Luisangel Acuña of the Mets hits four home runs in a winter league game

Luis Acuña Shines with Four Home Runs in One Game

Luis Acuña had a night to remember, nearly replicating his entire career stats in just one game.

The young infielder for the Mets, who didn’t have a great hitting season in 2025, exploded with four home runs and seven RBIs during a matchup against Cardenares de Lara in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League on Saturday. It was quite the turnaround for him.

This 23-year-old kicked off the fireworks with his first homer in the second inning, driving in three runs as he connected with former Mets catcher Ali Sanchez and outfielder Rafael Ortega.

His next big hit came in the sixth inning—a solo shot off ex-Dodgers pitcher Darian Nunez—pushing Cardenares’ score to 16-7. After that, he added another solo homer in the seventh and capped off his performance with a two-run homer in the ninth. Altogether, Lara triumphed over Cardenares with a final score of 21-9 in front of 4,728 fans at Estadio Nueva Esparta.

By the night’s end, Acuña had recorded an impressive 4-for-6 at the plate, making history as the first player in Venezuelan Winter League to hit four home runs in a single game.

Reflecting on his past struggles at the plate in the majors, his recent performance brought to mind the achievements of his older brother, Ronald Acuña Jr., a former National League MVP.

Acuña, who was brought in from the Rangers as part of the Max Scherzer trade during the 2023 deadline, is anticipated to begin 2024 ranked as the Mets’ third-best prospect, according to MLB.com.

He made his major league debut with the Mets on September 14, 2024, showing promise in 14 games with a .308 batting average, three home runs, and six RBIs.

That positive momentum continued into early 2025, where he hit .288 with seven stolen bases and 13 runs by the end of April, even earning National League Rookie of the Month honors. However, things took a downturn in May and June, forcing him back to Triple-A.

Acuña, versatile enough to play multiple positions including second base, third base, and center field, was called back up on July 10 and remained in a fluctuating role between the minors and majors for the rest of the season. He ended up playing 95 games in 2025 but had a batting line of .234/.293/.274 without hitting any home runs and driving in just eight runs.

With no minor league options remaining as he heads into 2026, there’s a real chance the Mets could lose him through waivers should they decide to send him down again.

Despite his challenges, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns praised Acuña’s potential. He emphasized that while Acuña’s hitting needs improvement, his defensive skills and speed bring a unique value to the team.

“Acuña is a unique player with a high ceiling,” Stearns remarked at a recent GM conference. “He’s a solid defender across various positions and an elite runner. His contributions on offense don’t have to be top-tier for him to secure a consistent role in the majors.”