Then, he got promoted. It happened two days after Hayden Senger was promoted to the big leagues, so Parada was likely sent to Syracuse just to fill the void. But regardless of the reasons behind it, he was there. And, all of a sudden, he started hitting. In his first 16 games at Triple-A, Parada has hit .333/.389/.479/.868 with four extra-base hits, including one home run.

But is it real? Let’s find out.

Kevin Parada Triple-A percentiles from 2025 (left) and 2026 (right). Images courtesy of Thomas Nestico @TJStats on X.

Parada also spent 16 games at Triple-A in 2025, so there’s a small sample size available to use as a comparison. Mostly, it looks really, really good. His contact rates are improved, as is his launch angle sweet-spot percentage, barrel rate and pull air percentage. He’s making a lot of contact, and hitting it at good angles. While he’s not showing great power, he’s hitting the ball hard frequently enough to play. Pair that with good swing decisions, and it makes a very solid offensive profile.

The verdict: Maybe. It’s just 16 games. It is way, way, way too small of a sample size to truly pull anything from. He has three full seasons of sample size that suggests that this is a fluke, but the underlying data suggests his Triple-A numbers are more than batted ball luck. He has now, at the very least, commanded more attention than he has since the day he was drafted.

All of a sudden, the probability of Parada becoming a big leaguer has risen greatly. Can he handle catcher? Who knows. Probably not, at least not over an extended showing. But he’s now made himself an option. If Francisco Alvarez or Luis Torrens gets hurt, Senger is still probably the first option to replace them. His bat leaves much to be desired, but Senger is an elite defensive catcher. That matters. If both Alvarez and Torrens go down, then Parada could get the call.

He’s at Triple-A, one step away from the big leagues. Even if it’s just briefly, the Mets will want to graduate their former first-round pick. If the Mets are out of it come the end of the year, and he hasn’t yet been forced up due to injury, Parada could head to Queens.

The post What is Going on With Kevin Parada? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets received two prospects. The higher-ranked one at the time was outfielder Drew Gilbert, who, after a couple mixed seasons in the Mets minor league system, was flipped with Blade Tidwell and José Buttó for reliever Tyler Rogers at the 2025 trade deadline. Rogers was really good for the Mets over the two months and change he was in Queens, but the Mets failed to make the postseason. He left in free agency, ending that branch of the Verlander trade tree. Gilbert was a big leaguer before the end of 2025, but doesn’t look like much more than a back-end bench outfielder at this point, even with his moderate improvements in 2026.

The other was Ryan Clifford. While he was generally considered the second of the two prospects in the trade, Clifford was still a big get for the Mets. He had his believers too, with some thinking he was a bigger get than Gilbert. While that was the minority opinion at the time, it was out there.

In a way, Clifford received one of the largest signing bonuses handed out to any prospect in history. The money just didn’t go to him. It’s not quite that simple — the Mets were already on the hook for Verlander’s full contract whether they liked it or not before they traded him — but the implication was that the Mets could have taken lesser prospects to shed more money. Instead, they chose to eat well over 50% of the remaining money owed to Verlander to get Gilbert and Clifford.

With Gilbert gone and nothing to show for him besides 27 and 1/3 innings of a reliever in a playoff-less season, the entire $35M investment essentially rides on Clifford.

Since joining the Mets, Clifford has been the prototypical three true outcomes player. He has prodigious power and has been one of the best home run hitters in the minor leagues whenever he wasn’t playing for the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones in the power-drain of an environment that is Maimonides Park. In 2025, Clifford’s 29 home runs ranked sixth across the entire minor leagues. In 2026, his 14 home runs through June 6 are tied for 13th.

He also has prodigious swing-and-miss issues. However, while the strikeout rate was still high in previous years, he had actually been making steady improvements. That is, until this season. After getting his strikeout rate all the way down to 25.6% in 2025, it’s ballooned to 35% in 2026. Therein lies the problem. A 35% strikeout rate in Triple-A is unsustainable for any level of consistent success at the big leagues.

Players can produce with a high strikeout rate. The top four qualified hitters in the big leagues this season — Oneil Cruz, Kyle Schwarber, Hunter Goodman and Munetaka Murakami — have all been productive despite the lofty strikeout rates.

That list is just the qualified hitters, though. When the minimum plate appearance mark is set to 50, the list grows substantially. Cruz drops all the way from first to 12th, and Murakami from fourth to 28th. Of the 24 new players between No. 1 and No. 28, just three have an OPS over .760: Joey Wiemer, Kerry Carpenter and Luke Raley. Even of those three, one of them is misleading. Wiemer’s numbers are inflated by a red-hot first nine games when he OPS’d 1.243 and only struck out 26.5% of the time. In his next 23 games, Wiemer is OPS’d just .687 and struck out 40.8% of the time.

