Mets may have won the Max Scherzer trade, thanks to Luisangel Acuña's insane start

Against all odds, the New York Mets have been one of the most entertaining teams in baseball this season. I don't generally traffic in "aura" talk, but the Mets sure have it. That special something that defines the pluckiest, and often the most successful, postseason underdogs.

New York is well on its way to eliminating the Atlanta Braves and claiming the final Wild Card slot in the National League. That could set up an eventual postseason showdown with the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies, which is a series that would just kill it — ratings-wise, entertainment-wise, everything-wise.

The Mets won four straight before their loss to the first-place Phillies on Friday. New York has been red-hot despite the recent absence of MVP candidate Francisco Lindor, who has been replaced by recent call-up Luisangel Acuña at shortstop.

Both the centerpiece of the Max Scherzer trade and the younger brother of Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr., the 22-year-old's arrival in New York last season drew a lot of eyeballs. It's hard not to ratchet up expectations when you share a last name with the reigning NL MVP.

And, so far, the younger Acuña appears to be living up to expectations. Actually, exceeding them. It's a small sample size, so maybe don't take it to the bank yet, but Luisangel has been on an absolute heater in his first MLB stint.

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Luisangel Acuña goes yard in Mets-Phillies to continue torrid MLB debut

You did not misread. Acuña has homered thrice in 24 MLB plate appearances, which is a home run every eighth trip to the plate. That is, let's say, a healthy ratio. If Acuña can continue his nuclear output, the Mets have a chance to really surprise some folks this October.

In all reality, Acuña is going to slow down eventually. There's just no way to keep that pace. But, he's red-hot at the absolute perfect moment. Relying on unproven 22-year-olds in the playoffs is never foolproof, and obviously Lindor will be back in the lineup before the Mets' postseason opener. If he keeps up his current pace over the next week, however, New York won't have much choice but to find a place for Acuña in the lineup.

More than a slugging machine, Acuña is lightning-quick on the bases and impressive in the field. He has a ways to go before being an everyday infielder for the Mets, but there's no better way to impress your value upon the Mets coaching staff than a HR-fueled postseason run. Acuña is erasing doubts about New York's playoff chances in real time.

On the other hand, the Texas Rangers are eight games below .500 and well out of the postseason race. Scherzer has appeared in nine games this season, posting a 3.95 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 40 strikeouts in 43.1 innings. He was placed on the 15-day IL this Saturday with a hamstring strain, just one start after returning from an extended absence related to right shoulder fatigue.

Safe to say, Scherzer's season has not gone to plan for reasons beyond his control. Obviously, Texas won the World Series, so nobody will ever complain about the Scherzer trade in serious terms. When accounting for the potential long-term impact of Acuña on the Mets organization, however, it's hard not to feel like New York maybe, sort of won that swap.

He needs to prove it across more than 24 plate appearances, but Acuña has made a strong first impression on the New York faithful.