Port St. Lucanel Ackna had so much fun playing winter ball in his home country of Venezuela, he texted the Mets manager to make a pre-agreed month stint. I asked if it was okay to expand beyond.
The request was rejected by Carlos Mendoza, but the 22-year-old infielder's enthusiasm was praiseworthy.
“I wanted to learn as much as possible, so I wanted to play in my country,” Ackna said Sunday through an interpreter. “It was fun. It was a very good experience.”
It's the latest adventure to fall into the Acuña category, who was promoted to the Mets for the first time last season, appeared in 14 games in September and added to the postseason roster.
Acuña's contribution – he produced .966 OPS with a 40-plate appearance – served at the Mets, closing out the wild anchorage when Francisco Linder rested behind his illness .
But even that shock he provided after a season that struggled offensively with Triple A Syracuse isn't enough to guarantee a spot on the Mets' roster this season. Acuña posted .654 OPS on 131 Syracuse games.
Nick Madrigal and Brett Baty are competing in the infield backup job this spring. Ronny Mauricio becomes another option as the season progresses. He has been rehabilitating since last season's surgery and is taking it slowly to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee.
Mauricio had a follow-up procedure to remove scar tissue that formed in August. Madrigal dislocated his left shoulder during a fielding play on Sunday, and the Mets were waiting for the results of the MRI exam.
Acuña is about to be more trained in pitch selection. He said one of his goals in Venezuela is to improve his approach on a low-level pitch.
“We wanted to eliminate the parts of the zone where we tend to hit the ground ball,” Acuña said. “Sometimes I swing on those pitches, sometimes I don't, but I'm really trying to control that part of the zone.”
Acuña is his older brother, Ronald Acuña Jr. And he said he focused on hitting over the winter. The Braves star is expected to return to the field this year after losing a largely torn anterior cruciate ligament last season.
“I was with you [Ronald] Just before I got to spring training, he said he wanted me to work hard,” Ackna said.
Acuña doesn't need to look far into the Mets Clubhouse to find additional mentors. Lindor and Juan Soto have lockers nearby, and Acuña is looking for any edge that might help him.
“flat [Saturday] We were in the infield and I asked [Lindor] How does he like to backhand the ball when he tries to win the field for double plays,” Acuña said. “I was trying to learn a lot from him.”
Ackna said she first met Soto in the Home Run Derby, where Ronald was also involved a few years ago. Louis Sanger took a photo with Soto.
For Acuña, the goal is to find a spot on the Mets' roster and once again experience the thrill of October.
“That wasn't what I expected [last year] When the season began, I enjoyed it with Max and saw how to prepare myself every day for the playoff game,” Ackna said. “The energy of the dugouts in these games was incredible and incredible that I've never seen before.”
Acuña posted .914 OPS in 30 games in Venezuela.
“It's a very competitive league where every pitch is important,” Mendoza said. “Every game is important. There are high expectations. The fans are all around you. He definitely benefited from it.”