Players can be productive with strikeout rates as high as Clifford’s, but it’s rare. And remember, this is his Triple-A strikeout rate. Pitchers are better in the big leagues.

Let’s dig deeper. Here are his contact rates, the backbone of strikeout rate.

Ryan Clifford‘s Triple-A percentiles in 2025 (left) and 2026 (right). Image courtesy of Thomas Nestico @TJStats on X.

Overall, Clifford’s 2026 numbers look similar to his 2025 Triple-A numbers, but there are a few glaring issues. His chase rate is way up, and his in-zone contact rate is way down. Clifford is still patient — just in the wrong places. He’s swinging at pitches in the zone at a rate under the Triple-A average, but chasing at a rate above the Triple-A average. Previously, he was patient both ways. Now, he’s patient in the zone and aggressive out of the zone, not a good combination.

Then, when he does swing the bat at pitches in the zone, he’s not making contact. His in-zone contact rate is 74.2%, down over 10% from 2025. It cannot be understated how massive of a concern that is. Yes, similar to strikeout rate, there are a rare few who can survive with in-zone contact rates this low, but it’s generally not a recipe for success.

It has also impacted his ability to draw walks, going from one of the best hitters in Triple-A at doing so in 2025 to well below average in 2026. If Clifford is going to stick as a big leaguer, walks have to be a part of his game. Even if he gets the strikeout rate relatively under control, he’s always going to have his fair share of punchies. That has to be countered by a high walk rate.

There have been some improvements throughout the season. In his first 31 games, Clifford posted a .704 OPS with a 39.8% strikeout rate. In his next 28, he had a .832 OPs figure with a 30% strikeout rate. But it’s not enough.

Ryan Clifford’s Triple-A percentiles in his first 31 games of 2026 (left) and next 28 games of 2026 (right). Image courtesy of Thomas Nestico @TJStats on X.

The chase rate is identical, the walk rate is virtually identical, and the in-zone contact is still a big step down from 2025. His surface numbers have improved, but the underlying data tells the story of a hitter who actually hasn’t changed much.

Even if we use his 77.7% in-zone contact rate in his last 28 to measure, it does not suggest he’ll be able to have success at the MLB level. There are 83 hitters in Triple-A with an in-zone contact rate of 77.7% or worse; a handful have spent time in the big leagues, and none of them came close to any form of sustained success this season. Matt Wallner, Nick Yorke, Esmerlyn Valdéz, Patrick Wisdom and Spencer Jones are a few of the big leaguers to run Triple-A contact rates in line with Clifford. None are productive, or frankly, close to it.

This is not a final indictment on Clifford. It’s early June; there is time for Clifford to turn it around. But it is important to note that — even with the surface numbers improving and the recent home runs lighting up your social media feeds — he is a different hitter than he was last year, and not in a good way. If he is going to have an impact at the MLB level in 2026, real change needs to occur. Improving the strikeout rate without truly improving the chase or contact rates isn’t enough.

The 2025 version of Clifford can be a productive big leaguer. He’ll have his flaws, but he can be a true power threat. The 2026 version of Clifford, to this point, cannot.

The post The Intriguing Proposition That Is Ryan Clifford appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

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.

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As always, it’s important to remember that predicting who will play well in the Dominican Summer League is almost impossible. Even the signing bonuses that players receive don’t tell much. For example, the close-to-consensus new No. 1 prospect in baseball is Jesús Made of the Milwaukee Brewers. Made signed for $950,000—not a small sum—but it was tied for just the 42nd-largest in the 2024 IFA class. Jose Perdomo, who received the largest sum in the class from the Atlanta Braves, has a career OPS of .533.

These are teenagers. Most will begin their careers at the same age as high school juniors and seniors. The process is deeply flawed, not to mention predatory and in need of serious reform. Until reform happens, though, this is just how things are. And, until games actually begin, all we have to go off of is what they signed for.

So, with that said, here’s a quick look at the Mets’ top two signees from this past class, and what to expect from them both.

Credit: MLB

Wandy Asigen

After famously flipping from the New York Yankees to the Mets towards the end of the 2026 IFA signing period, Wandy Asigen signed with the team from Queens for $3.9 million. He is one of the most exciting prospects in the entire system. 

A six-foot lefty, Asigen has serious power potential thanks to his double-plus bat speed. Where he’ll land in terms of a contact hitter is still up in the air, but this is the type of profile where if he hits, he has the potential to be a top 10 prospect in all of baseball.

A shortstop, the word is he has a real chance to stick there. If he doesn’t, he should be more than capable of handling third base or second base. He will get plenty of opportunity to stick at short, though.

