5 NY Mets players who could get buried on the roster early in 2026

3) Ronny Mauricio

Ronny Mauricio should be on the Mets roster if Francisco Lindor isn’t, but what should be and what will be are far different. The reason to demote Mauricio is to give him regular playing time. The Mets, oddly, can accomplish this in the absence of Lindor. Whether he’s at third base with Bo Bichette moving over to third or he gets directly placed at shortstop, it’s a bit contradictory to say Mauricio needs to play often and not have him around when the club actually needs him.

Where does Mauricio fit into the team’s plans this year? If it’s not an everyday role, which it can’t possibly be, he can be a useful player off the bench at some point. That point isn’t immediate. He does need the playing time. Getting even more comfortable at third base is a must because of how good the chances are your Mets Bichette jerseys become retro by 2027.

Mauricio has hit well in Triple-A, but has yet to do a whole lot in his limited major league opportunities. The Mets experimented with him in left field in the past back in 2023 during his time in Syracuse. Right now the goal seems to focus on turning Mauricio into a good third baseman.

It’s going to take an injury or a really bad start out of another player for Mauricio to get onto the big league roster. It feels like they will use up his minor league option, creating a major question for next year.