A position change the NY Mets haven't experimented with at all and should this spring

With the season exactly a week away there are certainly some concerns about the Mets outfield headlined by Brandon Nimmo’s ability to be on the field on a consistent basis. It’s a good sign that Nimmo was able to make his spring training debut in the outfield this week but the team will definitely be cautious with that right knee soreness in the early weeks of the season. 

If Nimmo can’t play everyday in the field and has to DH, it puts Carlos Mendoza in a tough situation. Starling Marte isn’t an option in the outfield and at this point in camp it seems lucky enough he is able to DH. You certainly don’t want both Tyrone Taylor and Jose Siri in the lineup on the same day because of their inconsistencies at the plate. The only other outfielder expected to be on the Opening Day roster is Jessie Winker who for the most part in his career has been much more effective against right-handed pitching.

The Mets should have continued to experiment with Luisangel Acuna in the outfield

That begs the question, why didn’t the Mets continue to experiment with Luisangel Acuna in the outfield this spring? Acuna will likely split reps with Brett Baty at second base to begin the season but that leaves a big question mark on what will be his fate once Jeff McNeil returns to the team from his oblique strain.

Acuna has picked it up at the dish as of late and is hitting .250 in 36 at-bats this spring. With the rest of the starting infield solidified there is currently nowhere to put him but second. A natural shortstop, Acuna has already spent plenty of time perfecting second and third base. The 23-year-old has a .975 fielding percentage so far this spring switching between the two positions.

It would have made a ton of sense to experiment with Acuna in the outfield during spring training to see if he could pick up yet another position. Turning him into a McNeil type of player who you can play practically any position on the diamond would have done wonders for the team’s depth. 

This has been on the Mets mind before, Acuna played 31 games in centerfield in Syracuse last season and only made two errors. He then made one outfield appearance in the winter while playing in the Venezuelan Winter League but nothing has come from that this spring. 

With that being said to play devil’s advocate it isn’t as easy as it sounds to take a life-long infielder and throw them in the outfield. The memories of Dom Smith and Lucas Duda in left field should tell you everything you need to know. The Houston Astros switching All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve to the outfield has become a bit of an adventure in the last few weeks.

Like any position change, It would have taken time to make the adjustment but when you think of Acuna’s speed and athleticism it may have been easier for him to learn the position than most. He has already started to make the adjustment, so why halt that now? The experiment would have been a nice option for Mendoza to have to work with but for now there are no signs of Acuna playing anywhere but the infield for the big league club.