Asigen is 16 years old and won’t turn 17 until August. He’ll play the entire 2026 DSL season at 16. He’s been dealing with a hamstring injury, and might not make Opening Day, Baseball America said, but whenever he does suit up, he is the clear No. 1 name to watch.

Cleiner Ramirez

Asigen received the largest bonus in the Mets’ class, but Cleiner Ramirez still signed for seven digits. It was the first time the Mets inked multiple players to signing bonuses over $1 million since 2023 after spending most of their bonus pool on one signee for the previous few years. In order to accommodate this, in fact, the Mets traded Franklin Gómez to the Cleveland Guardians for $1.5M in bonus pool space.

Ramirez, a 5-foot-9 righty, isn’t the flashiest player who will be on the field this season, but he does a lot of things well. His approach is solid, he can hit the ball hard, he runs well, and he offers a lot of versatility. He’s listed as an outfielder, but is expected to play the infield as well. Also, just aesthetically, his swing is top-notch.

To put it in the simplest terms, Ramirez just looks like a ballplayer. There’s some underrated pop in that bat for someone his size, and it’s hard to find a clear flaw in his game, even if there’s not necessarily something standout either. 

It will be interesting to see where the Mets play him defensively this season, and until Asigen is healthy, he’s the Mets’ DSL headliner.

The post Mets’ Top IFA Signees to Begin Pro Careers Next Week appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The pitching, aside from a weak link in the rotation, has generally been pretty good. The offense has been a glaring problem. At this point, it’s time to cut bait and move on to the next generation of Mets.

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Outfield

It all starts with A.J. Ewing. With Luis Robert Jr. injured and without a timetable to return, Ewing should be the everyday starting center fielder. He did nothing but hit in 2025 and has taken another significant step forward in 2026. Yes, he was only recently promoted to Triple-A, but he’s continued to hit. His underlying data in Syracuse is fantastic, albeit in a small sample size, and the Mets frankly don’t have a better option.

The Mets should have Juan Soto in left, Ewing in center and Carson Benge in right every single day. Soto can continue to get some days at DH, but those three should be playing every day regardless of the handedness of the starting pitcher. Ewing, a lefty, is actually hitting better against lefties than he is righties so far this year. Benge, who has been sent to the bench most days versus lefties, needs to be allowed to see them. He got one on Sunday, and he picked up one of the four hits the Mets had versus Eduardo Rodríguez and hit two more balls over 90 mph that found gloves. He’s hitting .231 versus lefties on the season — higher than his overall mark — and is hitting .261/.370/.522/.892 in May. He’s figuring it out. Keep him in the lineup.

Tyrone Taylor and MJ Melendez can remain on the bench. Taylor is a good fourth outfielder; he brings value to a team in a bench role. Melendez is one of the few Mets hitters who has shown any signs of life; he can pick up some starts at DH and in left field whenever Soto shifts to the designated hitter spot.

There is no reason for Andy Ibáñez or Austin Slater to be on this roster. Yes, the selection of outfielders proposed here would be very left-handed, but the need to platoon is overplayed. Ewing and Benge are too important to shield from left-handed pitching. They need to learn to face them, and have already shown they’re capable of doing so. Soto is platoon resistant, and Taylor and Melendez form a platoon in that reserve outfield role.

Ibáñez arguably cost the Mets the game on Sunday with his multiple errors and is 2-for-17 on the year (0-for-6 with the Mets). Yes, it’s just 17 plate appearances, but the Mets should know what they have with him. He’s a veteran, and he hasn’t posted an OPS over .653 since 2023.

Slater has been a little better with the Mets, going 5-for-16 (a .313 batting average) since joining the club after hitting .174 in 12 games with the Marlins to open the year, but what little upside. He hasn’t shown any power, he’s not a good defender, and he’s 33 years old coming off back-to-back seasons with OPS marks of .587 and .642. Forcing him into the lineup just because he’s a righty, at the expense of playing time for Benge, ultimately does nothing to make the Mets better.

Ryan Clifford
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The Infield

Now onto the infield. Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien will play every day. Bichette has to be better; there’s nothing else to say there. Semien, while he definitely needs to be better as well, probably catches too much flak. He has also struggled at the plate, but he hasn’t been too far under expectations. He was brought in, first and foremost, because he only had three years remaining on his contract compared to Brandon Nimmo‘s five. Secondly, he was brought here to play a good defensive second base and hit at the bottom of what should have been a very potent lineup. If the players around him were holding up their end of the bargain, Semien’s struggles wouldn’t be as magnified because it’s more or less what was expected of him. Alas, that is not the case.

