Ronny Mauricio Maddening Prospect
When it comes to Ronny Mauricio, it’s easy to see why talent evaluators love him. He has all the raw physical tools, and it’s impressive to see it all working.
We are seeing that in the Dominican Winter Leagues. Through 29 games, he’s hitting .316/.353/.483 with 11 doubles, one triple, two homers, and 22 RBI. In his most recent game, he was 2-for-3 with two walks, a double, and three RBI.
The power numbers from the 21 year old shortstop aren’t all that surprising. MLB Pipeline rated him with 60 power (25+ HR) saying “shows the most raw power from the left side, and there should be more pop coming.”
What was really shocking was the two walks. This is just not something Mauricio has done in his career.
Through 123 games for Double-A Binghamton last season, Mauricio had a 4.4 BB%. While the number is disappointing in and of itself, it’s all the more so when you consider it’s the worst mark of his professional career.
In fact, he’d only draw 24 walks all season. His high water mark for the season was six walks in June. This impatience at the plate is a big reason why Mauricio’s offensive numbers doesn’t match the tools.
Last season, he hit .259/.296/.472 with 26 doubles, two triples, 26 homers, and 89 RBI. The .212 ISO is great and speaks to the damage he does when he gets a hold of one.
However, the .296 OBP is the most telling number. It speaks to an over-aggressive approach. It speaks to his poor pitch selection. This is why he only had a 105 wRC+.
This is also why the two walks at the plate were far more important than the double. He needs more patience at the plate. With that, not only will be draw more walks, but we will also see more doubles and homers.
This is why Mauricio is so maddening. In a glimpse like this, you see all he can be. You can envision him being a dynamic offensive threat one day in the majors.
However, if it never comes, it’s hard to see how he could be successful at Triple-A, let alone the majors. At some point, you have to question if it will because there hasn’t been any real signs of improvement on this front.
Mauricio is going to have to figure it out now. If he does, he may make it to the majors in 2023. If he doesn’t, it’ll be hard to see him ever forcing his way to Queens. And that right there is why he is such a maddening prospect.