Former Mets player has a frightening physical comparison for Luisangel Acuna we didn’t need

It’s not nearly “Francisco Lindor who?” but with 2 hits in 4 chances in his MLB debut on Saturday, Luisangel Acuna filled in fine at shortstop for the New York Mets. It’ll be great to have some youthful speed on the bases.

We’re all hoping yet fully not expecting him to be anything like his brother. Already, one former Mets player is throwing out a comparison we seriously hope is all about looks and not ability.

More known for his time as an MLB Network analyst than the .199 he hit in the majors which included three seasons with the Mets, Anthony Recker tried to tear our hearts out with this observation.

Luisangel Acuna better do a lot more for the Mets than Dilson Herrera ever did

How’s that for a blast from the past name? Herrera was a highly-touted Mets prospect acquired in 2013 from the Pittsburgh Pirates on the Marlon Byrd deal. He catapulted his way up the farm system rankings with two minor league seasons of hitting over .300 in 2014 and 2015. 

Unfortunately, he couldn’t replicate it in limited action in the majors. Herrera battled to bat over .200 in those same seasons while with the Mets. He was traded in the middle of 2016 to the Cincinnati Reds for Jay Bruce and wouldn’t get back to the majors until 2018 when he batted .184 in just under 100 trips to the plate.

Herrera would actually make his way back to the Mets in 2019 where he’d spend all season in Triple-A. He hammered 24 home runs but with a .248 batting average and 127 strikeouts, the thought process was probably more about how the juiced baseball were the reason why he suddenly started to hit for power.

Herrera was certainly a guy Mets fans at one point had expectations to maybe take over at second base upon the departure of Daniel Murphy. Acuna, with some high hopes tossed his way by fans as well and rightfully so, doesn’t have the same clear landing on the major league roster. He’s only here out of need right now.

Recker’s out of the blue comparison is hopefully all about appearance and nothing close to ability. Oddly, Acuna is listed at 2 inches shorter (5’8) and 29 pounds lighter than Herrera (181). Remembering back to what Herrera looked like and even looking at him once again, he must’ve listed his height in baseball cleats with those extra two inches. Maybe that explains his decision to go with the number 2 on his jersey in the first place.