Mets' Top Prospect Named Finalist for Winter League Rookie of the Year

New York Mets top prospect Luisangel Acuna has been named a finalist for the Rookie of the Year Award in the Winter League.

Oct 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; 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. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The future appears to be extremely bright for this New York Mets' top prospect.

Luisangel Acuna has been named a finalist for the Rookie of the Year Award in the Venezuelan Winter League after tearing it up.

The 22-year-old slashed .337/.419/.495 with a .914 OPS, three home runs, 17 RBI and 18 stolen bases across 31 games in Winter ball.

Despite having an up-and-down season offensively with Triple-A Syracuse in 2024, Acuna was called up in September to make his major league debut while NL MVP runner-up Francisco Lindor was out with a back injury.

Acuna, who filled in nicely at shortstop when Lindor was sidelined, slashed .308/.325/.641 with a .966 OPS, three home runs and six RBI in 14 games down the stretch. He also played strong defense at short and his performance helped the Mets eventually capture an NL Wild Card spot.

Upon Lindor's return late in the season, Acuna served as a pinch-runner and late game defensive replacement at second base for the rest of the way and including the team's run to the NLCS. Acuna had just three at-bats in the postseason and did not record a hit in October.

The Mets recognize that Acuna's big-league success was a very small sample size of 39 at-bats late in the season. That being said, he stepped into a high-pressure situation of filling in for Lindor during a playoff race and did not appear to be phased by the moment.

Acuna brings versatility and is a clear candidate to become the Mets' second baseman of the future with Lindor blocking him at short. If Jeff McNeil struggles again, it's possible that Acuna could take over duties at second base. Should McNeil bounce-back, Acuna's fit on the big-league roster would be as a super utility man.

However, if Acuna isn't starting in the majors, the Mets could want him to remain in Triple-A in order to gain more experience playing everyday. Should the Mets suffer an injury in their infield in the 2025 season, Acuna would be a strong candidate to come back up.

Based off Acuna's performance in September, the hype surrounding him, as well as his showing in the Winter League, the young infielder could become a key piece of the puzzle in Queens in the near future.

The Mets acquired Acuna from the Texas Rangers at the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline in exchange for starting pitcher Max Scherzer.

Acuna currently ranks as the No. 12 prospect in the Mets' farm system, per MLB Pipeline.