Those two should be the double-play combination every day until Francisco Lindor returns. Yes, Bichette was brought in to play third base, but when the starting shortstop, who seldom misses games, gets injured, along with his backup, things change. That’s not anyone’s fault. He’s not nearly as good a defensive shortstop as he has proven to be a third baseman, but he can manage until Lindor is back. Vidal Bruján can stick around as defensive insurance and a pinch runner.

The corners are where things get tricky. If Jacob Reimer had started his season similarly to Ewing, there would be an argument to give him a shot at third. That didn’t happen, and while he has hit much better as of late, he’s still in Double-A and not an option at this time. It likely falls to Brett Baty for what should be his final opportunity. It’s not going to excite anyone with how Baty has started his 2026, but the Mets don’t have a better option at this point. Play Baty every day, even against lefties, and know once and for all if he’s part of the plans for the future. If he’s still struggling by the time Lindor returns, you’ll have your answer and can move on with a clear conscience.

As for first base, the Mets should see what they have with Ryan Clifford. The slugging first baseman has not been great in Triple-A and is striking out way too much, but he still has an OPS of .800. He’s hitting for power, and the strikeouts have come down in recent games, so give him a shot. Mark Vientos, despite the sporadic power showings, hasn’t fit the billing as the first baseman of the future. Unlike Ewing and Benge, Clifford is a player who should be platooned. As a result, Vientos won’t be completely phased out. He should, for the most part, only play against lefties. Vientos is actually a plus-hitter versus southpaws, and with the lefty Melendez penciled in as the DH and lefty Clifford penciled in as the first baseman, there are clear runways to get him into games.

Jack Wenninger. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The Starting Rotation

The rotation needs to see a change too. The strategy of using an opener in front of David Peterson is unsustainable, even if the short-term results are positive. There is a solid four of Nolan McLean, Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes and Christian Scott, but that fifth spot should go to Jack Wenninger. He’s carved at Triple-A, and while he doesn’t have the ceiling of a frontline starter, he might be the highest-probability MLB arm the Mets have in the minors. Wenninger should get an opportunity to establish himself as a mid-rotation starter at the MLB level.

The Mets are likely stuck with Sean Manaea, which is fine; he can remain in the bullpen for mop-up duty. What happens next with Kodai Senga is an absolute mystery, but for now, he’s not in the plans. As for Peterson, he’s not under contract next season, and after his performance thus far, doesn’t feel like he’ll be returning to the Mets. It’s time to either move him to the bullpen full-time or dump him. He could probably contribute as a multi-inning lefty out of the pen, but it also may be too many long men with him, Manaea and Tobias Myers.

If that’s the case, they could try to trade him. He won’t garner much of a return, but teams can always use starters. Maybe the Detroit Tigers, who have had so many pitching injuries this season, would give the Mets a low-level prospect for him. If they get no bites, then DFA him. He’s not in the plans, and he’s not contributing now. Wenninger deserves his chance, and the Mets still have plenty of depth behind him to cover for any future injuries.

Don’t waste any more time. The Mets should go with a rotation of McLean, Peralta, Holmes, Scott and Wenninger, and some variation of the following lineups:

Against RHP

1. CF Ewing
2. LF Soto
3. SS Bichette
4. DH Melendez
5. RF Benge
6. C Alvarez
7. 3B Baty
8. 2B Semien
9. 1B Clifford

Against LHP

1. CF Ewing
2. DH Soto
3. SS Bichette
4. 1B Vientos
5. RF Benge
6. C Alvarez
7. 2B Semien
8. 3B Baty
9. LF Taylor

When Lindor, Jorge Polanco and Robert Jr. eventually return, Melendez, Baty, Vientos and Taylor can all be phased out of the starting lineup. Clifford, too, if he’s not hitting, but the ideal scenario is Clifford hits and stays in the lineup as he and Polanco share first base and DH.

The Mets are bad. The offense isn’t hitting. They need to shake it up. If by the time trade deadline season comes around and this team still shows no signs of life, go all in down this path. Trade Peralta and Holmes, who both will be free agents at the end of the season (there is almost no scenario where Holmes doesn’t opt out of the one-year, $12 million remaining on his deal). Obviously, it would be incredibly unfortunate to trade Peralta after just acquiring him, but it’s better to accept reality than to live in denial. Give the rotation spots to Jonah Tong and another one of the young arms, like Zach Thornton or Jonathan Santucci, and lean into the young rotation. Let Benge, Ewing, Clifford, and ideally, Reimer and Nick Morabito have everyday playing time.

If nothing else, give fans a reason to watch. A team with young, exciting players in the lineup and on the mound gives fans hope for the future. It gives Mets fans a reason to turn on the game. Bullpen games with Slater and Ibáñez hitting in the heart of the order do not. It’s time for the next generation to get the keys.

