Fastball

Ronald Acuna Jr.'s Brother is Dominating in the Venzuelan Winter League

Luisangel Acuna, who plays for the New York Mets, is putting together quite the run as he looks to make an even bigger impact in 2025.

Brady Farkas

New York Mets pinch runner Luisangel Acuna (2) leads off first base during the eighth inning of game five of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field on Oct 18.
New York Mets pinch runner Luisangel Acuna (2) leads off first base during the eighth inning of game five of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field on Oct 18. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
In this story:

New York Mets prospect Luisangel Acuna, the brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr., is putting toegether a great season in the Venezuelan Winter League this year.

Per MLB on "X:"

Mets breakout prospect, Luisangel Acuña, is turning heads in the Venezuelan Winter League 

- .337 AVG
- .914 OPS
- 3 HR
- 17 RBI
- 18 SB
- Playing 2B, SS and CF

Acuna is currently listed as the No. 12 prospect in the organization by MLB.com. The Mets acquired him in 2023 at the trade deadline in the deal that sent pitcher Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers. The versatilie 22-year-old made his debut in 2024, hitting .308 over 14 games. He popped three homers in that limited sample size and also drove in six.

The Mets advanced all the way to the National League Championship Series, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers. New York will have bigger expectations in 2025 after landing superstar free agent Juan Soto on a 15-year deal.

The following is a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:

Batting from the right side, Acuña has a stance eerily similar to his brother’s, but at 5-foot-8, he lacks the size or subsequent strength to match his sibling’s power output. He does have solid bat-to-ball skills and plate coverage, however, and that sometimes comes to his detriment. While he keeps the strikeouts in check (18.6 percent last year), he can expand the zone in search of contact, leading to weaker groundballs the other way that keep him from playing into his average raw pop.

Follow Fastball On SI on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

Published
Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

Home/News