Somehow, the baseball season is already two months in. At this point, statistics are starting to stabilize, and we’re getting a sense of the caliber of season the players are in store for. May was an iffy month for Mets prospects, but at each level, there was at least one standout.

Jack Wenninger. Photo by Herm Card

TRIPLE-A: SYRACUSE METS

HITTER OF THE MONTH: RYAN CLIFFORD

Statistics: 27 G, .233/.308/.534/.842, 8 HR, 5 2B, 1 3B, 18 RBI, 12 BB, 34 SO

Ryan Clifford is doing Ryan Clifford things. After a slow start to 2026, May was a return to what we expect from him. He’s hitting for prodigious power. He’s striking out a ton. It’s what Clifford does. While the strikeout rate is improved from the 39.6% it was through April, it was still 29.1% in May. That’s still high. However, is it good enough to survive in the big leagues? That’s up for debate.

There are 19 qualified hitters striking out at least 29% of the time in the big leagues this year. Some are good, like Elly De La Cruz, Munetaka Murakami, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Kurtz. Others are struggling, like Ramón Laureano, Jorge Soler, Nolan Gorman and Austin Riley. Where does Clifford land on that scale? At this point, the only thing that will answer that question is a promotion.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: JACK WENNINGER

Statistics: 5 G (4 GS), 22.2 IP, 19 H, 13 R (10 ER), 20 SO, 13 BB, 3.97 ERA, 1.41 WHIP

It wasn’t quite as dominant a May for Jack Wenninger as it was an April, but he was still good enough to take the crown here. The last thing Wenninger needs to do before his MLB debut is limit walks. His walk rate in May was 13.1%, about the same as his mark through April. It’s not at the point where it’s a huge, glaring concern, but it needs to improve. If Wenninger is in the zone just a little bit more, he’ll be in the big leagues sooner rather than later.

Even then, he still should the next man up for a promotion. Christian Scott and Jonah Tong, who both started the year in Syracuse with Wenninger, are in the big leagues. Zach Thornton made his big league debut earlier this season, but that was likely matchup-driven versus a lefty-heavy Nationals lineup. Wenninger is better. If a rotation spot opens up, he should be the one to get the call.

Jonathan Santucci. Photo by Binghamton Rumble Ponies

DOUBLE-A: BINGHAMTON RUMBLE PONIES

HITTER OF THE MONTH: JOSÉ RAMOS

Statistics: 24 G, .262/.392/.476/.868, 5 HR, 3 2B, 18 RBI, 16 BB, 26 SO

José Ramos is not a household name, which makes sense as a 25-year-old who was signed as a minor league free agent this offseason. (He was previously in the Dodgers organization for six years.) After a tough April, Ramos was undoubtedly Binghamton’s best hitter in May. He had 20 extra-base hits in 44 games at Triple-A for the Dodgers last season before electing free agency too, so there might be some real pop in his bat. He is old for the level, though, so the big test will be whether he can repeat his success at Triple-A whenever he is promoted.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: JONATHAN SANTUCCI

Statistics: 6 G (6 GS), 28.2 IP, 25 H, 13 R (11 ER), 32 SO, 11 BB, 3.45 ERA, 1.26 WHIP

Jonathan Santucci is known, but might still be the most under-the-radar pitching prospect in the Mets system. He is a lefty with a fastball that has good velocity and ride, a wicked, elite slider, and a curveball and changeup that are showing promise. His only “issue” is that as a former position player, he hasn’t been pitching very long, so he’s still pretty raw. The control comes and goes, but even then, his 11.4% walk rate isn’t that big of a deal. It’s high, but it’s manageable, and should improve as he gets more experience. His ceiling is up there with the best pitching prospects in the system.

Ronald Hernandez. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

HIGH-A: BROOKLYN CYCLONES

HITTER OF THE MONTH: RONALD HERNÁNDEZ

Statistics: 22 G, .263/.371/.461/.832, 4 HR, 1 2B, 1 3B, 11 RBI, 11 BB, 27 SO

Acquired for David Robertson back in 2023, Ronald Hernández is now in his third season in Brooklyn. He’s shown flashes along the way, and this month is one of them. The 22-year-old switch-hitting catcher has some pop in his bat but can be streaky at times, and this is a good streak. Behind the plate, Hernández isn’t great. He might not be a catcher long term. But he’s athletic enough to handle first, and while it hasn’t happened yet, maybe a corner outfield spot. His bat is interesting enough to try to find him a defensive home.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: CHANNING AUSTIN

Statistics: 4 G (4 GS), 21.2 IP, 10 H, 2 R (2 ER), 30 SO, 9 BB, 0.83 ERA, 0.88 WHIP

Brooklyn native Channing Austin is the best pitcher no one knows about in the Mets’ system. Ok, obviously some people know about him, but many probably don’t. He dominated in Brooklyn in May, so much so he earned himself a promotion for the final week. His fastball is great, and his curveball, slider and changeup are all effective. A former college reliever who threw under 60 innings combined in four years, the Mets see him as a starter. So far, they’re right.

SINGLE-A: ST. LUCIE METS

HITTER OF THE MONTH: AJ SALGADO

Statistics: 24 G, .241/.355/.481/.836, 3 HR, 4 2B, 3 3B, 13 RBI, 11 BB, 22 SO

Signed as a free agent in July 2025, AJ Salgado had a solid 23-game showing to end the season and has been good to start 2025. The extra-base hits are coming in droves, and he’s showing a solid approach to come with it. The 24-year-old is playing first base and both corner outfield spots for St. Lucie, and, given his age and production, could be ticketed for Brooklyn any day now.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: NICOLAS CARRENO

Statistics: 5 G (2 GS), 21.2 IP, 10 H, 3 R (2 ER), 31 SO, 13 BB, 0.83 ERA, 1.06 WHIP

There’s a group of younger pitching prospects in the lower levels of the Mets’ system right now that are really, really interesting, and Nicolas Carreno might highlight that bunch. A 19-year-old lefty, Carreno sits 95 mph on his fastball. Those guys don’t grow on trees. And, incredibly, that’s not his best pitch. The 86 mph slider is the star, and batters can’t touch it. The one knock on his profile is he only throws three pitches, and two are fastballs (four-seam and sinker). If he doesn’t develop another pitch, the bullpen might be in his future. But even if that’s the case, he has the stuff to be a weapon out of the pen.

FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE: FCL METS

HITTER OF THE MONTH: YOVANNY RODRIGUEZ

Statistics: 16 G, .268/.339/.589/.928, 5 HR, 1 2B, 1 3B, 15 RBI, 5 BB, 18 SO

The Mets’ most expensive signing in the 2024 IFA class, Yovanny Rodriguez had an okay debut season in the Dominican Summer League and a much better repeat year in 2025, prompting his move stateside this year. So far, he’s been up to the challenge. Despite the large signing bonus, he’s not one of the organization’s premier prospects. Repeating the DSL will cause that. With that said, the catcher is still just 19, so it’s very encouraging to see him start his 2026 in this manner. He hasn’t been perfect, but he’s been good.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: JOSE GUEVARA

Statistics: 4 G (3 GS), 18.1 IP, 12 H, 9 R (8 ER), 25 SO, 9 BB, 3.93 ERA, 1.15 WHIP

Jose Guevara is missing bats, limiting free passes, and overall just doing most of the things pitchers need to do to be successful. At 21 years old, he’s a bit old for the level, so the next test for him will be Single-A. After a couple of recent promotions from St. Lucie to Brooklyn, Guevara could be next in line to fill the vacated spots. He had a few games in both spots last year but didn’t have much success, so it will be interesting to see if round two goes any better.