The post Is It Time For The Mets to Turn to The Next Generation? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets

Hitter of the Month: Cristian Pache

Statistics: 23 G, .309/.349/.494/.843, 2 HR, 5 2B, 2 3B, 11 RBI, 5 BB, 23 SO

Can A.J. Ewing be the Triple-A player of the month with just three games played? For this exercise we opted to go with someone with a bit more of a sample size at the level. That gives the crown to Cristian Pache, who carried over his torrid pace from spring training into the regular season. The former top prospect of the Atlanta Braves has had a tough go in the big leagues throughout his career, but has slugged for the Mets down in Triple-A to begin 2026.

Pache might not have had the best slash line of anyone on Syracuse, but it was still great. That, coupled with him playing some of the most of any player and trailing just Ryan Clifford in extra-base hits, gave him the edge over other contenders. With all the Mets’ troubles offensively this season as well, Pache is making a strong case to get a shot. He’s always been highly touted for his glove in center field, but he could never hit enough. If he can even hit close to this level in the big leagues, he’ll be good enough to at least be a bench player on an MLB roster.

Pitcher of the Month: Jack Wenninger

Statistics: 5 G (5 GS), 22 1/3 IP, 16 H, 5 R (4 ER), 26 SO, 12 BB, 1.61 ERA, 1.25 WHIP

Has Jack Wenninger pitched his final game in Triple-A? Probably not. But the Mets have a glaring issue with one of the spots in their rotation, and Wenninger is carving in Syracuse.

He’s still not a finished product. Wenninger’s in-zone percentage and general control is still a work in progress, but it’s good enough to be an upgrade over what the Mets currently have in the rotation. Everything else is ready. His arsenal is solid, headlined by his double-plus splitter, and he’s fully built up to handle a starter’s regular workload. He’s a major-league pitcher, the only question is when.

A.J. Ewing Credit: Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Hitter of the Month: A.J. Ewing

Statistics: 18 G, .349/.481/.571/1.052, 2 HR, 6 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI, 17 BB, 15 SO, 12 SB (1 CS)

Is Ewing playing himself into a major-league call-up already? There’s a reason he made a case for Triple-A player of the month in just three games. He does everything well. He makes a ton of contact with a good approach, he plays great defense (at two positions to boot), and he’s showing serious growth in what was his one shortcoming: power. He’s hitting the ball with authority, and while it’ll never be upper-echelon power, it might be good! He’s played himself into being the Mets’ best prospect and is making a strong case to join the big league club.

Pitcher of the Month: Gabriel Rodriguez

Statistics: 7 G (0 GS), 8 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0ER), 14 SO, 5 BB, 0.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP

The Mets have many interesting starting pitching prospects in Double-A, but all of them were, at best, inconsistent in April. Gabriel Rodriguez, a 27-year-old reliever, was the opposite of inconsistent. He gave up one hit in eight innings, struck out a huge percentage of the batters he faced, and was overall dominant. For someone signed as a free agent in February who last pitched in affiliated ball in 2023, and never above Single-A, Rodriguez is looking like a find. Considering his age, Syracuse (Triple-A) could be close on the horizon, and if things go well, Queens not far after. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a lefty, either.

Irving Cota. Photo by Ed Delany, Metsmerized

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones

Hitter of the Month: John Bay

Statistics: 20 G, .234/.410/.422/.832, 2 HR, 4 2B, 1 3B, 10 RBI, 11 BB, 23 SO, 6 SB (1 CS)

It hasn’t been a great start to the season for the Cyclones, and the lineup hasn’t had many standouts. Really, the only one has been John Bay, a 24-year-old outfielder signed as an undrafted free agent last season. Bay’s showing both strong power and on-base skills, and has been playing more center field this season than ever before. That might be more because of need; Brooklyn doesn’t have much on the roster in terms of outfield options, but he’s handled it well, regardless. It’s going to take a lot for Bay to appear on prospect radars, but this is a great start.

Pitcher of the Month: Irving Cota

Statistics: 5 G (3 GS), 18 2/3 IP, 12 H, 2 R (2 ER), 11 SO, 5 BB, 0.96 ERA, 0.91 WHIP

Brooklyn’s pitching staff has been a little better than the bats, but many of the bigger names like Noah Hall and Joel Díaz have struggled. Irving Cota, while he hasn’t been overwhelming, has done a great job of both keeping hitters off the bases and keeping runs off the board. The 22-year-old righty has impressed at every stop of his minor league career, and he’s making another strong impression to begin 2026.

