Mets fans get a taste of the future down in Double-A with one swing

While the New York Mets were handling business against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies were previewing what the future at Citi Field could look like.

The team has three notable offensive players on its roster. With one swing, Mets fans were treated to a taste of the future in Flushing.

The Mets have a Double-A roster loaded with top prospects

On one particular at-bat, Ronny Mauricio drove a double to score both Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty. Three of the team’s top five prospects altogether involved in one swing of the bat, it was a look at what could be in store for the Mets in upcoming seasons.

We’ve been hearing about these three for a couple of seasons now. Present together on the Double-A roster to begin the season, it’s very possible the trio debuts in the major leagues at around the same time. This year might be a reach for all three. Next season, however, could feature roster spots for Mauricio, Alvarez, and Baty.

Mauricio’s spot on the big league Mets could have him doing anything from starting at second base to giving them some infield depth. We already know shortstop isn’t an option with Francisco Lindor locked up to a long term deal. If he’s playing on the Mets, it’ll have to be at a different position.

Alvarez is the club’s catcher of the future. Given the poor year James McCann had in 2021 and an even rougher start to 2022, there seems to be nothing blocking his path other than a spot on the roster to clear. If the Mets aren’t able to move McCann in a trade, it could mean saying goodbye to backup catcher Tomas Nido.

Then there’s Baty. He is the only one of these three with minor league competition. Mark Vientos, the team’s top third base prospect in Triple-A, looks poised to see some major league at-bats at some point in 2022. This shouldn’t be much of an issue for the Mets. Each plays third base but has also given it a go in left field. Let’s also not forget about the DH spot.

Likely, one or two of these prospects will end up having to wait a little longer than expected to get significant big league playing time. The Mets have multiple positions players under contract through 2023. Any of them could also suddenly become trade candidates although if they’ve held onto them for this long, it may never happen.

Mauricio driving in Alvarez and Baty is something that should happen plenty in Binghamton and other minor league cities around the Northeast this year. In another two or three years, it could become a common occurrence in the Big Apple.