Fansided

NY Mets going to desperate lengths to copy Braves success with Ronald Acuña Jr.

The New York Mets, like most rival teams, wish they had a player like Ronald Acuña on their team. So, they traded for his brother and more.

By Mark Powell

Division Series - Atlanta Braves v Philadelphia Phillies - Game Four
Division Series - Atlanta Braves v Philadelphia Phillies - Game Four / Tim Nwachukwu/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit

The Atlanta Braves signed Ronald Acuña Jr. as an international free agent out of Venezuela back in 2014. Since then, he's become one of the greatest stars in the game, and won the NL MVP in 2023.

It's understandable that many teams would want to replicate that type of success. As it pertains to Acuña, the rival Mets have literally acquired his brother, Luisangel Acuña (via trade with the Texas Rangers), and now his cousin. Joseph Yabbour, who had been a member of the Seattle Mariners organization, has signed a minor-league deal with the Mets. Yabbour is related to both Ronald and Luisangel, of course. While being a member of the Acuña clan doesn't necessarily guarantee success, it can't hurt matters.

Per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized, "the 20-year-old (Yabbour) had a 3.60 ERA and 12.6 K/9 in 20 innings this season in the DSL with the Mariners."

Why did Mets acquire Ronald Acuña Jr.'s brother and cousin?

Yabbour is young enough to develop at the minor-league level. He throws 95 MPH regularly with his fastball, and owns a decent selection of breaking pitches. His arm slot and angle remain inconsistent, which can lead to control issues down the line. However, the Mets prospect development staff should be able to do something about that.

Luisangel, meanwhile, is a far more promising player. The younger Acuña plays both shortstop and second base, and projects to be a middle infielder at the MLB level. He's only 21 years old, but is already ranked as the top prospect in New York's system per MLB Pipeline, and 38th overall in baseball. Here's how they scout him:

"Acuña attacks pitches with an explosive right-handed stroke and an aggressive approach...Combining solid speed with savvy on the bases, Acuña swiped 126 bags in 151 attempts during his two-plus years in full-season ball before the trade."

Acuña still needs to work on his bat speed and chase rate before he reaches the majors, but overall he has a bright future should he continue to develop.

feed

Home/New York Mets