Elian Peña. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets

Hitter of the Month: Elian Peńa

Statistics: 22 G, .353/.467/.482/.949, 1 HR, 8 2B, 11 RBI, 17 BB, 16 SO

Who else but Elian Peña? If not for Ewing, Peña would easily be the Mets prospect attracting the most attention. Even with Ewing stealing the show, Peña is still demanding plenty of eyeballs. Contact, power, speed, he’s showing it all. It will be a shock if Peña is not a universal top-100 prospect by the midseason update. Randy Guzman and AJ Salgado deserve shoutouts, both with several home runs already this year (five in April), but it was always going to be Peña here.

Pitcher of the Month: Nicolas Carreno

Statistics: 5 G (3 GS), 16 IP, 9 H, 5 R (4 ER), 18 SO, 7 BB, 2.25 ERA, 0.88 WHIP

Nicolas Carreno might be the next breakout to come out of the Mets’ pitching development system. The ERA and WHIP are obviously great, but the strikeouts really stand out. In 16 innings, 25 strikeouts is a fantastic mark. He has both a four-seam and a sinker and throws each of them hard, but the star is his slider. It’s his most used pitch, and hitters can’t lay off, chasing it 44.2% of the time so far this season and whiffing at it even more. Still just 19 years old, Carreno is a name to watch.

The post Mets Minor League Players of the Month: April 2026 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

A fourth-round compensatory pick in 2023, Ewing was selected with the selection the Mets acquired after Jacob deGrom left in free agency. He had an up-and-down first full season in pro ball in 2024, and then exploded in 2025. After starting the year in Low-A St. Lucie, Ewing quickly earned a promotion to High-A Brooklyn and then another one to Double-A Binghamton a few months later.

Back in Double-A to begin 2026, he quickly showed 2025 was no fluke.

AJ Ewing
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

At the plate, Ewing is doing everything right. He’s maintained every aspect of his game from last season, and even improved on them. He’s hitting .387 between Binghamton and Syracuse, up from .315 last year. He’s also walking significantly more, boosting his OBP from .401 in 2025 to .500 in 2026, while keeping his strikeout rate right in line with his previous season mark. He’s still running wild as well with 13 stolen bases in 14 tries.

He’s playing a good center field, and while that’s been by far his primary position for at least the last two seasons, he’s still getting just enough playing time at second base to keep it as an option for him if that’s where the Mets end up needing him. 

But here’s the most exciting part: He’s started hitting for more power. He’s not, and will never, slug like Ryan Clifford. He has started to slug a noticeable amount more, though.

He’s always been able to drive the ball with authority into the gaps for extra-base hits. In 2025, he hit 26 doubles and 10 triples. Some of that has to do with his speed, which is a true plus, but he’s also posted legitimately encouraging exit velocity numbers for someone his size. It’s because of this that there’s always been a thought that he has the potential to hit more home runs as he matures. He was just 20-years-old for most of last season. In theory, there’s plenty of room to grow into more power.

Last year, Ewing hit three home runs in 124 games. This year, Ewing has two home runs in 21 games.

It’s not just homers either. In 16.935% of last year’s games, he has 28.205% of last year’s extra-base hits. For someone who’s still just 21, that’s a seriously notable uptick in power.

Ewing is at Triple-A, so while there’s just a small sample size of publicly available batted-ball data thus far, his .442 expected batting average, .758 expected slugging percentage, .525 xwOBA and 16.7 percent barrel rate are all incredibly encouraging marks over 13 plate appearances.

If he keeps hitting in Syracuse and the Mets keep struggling, there should be nothing keeping him from the big leagues. What else could they have to lose?

The post A.J. Ewing Might Be the Mets’ New Best Prospect appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

So, let’s check in on Christian Scott, Jonah Tong and Jack Wenninger, and see how they’ve been doing.

Christian Scott Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Christian Scott

Scott’s surface numbers aren’t good, but there’s significant context needed here. In three starts and 13.2 innings, Scott has a 5.27 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 17 strikeouts and two walks. In his first start of the season, and his first non-spring training start since July 2024, Scott gave up nine hits and six earned runs in 3 and 1/3 innings. In his next two starts, he gave up four hits and two earned runs in 10 and 1/3 innings.

He got roughed up in his first start back from an elbow injury that cost him about a year and a half. You can pretty much toss that one in the trash. In his next two, he looked much better. Take a look at how his first start compared to the next two:

Images courtesy Thomas Nestico @TJStats on X.

Honestly, there’s no crazy difference in the quality of his stuff. His four-seam and sweeper both look good, with the only noticeable difference being in his hard slider and splitter. Even the chase and whiff rates looked great. The only true difference is that he simply got hit harder. This could have happened because he didn’t have his slider and splitter working as he would have liked in his first start, impacting the rest of his outing, or it could just be small sample size randomness. In his next two starts, he looked fantastic.

