NEW YORK — The temperature was 6 levels above freezing the primary time Luisangel Acuña strolled onto the grass at Citi Subject. He wore a starter jacket, tight grey denims and Air Jordans. Solely a handful of individuals have been there.
It was Jan. 31, and the undersized Mets prospect was within the Huge Apple to accompany his older half-brother, Ronald, the 2023 Nationwide League MVP, to the annual Baseball Writers Affiliation of America award dinner, the place Ronald was set to simply accept his golden trophy in particular person.
The youthful Acuña, traded to the Mets from the Rangers the earlier summer season for future Corridor of Famer Max Scherzer, had not but been to Queens, and he needed to go to his future house. So he reached out to the Mets, who organized a swift, behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium.
Quick-forward eight months, and the pocket-sized shortstop discovered himself again in Flushing for his first house sport in blue and orange. The climate was hotter, the stakes immeasurably greater. With simply 4 collection remaining within the season, New York clung to a two-game lead over the Atlanta Braves for the ultimate NL wild-card spot. The membership’s greatest and most vital participant, MVP candidate Francisco Lindor, had been sidelined by a back injury.
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In Lindor’s place, Acuña has shined, serving to propel the Mets to a 6-1 record during their recent homestand. The 22-year-old rookie has offered mature-beyond-his-years protection at shortstop and flashed shocking pop on the plate. 3 times, Acuña went yard in the course of the seven-game stretch. His play has wowed and stabilized the Mets at a most vital crossroad.
“What unbelievable manufacturing from Acuña,” one other of New York’s vocal leaders, Brandon Nimmo, stated after Saturday’s 6-3 victory over Philadelphia. “To ask a younger man like him to come back in and step in and do what he is accomplished, you aren’t getting that each day.”
In his first at-bat that evening, Acuña ripped a first-pitch curveball off Ranger Suarez over the wall in left. After the sport, he admitted that he was not fazed by the second or the opponent.
“My dad all the time tells me that it does not matter who’s pitching,” Acuña advised the media by means of Mets interpreter Alan Suriel. “On the finish of the day, you have got a bat. I merely had my plan, and I executed it.”
One specific defensive play that Acuña pulled off at shortstop made a long-lasting impression on his supervisor. Within the ninth inning of Saturday’s win, the diminutive shortstop backhanded a gradual dribbler off the bat of speedster Trea Turner and, in a single swift movement, fired to first for the out. That’s the kind of inner clock you see from a 10-year veteran.
“One of many coaches stated to me: ‘It shouldn’t be that straightforward,’” Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza advised media members afterward. “Lindor makes that play straightforward, however Acuña? We all know there’s expertise there, however that was fairly spectacular, with a plus, plus runner. In order that’s unbelievable.”
When the Mets referred to as up Acuña on Sept. 14, they have been hoping for competence and maybe a jolt on the basepaths. Few members of the group have been anticipating to see a participant who appears to be like so relaxed within the second.
And from right here, that second solely grows in dimension.
On Tuesday, the Mets start a season-deciding, three-game series in Atlanta, on the stadium the place Luisangel’s final title grew to become well-known. Ronald, who has not performed since late Could after tearing his ACL, will probably be in attendance to look at little bro play in particular person. Luisangel posted an image of the 2 of them in Atlanta on Monday evening.
If the Mets win two of three, they’ll clinch an improbable playoff berth. If Atlanta wins the collection, they’ll be just one game adrift with three to play and the tiebreaker in hand. A Braves sweep would put them into pole place and depart the Mets rueing an enormous missed alternative.
That’s nearly precisely what occurred two years in the past. New York wanted a single win to all however clinch the NL East. As an alternative, the Braves swept the Mets again to Queens. New York, which gained 101 video games that yr, settled for a wild card and was then toppled by the San Diego Padres within the best-of-three spherical. These three nights in Georgia proved essential.
This time round, the Mets carry more of a Cinderella energy into the large showdown, regardless of a two-game lead and the game’s largest payroll. On June 2, eight groups stood between New York and a playoff spot. Their postseason odds have been as little as 13.1% on Aug. 28. These odds have since skyrocketed to 78%, regardless of Lindor being sidelined for the previous week.
His absence feels sure to proceed, at the very least in the intervening time. Lindor admitted that if he fits up once more this common season, it’ll doubtless require him to play by means of ache. He participated in baseball actions on Sunday however regarded stiff. A return in Atlanta stays one thing of a protracted shot.
Meaning Acuña, who’s 11-for-29 with three homers in his first 9 video games, will stay a most important character. The Mets don’t want or anticipate him to proceed hitting .379/.400/.828. His chase charge, which is 9 factors higher than his mark within the minors, will doubtless worsen. Groups will discover his weaknesses and gameplan to them. Acuña, like several teenager, might want to modify and reply.
However to this point, the Mets should really feel relieved, figuring out that the brother of one of many sport’s greatest stars gained’t be overwhelmed by the depth of playoff-race baseball.
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