Mets hope Luisangel Acuna, Drew Gilbert can be pillars of future

One week after the commerce deadline, the Mets launched on Tuesday two players they hope can be the future of the organization.

In Luisangel Acuña, the Mets discovered pedigree.

In Drew Gilbert, the Mets discovered persona.

The 2 pillars of what may be the subsequent nice Mets staff had been on show in Bridgewater, N.J., the place Double-A Binghamton beat the Yankees’ Somerset affiliate, 9-7.

Reporters descended upon TD Financial institution Ballpark to get a glimpse of the longer term after the Mets, in buying and selling their co-aces, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, gave up on the current.

Let’s begin with Acuña, who was acquired for Scherzer.

“I’m excited,” Acuña mentioned, via interpreter Alan Suriel, in his first public feedback for the reason that swap. “This group’s bought quite a lot of expertise right here. I’m simply actually excited to be right here.”

Acuña is the youthful brother of Braves famous person Ronald Acuña Jr., whom Luisangel mentioned he speaks with each day (and battles typically in video games of “Name of Responsibility”).

Their father, Ronald Acuña Sr., is a former Mets prospect, and so they have a number of cousins who’ve performed within the majors.

The 21-year-old is a slick-fielding shortstop who mentioned he’s snug at second base, too, the place he imagines he’ll find yourself due to Francisco Lindor’s presence in Queens.

The youthful Acuña, whom MLB Pipeline already lists because the Mets’ No. 2 prospect, will not be as hyped as his brother, who has change into a four-time All-Star.

However sure, Luisangel needs to be pretty much as good as Ronald.

“I wish to get to that stage, the one which my brother’s at, simply because the whole lot that he does is tremendous spectacular,” mentioned Acuña, who had a slash line of .315/.377/.453 with the Rangers’ Double-A affiliate and whose greatest talent may be his velocity.

Binghamton supervisor Reid Brignac has not been round Acuña lengthy, however his “explosiveness” has jumped out at him.

“He’s bought a velocity ingredient to his sport that’s very spectacular to observe,” Brignac mentioned.

Acuña stole 42 bases (on 47 makes an attempt) with Texas this season and has good motive to run typically.

Just a few weeks in the past, he despatched a WhatsApp message to Ronald that included a clip of Luisangel stealing a base.

His older brother instructed a contest to see who can swipe extra this season.

Ronald entered play Tuesday with a majors-best 53. After he stole three bases Tuesday, Luisangel has 46 complete.

What’s at stake?

“$5,000,” Luisangel mentioned with a smile.

He’s shut along with his brother and can get nearer to a different Venezuelan good friend. Luisangel didn’t know Francisco Alvarez rising up, however they overlapped at tryouts and have saved in contact.

The Mets’ catcher of the current and future despatched a message to Acuña after the commerce that mentioned, “We’ll see one another quickly.”

Even because the Mets rebuild, it’s troublesome to think about Acuña, a fourth-year minor leaguer, reaching Queens this season, although he may need different plans.

“I hope to be there fairly quickly,” mentioned Acuña, who can flip round as a center infielder and presumably see his Mets’ future in middle discipline.

The Mets acquired Gilbert and High-A outfielder Ryan Clifford from the Astros for Verlander.

“It’s been fairly loopy the final week, week-and-a-half or so,” mentioned Gilbert, a lefty hitter with good velocity and a pitcher’s arm who can play all three outfield positions, generally spectacularly.

Brignac already has been impressed by the defensive highlights he has seen from the 22-year-old in 4 video games.

Gilbert is a gamer who has the aptitude of a future fan favourite due to his willingness to sacrifice his physique.

That backfired final yr when, in his first season out of school, he dislocated his proper elbow crashing into an outfield wall.

“He performs along with his hair on hearth. He’s like that in every single place he goes,” mentioned high Mets pitching prospect Blade Tidwell, who performed with Gilbert on the College of Tennessee. “He alters personalities I suppose. He might be laid again, after which quite a lot of occasions you’ll be able to punch him within the face.”

Gilbert is attempting to vary, to an extent no less than.

After he performed simply six video games with Class-A Fayetteville earlier than the harm ended his 2022 season, he has been attempting to stay wholesome and keep on the sector.

“I’ve discovered alongside as I’ve gone,” mentioned Gilbert, whom MLB Pipeline charges because the Mets’ No. 4 prospect. “I feel that harm form of simply taught me how vital it’s to be on the market each single day. 160 video games is so much. Let’s say you miss two weeks — that’s 12 video games, that’s quite a lot of video games.

“So now I attempt to take satisfaction in with the ability to present up day by day able to go.”

He performed in 81 video games between Excessive-A and Double-A with the Astros this season, posting an .822 OPS with 12 dwelling runs and 10 steals earlier than the commerce which may make Gilbert the Mets’ future middle fielder, pushing Brandon Nimmo to a nook.

Gilbert mentioned he’s studying to discover a steadiness between enjoying exhausting and enjoying good.

“I wish to win, and I’ve all the time wished to win irrespective of the place I’m — highschool, faculty, professional ball, doesn’t change,” Gilbert mentioned. “I wish to do this with the Mets as effectively.”

With Acuña and Gilbert, the Mets can have a greater probability to win within the subsequent a number of years, if not this season.

When requested about their future aspirations with the group, each talked about a World Sequence.

“It’s positively thrilling,” Gilbert mentioned, “to know my teammates are going to be among the folks I’m hopefully enjoying with when the Mets actually begin to flip it round.”