Minor League Players of the Month: June 2026

Incredibly, minor league teams from Single-A to Triple-A are already into the second halves of their seasons. Players at the higher levels already have a full three months of sample size under their belts, and a clear picture is emerging of the quality of seasons they’re going to have.

As the weather heated up, so did the bats. Well, for the most part. Don’t look at Ryan Clifford‘s June numbers.

TRIPLE-A: SYRACUSE METS

HITTER OF THE MONTH: NICK MORABITO

Statistics: 24 G, slash, 3 HR, 5 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI, 11 BB, 25 SO, 11 SB (0 CS)

Yonny Hernández finished with a better slash line, but I’m still going to give the nod to Nick Morabito here because of what his recent developments could mean for the post-trade-deadline New York Mets. In 70 Triple-A games, Morabito has 22 extra-base hits. Nine of those have come in 24 games in June. He also homered on the final day of May, which would have further shown his power uptick if the calendar had just lined up a little bit differently. Morabito is never going to be a big power threat, but it’s encouraging to see him hitting the ball with authority. If the Mets make a move at the deadline, like sending Tyrone Taylor to a team that could use a fourth outfielder, Morabito could come up to fill that spot.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: NATE LAVENDER

Last week, I wrote about how Nate Lavender‘s MLB debut might finally be around the corner. Since then, he’s thrown four more scoreless innings with five strikeouts and only three baserunners. After leaving the organization for a year as a casualty of the Rule 5 Draft, he has been returned to the Mets from the Rays and is looking like the exciting lefty reliever Mets fans were ready for a few years ago. Xzavion Curry deserves a shoutout here for a very strong month, but 19 strikeouts in 27 innings just isn’t enough to beat out what Lavender did from the pen.

Nick Lorusso. Photo credit: Rick Nelson

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: JONATHAN SANTUCCI

Statistics: 5 G (5 GS), 22.0 IP, 16 H, 8 R (7 ER), 25 SO, 13 BB, 2.86 ERA, 1.32 WHIP

Jonathan Santucci might be the best pitching prospect in the Mets’ system. He has a nasty slider, a great fastball and two developing pitches in a curveball and a changeup that both look promising. His June was great, and in a year where it seems like a lot of the Mets’ top pitching prospects have struggled and taken steps back, Santucci has maintained. He did leave his last start of the month on June 30 after two hitless innings, but there was a long rain delay, so that’s more than likely the reason.

JT Benson. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

HIGH-A: BROOKLYN CYCLONES

HITTER OF THE MONTH: JT BENSON

Statistics: 19 G, .288/.405/.652/1.057, 5 HR, 5 2B, 2 3B, 14 RBI, 10 BB, 20 SO

June was a big rebound month for a lot of Cyclone hitters, including Mitch Voit, Corey Collins, Daiverson Gutierrez and Ronald Hernandez, but it’s JT Benson who takes the top spot. Benson isn’t really a bounce back; he hit well enough in May. But he was clearly the best of the bunch. For a college bat signed after two seasons in indy ball, Benson’s breakout is the kind of one that’s always fun to see. He’s a good athlete in the outfield, and he’s old enough that even though he’s still relatively new to High-A, the Mets could push him quickly to Double-A, too.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: DAVIEL HURTADO

Statistics: 5 G (5 GS), 26.2 IP, 11 H, 6 R (6 ER), 26 SO, 4 BB, 2.03 ERA, 0.56 WHIP

Daviel Hurtado is in the middle of a full-fledged breakout. Promoted to Brooklyn at the end of May, he has been nails. June was a work of art. On June 30, to close his month, Hurtado went six full innings scoreless, allowing just one hit and one walk while punching out eight. It was his second-straight start where he went six full innings, too. A 21-year-old lefty who throws in the mid-90s and could have even more in the tank, Hurtado should be on everyone’s radar.

