The New York Mets have a lot questions they to answer following another disappointing season.
After finishing last in the NL East for the first time since 2003, this Mets team, which currently has the second-highest payroll in baseball, is expected to see some change. New York appears to have a solid young starting pitching staff led by Nolan McLean, Zac Thornton, and Christian Scott, and of course Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor will still be there, but what about the rest of their younger players?
One of those young players is infielder Ronny Mauricio, who is coming off another disappointing season in the big leagues, which puts his future with the Mets in question. Despite that down year, New York should look to hold onto Mauricio for at least another year.
How Ronny Mauricio can keep his way on the Mets roster
Mauricio made his major league debut in the final month of the 2023 season, but one constant issue plaguing the 25-year-old is his inability to stay healthy.
Mauricio missed all of 2024 after tearing his ACL while playing in the Dominican Winter League in December 2023. That injury proved costly. Mauricio had a full season of rehab, and he also didn't get much playing time.
The Mets finally called up Mauricio on June 3, 2025, and played in only 61 games for the Amazins' that season, slashing .226/.293/.369 with six home runs, 10 RBI, and four stolen bases. Those lackluster stats led the Mets to option Mauricio to Triple-A Syracuse at the start of the 2026 season.
The Mets eventually called up Mauricio during the first week of April, and things looked promising. A day after being recalled, he laced a walk-off RBI single against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 6. The injury bug, however, bit Mauricio once again.
Less than a month later, Mauricio, who was filling in for an injured Francisco Lindor, suffered a fractured left thumb on May 3 while sliding into first base against the Los Angeles Angels. Despite being activated from the IL, Mauricio was sent back to Triple-A, further questioning his future in Flushing.
Even though this up-and-down career as a big leaguer may force the Mets to flirt with moving on from him, Mauricio's performance during the final week of the regular season could have saved him for another season.
In New York's regular season finale against the Washington Nationals, Mauricio finally looked like the budding star the Mets have been waiting for. In that series, Mauricio went 4-for-7 at the plate, hit three home runs, and drove in five runs.
Before that series, Mauricio had slugged one home run all season while driving in only three runs.
Mauricio's strong finish also saw him perform sharply defensively at second base in the last game of the season against Washington. With second base a question mark for the Mets after Marcus Semien's disappointing season, the young infielder's versatility across the diamond, aside from first base, could be a huge boost.
Although the sample size was small, Mauricio finally looked comfortable and confident at the plate, giving the Mets and their fans some level of optimism heading into 2027.
This Mets roster could look different come Opening Day next season, as they may look to move on from other young talent that hasn't panned out with playing time. Even though Mauricio should probably be at the top of that list, the potential is clearly there, and he should be given the opportunity to show he was worth the long wait.
Mauricio has lacked consistency since arriving in the major leagues, but if he stays healthy and builds on his strong late-season performance, it's certainly worth bringing him back for spring training to see if he can make the club.
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