Luisangel Acuña receives high praise from former Mets GM

“When they were trying to decide [Brett] Baty or Acuña, I sided on Acuña because even in a certain role, he can do so many different things,” Duquette said. “Even though I had a little question about his bat, he can run, he can field, he can throw, and now he’s hitting.”

The 23-year-old younger brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. has not looked out of place at all this year. Through 32 games, Acuña has slashed an impressive .296/.357/.364 with 26 hits, five RBI, and a team-leading nine stolen bases; he has been a consistent speed threat on the basepaths for a team that is ranked 20th in MLB with 25 stolen bases.

Perhaps more impressive than Acuña’s performance at the plate is his versatility on defense. This season, he has already played stints at shortstop, second base, and third base, posting a sparkling .996 fielding percentage and recording just a single error across 216.1 innings of work.

“This guy seems like every time you challenge him, he performs,” Duquette reflected. “They stuck him at third base for a couple of innings the other day, he looked like he had been playing there most of the season.”

Newsday’s David Lennon also chimed in on BNNY, citing that the Mets were hoping Acuña would win the job out of Spring Training. Lennon pointed at Acuña’s athleticism as something that set him apart from other players in the Mets’ system who were vying for a spot with the big league club.

“They were hoping he would win a job out of Spring Training, and he did, and he’s really kind of run with it,” Lennon said. “He’s flexible, he can play second base, third base, he can play center field. I think that’s a bright sign for him and the fact that he’s hitting near .300.”

The emergence of Acuña at the end of last season and in this year's Spring Training appears to be a major reason why the Mets did not reunite with fan favorite Jose Iglesias. While Iglesias was a big part of last season’s deep postseason run, Mets fans are probably happy that the team decided to promote from within and give their young star a chance to shine.