Ronny Mauricio was the LIDOM MVP reminding everyone of just how good he could be. Now, New York Mets fans are eager to see what is next.
In the eighth inning of the spring training game against the Washington Nationals, Mauricio again flashed his incredible raw power. In his lone at-bat in the game, he hit a 450 foot blast.
Ronny Mauricio went 450 feet and 110 mph!
— Michael Mayer (@mikemayer22) February 26, 2023
pic.twitter.com/qW6uKmII6l
The ball had an exit velocity of 110 MPH. Power like that stands out no matter what the setting.
For Mauricio, it wasn’t his most memorable blast. As he said in the postgame interview, he had a 507-foot homer in Double-A last season against the Somerset Patriots. That one traveled 113 MPH.
https://twitter.com/metsfarmreport/status/1554865677864824832?s=46&t=9H3CRe01L5lwRO_UGSqm0w
In moments, like these, you understand why Keith Law of The Athletic compared Mauricio to Alfonso Soriano. Soriano hit 412 homers over his 16-year career.
Soriano faced the same dilemma in his career Mauricio may face. Soriano was blocked at shortstop by Hall of Famer Derek Jeter. He moved to second, but he was best suited to the outfield.
Mauricio is blocked at shortstop by future Hall of Famer Francisco Lindor. That leaves a debate about whether he should eventually move to second, third, or the outfield with his having the tools to thrive defensively at any of those positions.
For his part, Mauricio is ready and eager for whatever comes his way. As he explained post-game, he’s open to playing anywhere with third base being his preferred destination off shortstop.
Mets manager Buck Showalter was impressed with the overall performance. In terms of the homer, he wasn’t surprised with the homer or Mauricio getting stronger.
Rather, he was more impressed with Mauricio defensively in his handling of the double play ball. Overall, Showalter noted, “He’s come a long way and kind of evolved as a prospect in a lot of ways.”
With his power and continued improvement, Mauricio is impressing everyone. If he continues showing this power, they’ll find a place for him to play, and judging from the comments, he will play there well.
