If you blinked over the weekend, you might have missed one of the most absurd stat lines of the winter. Mets‘ Luisangel Acuña, a player widely considered a contact-first speedster with “gap power” at best, decided to rewrite his scouting report in a single night of Venezuelan Winter Ball.
The 23-year-old launched four home runs in one game, setting a league record and forcing everyone in the New York Mets front office to sit up and take notice. We all knew the kid had quick hands, but finding out he has legitimate pop under the hood changes the calculus for a team suddenly looking for bench depth.
This power explosion couldn’t have come at a better time, because the Mets roster just underwent a significant shakeup. With veteran Jeff McNeil being shipped off to the Oakland Athletics, there is a gaping hole in the “versatile infielder” department.
Acuña played 95 games between Triple-A and the majors last season, and while his slash line of .234/.293/.274 left a lot to be desired, the raw tools have always been tantalizing. He managed to score 30 runs and swipe 16 bases despite struggling to get on base consistently, proving that when he does make contact, he creates chaos on the basepaths.
The “Jeff McNeil Role” Is Up for Grabs
Trading McNeil was a necessary move to clear salary and roster space, but it also removed a safety net for manager Carlos Mendoza. The Mets need someone who can plug into second base, handle shortstop in a pinch, and even roam the outfield without looking lost. Acuña fits that description perfectly. Last season, he logged 434.1 innings at second base, 36 innings at shortstop, and 11 innings at third, showing he can handle the defensive workload of a true utility man.
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Defensive versatility is great, but in the modern MLB, you can’t carry a black hole in the lineup. That is why the four-homer game is so intriguing; it suggests that Acuña might finally be learning how to lift the ball and tap into his lower half.
If he can translate even a fraction of that power to the big leagues while maintaining his elite speed, he transforms from a defensive replacement into a legitimate weapon off the bench. We aren’t asking him to be his brother Ronald, but if he can slug .350 instead of .274, he becomes an essential piece of the puzzle.
Speed Kills, But Contact Pays the Bills
Ultimately, Acuña’s ticket to staying in Queens isn’t going to be hitting 30 homers; it is going to be causing havoc 90 feet at a time. The Mets desperately need a pinch-running specialist who can steal a bag in the 8th inning of a tight playoff game. Acuña has the wheels to be that guy, but he needs to boost that .293 on-base percentage to make it work. You can’t steal second base if you are walking back to the dugout after a groundout.
The Mets are hoping that his winter dominance is a sign of maturity and approach adjustment. With barely any service time on his clock, Acuña is cheap, controllable, and hungry to prove he belongs. If he can sport high contact rates and keep his batting average respectable, there is no reason he can’t carve out a 400-at-bat role in 2026. The McNeil trade opened the door, and after this weekend, it looks like Acuña is trying to kick it down.