Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets from spring training

PORT ST. LUCIE — Luisangel Acuña had so much fun playing winter ball in his native Venezuela that he texted his Mets manager to ask if it was OK to extend beyond the one-month stint that had been agreed to beforehand.

That request was denied by Carlos Mendoza, but the 22-year-old infielder’s enthusiasm was admirable.

“I wanted to learn as much as possible and I wanted to play in my country,” Acuña said Sunday through an interpreter. “I had fun. It was a very good experience.”

It’s just the latest adventure to fall into that category for Acuña, who last season was promoted to the Mets for the first time, appeared in 14 games in September and was added to the postseason roster.

Acuña’s contributions — he produced a .966 OPS in 40 plate appearances — were helpful in the Mets clinching a wild-card berth as Francisco Lindor rested his ailing back.

But even that jolt he provided after a season in which he largely struggled offensively at Triple-A Syracuse isn’t enough to guarantee a spot on the Mets roster this season. Acuña posted a .654 OPS in 131 games for Syracuse.

Nick Madrigal and Brett Baty are both competing this spring for a backup job in the infield. Ronny Mauricio will be another option as the season progresses — he is still taking it slow after missing last season to rehab from surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the knee.

Mauricio had a followup procedure in August to remove scar tissue that had formed. Madrigal dislocated his left shoulder on a fielding play Sunday and the Mets were awaiting results of an MRI exam.

3

Acuña is trying to become more disciplined with pitch selection. He said one of his goals in Venezuela was to refine his approach on low-and-away pitches.

“I wanted to eliminate the part of the zone where I am prone to hitting ground balls,” Acuña said. “Sometimes I swing at those pitches, sometimes I don’t, but I am really trying to take control of that part of the zone.”

Acuña said he worked out over the winter with older brother Ronald Acuña Jr., with a focus on hitting. The Braves star is expected back on the field this year after missing most of last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

“I was with [Ronald] right before I got to spring training and he said he wants to see me work hard,” Acuña said.

3

Acuña doesn’t have to look far in the Mets clubhouse to find additional mentors. Lindor and Juan Soto have nearby lockers, and Acuña is looking for any edge that might help him.

“Even [Saturday] we were in the infield and I asked [Lindor] how he likes to backhand the ball when trying to field for a double play,” Acuña said. “I was trying to learn a lot from him.”

Acuña said he first met Soto at the Home Run Derby a few years ago in which Ronald was also participating. Luisangel got his picture taken with Soto.

For Acuña, the goal is to find a spot on the Mets roster and again get to experience the thrill of October.

“It wasn’t something I expected [last year] when the season started, but I enjoyed it to the max and I was able to see how the guys prepared themselves daily for playoff games,” Acuña said. “The energy in the dugout for those games was just something incredible, just something unbelievable that I had never seen.”

Acuña posted a .914 OPS in 30 games in Venezuela, only furthering the notion he is a player who thrives when the spotlight is on him.

“That’s a very competitive league where every pitch matters,” Mendoza said. “Every game matters. There’s high expectations. The fans are all over you. He definitely benefited from it.”