Ronny Mauricio’s transformation into a potential multi-position player began Friday.
Mauricio played second base for Triple-A Syracuse, the first time in his minor league career he played a position other than shortstop.
If the Mets promote the 22-year-old Mauricio it would be to play a position other than shortstop, unless Francisco Lindor is injured.
“I think the plan is to kind of move [Mauricio] around a little bit now,” manager Buck Showalter said. “Talking to [general manager] Billy [Eppler] they think it will be good for his availability for us to move around.”
Mauricio, who had a strong spring training for the Mets, owns an 1.124 OPS with six homers in 19 games for Syracuse.
On April 11, Mauricio homered in the same game as Mets prospects Mark Vientos and Brett Baty, as the trio highlighted the strength of the organization’s minor-league system even as its top club struggled to manufacture runs.
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Mauricio’s strong Triple-A start followed a spring training where he impressed with his homers, launching balls distances such as 452 feet on March 12 and, earlier that month, a stretch of three homers in seven Grapefruit League at-bats.
“The work that I have been putting in and the effort I have been putting in every day, and to be able to see that and also see the results show on the field, it felt good,” Mauricio said on Feb. 26, through an interpreter, after a home run that traveled an estimated 450 feet.
Mauricio added that he feels “really different compared to last year.”
The Mets have already promoted prospects Francisco Alvarez and Baty to the major league roster this season.
Baty has one hit in nine plate appearances — across three games — since joining the Mets’ roster, and he blasted five homers and recorded a 1.386 OPS with Triple-A Syracuse to eventually spark a return to the majors.
