Luisangel Acuna gets Opening Day start over Brett Baty as Mets second base odyssey begins
HOUSTON — Not only did Luisangel Acuna make the Mets Opening Day roster, he ended up in the starting lineup on Thursday against the Astros.
With Houston starting left-hander Framber Valdez, the righty-hitting Acuna got the nod over Brett Baty.
But prior to the game at Daikin Park, Carlos Mendoza said he wouldn’t necessarily treat second base as a definitive platoon as the team waits for Jeff McNeil to return from a strained oblique suffered during spring training.
“They’re both going to play,’’ Mendoza said. “I don’t want to call it a strict platoon. If there’s a lefty we feel good about [lefty-swinging] Baty playing against, we’ll do it. The same thing goes for Acuna: If there’s a righty he matches up well [against], he’ll get the start. We’ll play it day-by-day. They’ll both get opportunities.”
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Baty played some second base last year at Triple-A Syracuse after losing the third base job with the Mets and got reps at second again this spring, with mixed results.
He also hit well during the Grapefruit League, a sign that he might be able to put the disappointment of 2024 behind him.
And with the Mets scheduled to face right-handers on Friday and Saturday in Houston, Baty figures to start those games.
Initially, president of baseball operations David Stearns said the team would wait until Thursday’s roster deadline to make a decision for the final roster spot, but they ended up telling Acuna he’d won the job after Wednesday’s workout in Houston.
“We had a pretty good idea [Wednesday],” Mendoza said of the Acuna decision. “Acuna earned it, not only in spring training, but with the way he played for us last year. He is getting an opportunity.”
He made the most of it late last season, when he filled in for the injured Francisco Lindor for 10 games down the stretch and helped the Mets reach the playoffs.
That came after a rough season at Triple-A Syracuse, which led some to believe Acuna would perform better under the bright lights of the majors than in the minors.
Mendoza agreed.
“One hundred percent,’’ Mendoza said. “We’ve seen it before, not just with Acuna. You’re down in the minor leagues and then you’re put in the spotlight and you see the third deck [of the stadium] and you respond… We saw it last year, chasing a playoff spot. He came in and wasn’t afraid.”
Acuna said he hoped to build on that success again.
“I’m excited and appreciate the honor,’’ Acuna said through an interpreter. “Now I have to go out there and do what I do and play my best.”
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