No. 6 Ronny Mauricio, SS
B/T: S/R Age: April 4, 2001 (21)
Ht: 6’3″ Wt: 222 lb.
ETA: 2024 Previous Rank: 6
Acquired: Signed as International Free Agent During The 2017-2018 IFA Signing Period
2022 Stats (Binghamton): .259/.296/.472, 26 2B, 2 3B, 26 HR, 89 RBI, 4.4 BB%, 23.1 K%, 104 wRC+
As recently as three years ago, Ronny Mauricio was viewed as the top overall prospect in the Mets’ farm system. While Mauricio is still viewed highly by many, he’s been leaped by others in the New York organization due to unanswered questions about what his long-term position will be and concerns about his plate discipline.
Still, the six-foot-three Mauricio has all of the raw tools to be an elite hitter, and he remains only 21 years old. Last season, Mauricio played in 123 games for Binghamton (Double-A), showing off his power with 26 homers and 26 doubles. However, Mauricio struck out in nearly a quarter of his plate appearances, a weakness in his game that will be a key area of focus in 2023.
Mauricio has quick wrists and tremendous power, and with 20 stolen bases last year, he has the potential to be a 20-20 hitter some day. Mauricio has good contact skills and can hit from both sides of the plate. He will also sometimes do things with the bat that absolute leave you in awe, such as this monstrous moonshot.
However, Mauricio will need to be more consistent with his pitch selection. The shortstop’s walk rate was down from his 2021 campaign that was split between High-A and Double-A, and he can often chase bad pitches which can lead to strikeouts and a lower OBP.
Mauricio did turn heads this winter in LIDOM when he was named MVP after slashing .285/.335/.468 with five home runs and 31 RBI in 46 games. He once again showed off what can happen when he connects on a pitch in his zone. Mauricio was served a steady diet of breaking balls in LIDOM, and his ability to produce enough to win the league MVP was a promising sign. Still, he did also strike out 43 times in 46 games.
Mauricio also played third base and second base for the first time in winter ball after spending the entirety of his minor league career as a shortstop. His defense is another question mark in his development. He has a strong arm and range thanks to his lanky frame, but he may project to be stronger at third as he continues to fill out. If that’s the case, he will need significant minor league reps at the position before being called up, even if his bat is ready for the big leagues by this time next year.
Mauricio is blocked in the big-league level at short for the foreseeable future anyway by Francisco Lindor, so unless the team feels as though his trade value is significantly higher as a shortstop, he could make the move over soon. However, he may also not have a clear path to the majors as a third baseman either, depending on how thing go with Brett Baty.
It will be interesting to see how the Mets treat Mauricio in spring training. With Lindor, Eduardo Escobar, and Jeff McNeil all set to play in the World Baseball Classic, there are playing time opportunities to be had all over the infield. Do the Mets keep Mauricio exclusively at short? Or does he get looks at third, or even second?
Mauricio will presumably make the move from Binghamton to Syracuse (Triple-A) this year, and how he develops under hitting coach Collin Hetzler and manager Dick Scott will be huge for his long-term prospects. At the plate, Mauricio will need to show he can be more selective and take walks when they’re there. Defensively, he will need to limit his errors and potentially show that he is capable of playing a different position in the infield.
If he can do those things while maintaining his power and speed, the Mets will have to seriously consider giving him a look in 2024 if he is still in the organization. If he stagnates again, however, expect Mauricio to drop even lower or fall off top-100 lists entirely by the end of the year.
Other prospect rankings:
30-26
25-21
20-16
15-12
11. Matt Allan
10. Calvin Ziegler
9. Mike Vasil
8. Mark Vientos
7. Blade Tidwell