The splitter is the most interesting part of this picture. He threw it the last time we saw him in the big leagues, but it got hit HARD. He throws it almost exclusively to left-handed hitters, and he’ll need it to have success at the next level. In his nine MLB starts in 2024, Scott allowed a .942 OPS to lefties and a .532 OPS to righties. The splitter is important. If he can rely on it to get lefties out, he has a good chance at being a good MLB starter. If he can’t … he might struggle.

Scott is the closest to being MLB-ready. There’s a non-zero chance he starts for the New York Mets on Thursday in Senga’s spot. What that would mean for Senga, who knows. But that’s not Scott’s problem. And while that’s ultimately unlikely, he’s still the clear frontrunner to be the first one of the trio to get a call-up.

Jonah Tong
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Jonah Tong

Tong’s stats have been bad; there’s no sugar-coating it. Through four games and 15 and 1/3 innings, he has a 7.04 ERA and 1.37 WHIP with 23 strikeouts and 10 walks. His FIP is 5.88, and his xFIP is 3.66, so maybe he’s gotten a bit unlucky, but he’s also given up hard contact, making it hard to chalk much up to luck.

With Tong, it’s important to remember he’s at Triple-A to work on pitches that aren’t his four-seam fastball and changeup. It might seem silly to say this, but the results aren’t the most important thing. They’d be nice! But really, what matters for Tong is just getting reps in throwing his cutter and curveball.

Take a look at how his arsenal has looked this year:

Images courtesy Thomas Nestico @TJStats on X.

I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on pitch shapes, but something here felt off. The initial card (left) had Tong throwing a slider, but it really looked like some cutters and some curveballs were being classified incorrectly. The seven “sliders” that I reclassified as cutters averaged 87.6 mph, well within the range of his other cutters. The seven “sliders” that I reclassified as curveballs averaged 80.4 mph, well within the range of his other curveballs.

After that, the new card (right) looks a little cleaner and gives Tong a definitive four-pitch mix. Who knows? Maybe he is actually throwing two different variations of a slider. I’m more confident in the ones reclassified to curveballs, but some of the reclassified cutters do have unique shapes. Maybe those actually are attempts to throw a slider. Some cutters look to blend in with his four-seam, but those were left unchanged.

It seems to me, though, that it’s more likely his cutter and curveball are inconsistent. He’s working on them, and in the process, some are being tagged incorrectly.

Now, onto the results of the new pitches. The good news is the cutter looks like it’s working. It’s creating a lot of swings and misses, and when hitters make contact, they’re not doing much damage off of it. The bad news is that the other three pitches have gotten crushed, including the four-seam and changeup. Those two are his two plus pitches, and they’re at least producing good whiff rates, so maybe it can be chalked up to small sample sizes. It could also simply be growing pains as he’s not only refining two pitches, but learning how to sequence with this new-look arsenal.

When it comes together, and it will, it will be time for him to return to the big leagues. Until then, though, he should keep working on it in Triple-A.

Jack Wenninger. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Jack Wenninger

Wenninger is emerging as a top-end MLB prospect. He’s already a top 100 prospect on some lists, and by the mid-season update, he should be on all.

Through three starts and 13.2 innings this year, he has a 1.26 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 15 strikeouts and 6 walks. Here’s what the mix has looked like this season:

Image courtesy Thomas Nestico @TJStats on X.

The fastball is fine, and the rest of the breakers are good. His calling card is his splitter (labeled a changeup here), a pitch Baseball America slaps a 70-grade on. It’s a filthy pitch. The other breakers also play, and he uses them throughout his starts. It would be nice if he were in the zone a bit more, but it’s not overly concerning as of now.

He’s reliable, gives a good innings floor, and turns in a good start seemingly every time out. In his three starts so far this year, he’s gone between 4 and 1/3 innings and 5 1/3 innings while allowing one earned run or fewer. Don’t worry about the slight lack of length either; it’s early in the season, and pitchers are still building up. Especially in the minor leagues.

Wenninger simultaneously has the highest floor and the lowest ceiling of this trio. That’s not a knock on him either. Wenninger is probably the highest-probability MLB starting pitcher still in the minor leagues for the Mets. He is really, really solid, and even if he doesn’t have an elite overall ceiling, he should have a good chance to stick in a big league rotation. Don’t be surprised to see him up before Tong, either. He’s much “safer,” and if Tong is still trying to nail down his cutter and curveball and the Mets have a need, it could be Wenninger.

The post Checking in on Scott, Tong and Wenninger in Syracuse appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Chris Suero
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

As a result, Chris Suero and his rise through the organization has gone a bit under the radar. At this point, most Mets fans know of Suero, so calling him “under the radar” could be a stretch. He’s MMO‘s No. 13-ranked organizational prospect, MLB Pipeline‘s No. 15 and Baseball America‘s No. 12—and he’ll gain a spot for both MMO and BA when accounting for McLean’s graduation.

