2025 Report Card: Luisangel Acuña, INF
Luisangel Acuña
Player Data: 23 (03/12/2002) B/T: R/R
Primary Stats: 95 G, 193 PA, .234/.293/.274/.567, 41 H, 7 2B, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 16 SB, 1 CS
Advanced Stats: 65 WRC+, 19.2 K%, 6.7 BB%, .295 BABIP, .258 wOBA, .258 xwOBA, 4 DRS, 0 FRV, 0.4 fWAR
Grade: D
2025 Review
Luisangel Acuña burst on the scene to end 2024 as he stepped in for the injured Francisco Lindor. Acuña posted a .966 OPS across 39 at-bats to end the season, hitting three homers and posting a .308 batting average. Unfortunately for him, this performance, especially given his minor league play, had expectations for 2025 being set at unrealistic levels.
With Jeff McNeil down to begin the season, the hope was for the young Acuña to seize an everyday role at second base. However, he was never able to get going and was even sent down to Triple-A toward the end of June. After getting his average up to .313 with a .758 OPS on May 4, Acuña 10-for-65 (.153) with no extra-base hits culminating in his demotion. Acuña did get called back up for a stretch in July, but was sent back down in August before getting 16 at-bats in September where he hit .188.
Overall, Acuña posted a woeful .567 OPS and only had seven extra-base hits across 175 at-bats. The analytics were just as poor as the traditional numbers as he ranked below the league’s 21st percentile in xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate. It was as bad as it could get at the plate, as despite the limited sample, he still posted a negative-11 batting run value.
The saving grace for Acuña, and why he should be able to stick around at the major-league level, was his defensive and baserunning abilities. Acuña posted a plus-five defensive runs saved (DRS) at second base and ranked in the league’s 64th percentile in outs above average (OAA). On the base paths, he was able to swipe 16 bases and was only caught once. His sprint speed ranked in the league’s 97th percentile as his 29.6 mph mark was by far the fastest on the Mets and near the top of the league. Several bench/depth players in the majors have a profile that match exactly that.
2026 Preview
Entering 2025, expectations for the young infielder should have been hampered despite the big end to 2025. Acuña had a .654 OPS for Triple-A Syracuse in 2024 across 547 at-bats. The year before that, his production with Double-A Binghamton after being brought over via trade plummeted in the form of a .621 OPS across 148 at-bats. A sample size of 965 at-bats across parts of two seasons was a far more stronger indicator of what Acuña may be in the future compared to the 39 at-bat run he put together to end the 2024 season. This was even analyzed in a preseason piece that was published here at Metsmerzied.
With that being said, given his glove and skills running the bases, there is a major-league role for the young Acuña to carve out. It is unlikely the once top prospect is able to seize an everyday role, but as a bench piece, may be useful.
At only 23 years old, and minimal service time, the Mets hold his rights for years to come. Much like Ronny Mauricio, it would not be surprising to see the Mets move on from Acuña via trade. But, if not, a Triple-A stint in hopes of furthering his development, or a type of bench role for Acuña in 2026 is likely.
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