toll on the teenager. From August 2nd to the end of the season, he only recorded a measly .209/.245/.264 line, tallying two extra-base hits.

Mauricio ranks so high on our list in large part for his advanced toolset that belies others his age. Young, lanky, middle-infielders with advanced bat-to-ball skills don’t grow on trees. Usually, these types of young players come with significant risks in their profile, but with Mauricio, that risk is mitigated due to his advanced feel as a hitter along with above-average defensive instincts.

Scouts rave about Mauricio’s swing. It starts off with a high leg kick, which creates a “whippy” action through the hitting zone. It might be a tad concerning how long his swing is, but it allows more time for his hands to stay in the zone and generates above-average bat speed. That speed allows him to effectively deal with spin and drive pitches. He’s impactful on both sides of the plate, posting .707 OPS from the left side in 2019 and a .758 OPS from the right side in 2018.

Ronny Mauricio somehow muscled this pitch out for a three-run homer, his fourth of the year. #Mets pic.twitter.com/2qwUPLJiqB

— Jacob Resnick (@Jacob_Resnick) August 10, 2019

Despite the current issues with his swing, Fangraphs still gives him a future grade of 50. John Calvagno of NotesFromTheSally is even more optimistic on Mauricio, grading him at 55+.

As is the case with young prospects, consistent power is often the last tool to show up. Mauricio is no exception. He’s already shown an advanced hit tool, and while his current power numbers are solid, it’s expected he’ll begin to drive the ball with more consistency as his body matures. It’s expected that he’ll add 15-20 pounds of muscle in the coming years, which will allow him to tap more into his raw power.

In order to harness his 60-grade raw power, Mauricio needs to concentrate more on lifting the ball and avoid the 50% ground-ball rate he’s posted the last two seasons. He made improvements in that department in 2019, increasing his line-drive percentage by eight points.

Above-average pop from the shortstop position isn’t a common tool. Only eight shortstops on Fangraphs’s ‘Big Board’ have a higher FV on their in-game power than Mauricio’s current 50 grade. Combine that raw power with a profile which already includes innate ability from both sides of the plate along with impressive defensive skills, and it’s easy to see why many regard Ronny as a perennial All-Star.

Mauricio’s long-term defensive home is a little uncertain at this point. He’s currently entrenched at shortstop, but future muscle gains could move him to third base or a corner outfield position. He shows natural instincts and plus athleticism at short. Fangraphs ranks his arm as a 60, second among Mets farmhands to only Will Toffey.

The number of accolades that the 19-year-old received over the past year cannot be counted on one or even two hands. Fangraphs’s Eric Logenhan and Kiley McDaniel dubbed him as the 35th ranked prospect in the game and wrote that the shortstop could find himself as the top prospect in the game at some point, similar to Amed Rosario‘s path. Keith Law of The Athletic was even higher on the teenager, ranking him in the upper echelon of all minor-leaguers.

After his successful season, MLB Pipeline placed him on both their top 10 shortstop prospects and Mets organizational All-Stars lists. Baseball America ranked Mauricio as the fifth-ranked farmhand in the SALLY, where he was named an All-Star in July recording a hit in two at-bats.

The Mets invited him to Major League Spring Training during both the 2019 and 2020 preseasons; going 4-for-9 with three RBIs.

Get used to seeing hits from Ronny Mauricio at Clover Park in 2020. #Mets pic.twitter.com/OMLw8r7pqE

— Jacob Resnick (@Jacob_Resnick) March 8, 2020

In the last few seasons, the Mets have made it a habit of rushing their young prospects up to the big club, and Mauricio’s finding himself on a similar trajectory. Despite a pedestrian offensive campaign in the SALLY last season, the young switch-hitter should find himself debuting in the Florida State League when the 2020 season begins. There hasn’t been this much hype over a Mets prospect since Amed Rosario was ranked at #1 prior to the 2017 season.

2020’s already a successful year for the teenager’s future as he received his high school diploma over the winter. However, it could shape up to be an even better year if Mauricio can produce at a high level on the field.

With a successful 2020 campaign, Mauricio could find himself entering the conversation for the top prospect in the entire minor leagues.

Previous Rankings 

2 Andres Gimenez – SS, 3 Francisco Alvarez– C, 4 Matthew Allan – RHP, 5 Mark Vientos – 3B, 6 Brett Baty – 3B, 7 David Peterson – LHP, 8 Shervyen Newton — INF, 9 Thomas Szapucki – LHP, 10 Josh Wolf – RHP, 11 Kevin Smith – LHP, 12 Franklyn Kilome – RHP, 13 Jordan Humphreys – RHP

14 Junior Santos – RHP, 15 Carlos Cortes – 2B, 16 Freddy Valdez – OF, 17 Adrian Hernandez – CF, 18 Dedniel Nunez – RHP 

19 Alexander Ramirez – OF, 20 Ali Sanchez – C, 25-21 Led by Jaylen Palmer, 30-26 Led by Ryley Gilliam