SINGLE-A: ST. LUCIE METS

HITTER OF THE MONTH: YOHAIRO CUEVAS

Statistics: 13 G, .326/.456/.630/1.086, 2 HR, 8 2B, 6 RBI, 9 BB, 9 SO

It was a tough month for St. Lucie hitters. Elian Peña struggled, Antonio Jimenez struggled, Randy Guzman got hurt and no one else really separated themselves. So, it goes to Yohairo Cuevas, who started the year in Brooklyn but was sent down to St. Lucie after a really rough start. His sample size is a little smaller than others because he was sent back to Brooklyn on June 18. An outfielder with a strong arm, Cuevas tore up St. Lucie while he was there, and his next task will be figuring out High-A.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: CAM TILLY

Statistics: 4 G (4 GS), 18 IP, 10 H, 3 R (2 ER), 15 SO, 5 BB, 1.00 ERA, 0.83 WHIP

Where St. Lucie bats struggled, St. Lucie pitchers excelled. Emilio Obispo, Joel Lara and Zack Mack all deserve recognition, but Cam Tilly was the best. He threw 6 and 1/3 no-hit innings on June 9 to start a combined no-hitter. That might have gotten him player of the month honors alone, but then he gave up just two more earned runs in 11 and 2/3 innings before and after in the month. It’s a big bounce-back month for the 22-year-old who entered the year as a popular under-the-radar arm to pop, but just hasn’t so far.

FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE: FCL METS

HITTER OF THE MONTH: VLADI GOMEZ

Statistics: 19 G, .377/.443/.472/.915, 1 HR, 2 2B, 7 RBI,5  BB, 8 SO, 11 SB (3 CS)

It was tight between Vladi Gomez and Bohan Adderley as the two had nearly identical numbers, but Gomez’s low strikeout numbers gave him the edge. The 20-year-old has played second base, third base, shortstop, left field and right field this season, and has a lot of experience in center as well. With the way St. Lucie’s bats hit in June, Gomez should get a look back at Single-A. He’s had two short stints there so far this year and hit well in six games. Time to make the move permanent.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: CALVIN ZIEGLER

Statistics: 3 G (2 GS), 2.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R (1 ER), 3 SO, 2 BB, 3.86 ERA, 2.14 WHIP

It’s pretty slim pickings here for FCL Mets pitchers, so we’ll go with a different angle. Calvin Ziegler made his return to the mound for the first time since April of 2024, over two full years ago. At one time a big name in the Mets’ farm system, Ziegler has been plagued by injuries throughout his minor league career. When healthy, the strikeout numbers have been tantalizing, but he really hasn’t been fully healthy since 2022. From 2023 through now, he has 9 and 1/3 total innings. All that matters right now, though, is he’s back, and it’s great to see.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE: DSL METS

HITTER OF THE MONTH: CLEINER RAMIREZ

Statistics: 20 G, .316/.388/.618/1.006, 5 HR, 8 2B, 13 RBI, 5 BB, 10 SO, 6 SB (1 CS)

Cleiner Ramirez received the second-largest signing bonus in the Mets’ most recent IFA class, and he’s showing why so far. He’s only 5-foot-9, but he packs a punch, with his 13 extra-base hits leading all Mets in the DSL. He’s played both up-the-middle infield positions and center field so far through his first 20 professional games, and has just overall looked really, really impressive. The Mets might have something here.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: RANDY GUZMAN

Statistics: 4 G (1 GS), 13.2 IP, 9 H, 1 R (0 ER), 17 SO, 3 BB, 0.00 ERA, 0.88 WHIP

It’s always really, really tough to evaluate pitchers in the Dominican Summer League, but it gets easier when a guy doesn’t give up a run. Or, at least, an earned run. The strikeout rate is great, the walk rate is great, and really, everything Randy Guzman showed in the first month of his season has been great. And yes, this is a different Randy Guzman from the Single-A power hitter. Can’t wait to have fun dealing with that for the next few years, at least.