So, while he might not be fully “under the radar,” the level to which he’s fascinating still might not be fully appreciated. Suero is truly unique.

A Bronx native of Dominican heritage, Suero moved to the Dominican Republic as a teenager so he could bypass the MLB draft and sign with an MLB team as an international free agent. He landed with the Mets for a signing bonus of just $10,000, the maximum amount a team can give for a player to not count against the team’s bonus pool.

He made his pro debut in 2022 at 18 in the Dominican Summer League, and has slowly climbed the minor league ladder since. Now, beginning his fifth minor league season, the 22-year-old is showing exactly why he’s so interesting.

Offensive Outlook

Suero has a ton of power, and like many power hitters, also a ton of swing-and-miss.

In 2024, his first time playing over 100 games in a season, Suero struck out 22.1% of the time. That’s not low, but that’s also not outrageous for a minor league hitter. Among 18 Mets minor leaguers with at least 400 plate appearances in 2024, it ranked eighth. Not outstanding, but not bad.

In 2025, his strikeout rate jumped up to 29.3%, 20th of 22 Mets minor leaguers under the same criteria. Interestingly, though, his overall offensive production improved significantly. His OPS went from .730 to .786, and his wRC+ went from 119 to 140, seventh and fourth, respectively, among Mets minor leaguers.

The trend continued in the Arizona Fall League following the 2025 regular season. Suero hit five home runs—tied with Tigers top prospect Kevin McGonigle for the second-most—while striking out roughly 26.5% of the time.

Despite a noticeable increase in strikeouts, Suero had a much better offensive year. He got on base more and hit seven more home runs despite a minimal increase in plate appearances. Having spent all of 2025 between High-A and Double-A, there is no Statcast data available, but the results showed that Suero sacrificed some contact to add power. And it worked.

His wRC+ was 33rd of the 607 minor league players with at least 400 plate appearances in 2025. Among the 186 players who were 21 years old or younger, Suero is 14th—and only seven of the players ahead of him made it to at least Double-A, as he did. Those seven players, listed in order of wRC+: Konnor Griffin, Reimer, Esmerlyn Valdez, Josue Briceño, Sal Stewart, Max Clark and Ewing.

Griffin, Briceño, Stewart, Clark and Ewing are all top 100 prospects for both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America. Reimer and Valdez are not, but both are still well-regarded prospects in their own right. Reimer is a top 100 prospect for Just Baseball and Baseball Prospectus. Valdez is the only player who had more home runs than Suero in the Arizona Fall League.

The top hitters below Suero who reached at least Double-A are also impressive. Michael Arroyo, Aidan Miller, Clifford, Jett Williams and Carter Jensen are the next five, and all are well-regarded prospects.

Defensive Outlook

This is where Suero really stands out. Suero is a catcher. Already, that makes him stand out. There were just six catchers at least 21-years-old or younger to reach Double-A or higher last season. Suero’s wRC+ ranked second, only trailing Briceño. Suero also played much more catcher than he did, starting 73 games behind the plate in 2025 to Briceño’s 46.

But he’s not just a catcher. He’s also a first baseman, and he’s an outfielder. Suero played 16 games at first base and 21 games in left field in 2025, and can play both positions well.

He’s not a player who occasionally catches but pretty clearly won’t in the big leagues. Briceño is a potential example of that, as there is some doubt he’ll be able to handle catcher full-time at the highest level. Suero is a primary catcher, and looks like he’ll be able to stick there. Just a few days ago, he back-picked top Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. off of first base.

Suero is uber-athletic, which helps him move from behind the plate to first base and left field, and is an asset when he is catching. He’s also fast, stealing 35 bases in 43 attempts in 2025, more than any catcher at any level of affiliated baseball.

A catcher/first baseman/left fielder, who can hit for power and steal bases, is a very interesting and unique profile.

Chris Suero. Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

What’s next for Suero in 2026?

Ultimately, the strikeout rate needs to come down. Yes, its rise corresponded with a rise in his overall offensive production, but a 29% strikeout rate is unsustainable in the long run. The next step for Suero will be to see if he can bring down his strikeout rate, even if only by a few percentage points, without sacrificing the power he gained in 2025. If he can do that, there will be nothing standing between him and an MLB debut sometime in 2027.

Francisco Alvarez is locked in as the Mets’ catcher, but Luis Torrens is a free agent after 2026. Suero could be in line to replace him as Alvarez’s backup in 2027. Even if the Mets retain Torrens, Suero could still make the roster as the third catcher while also providing depth at first base and the corner outfield spots. His presence would also give the Mets more freedom to DH Alvarez when he’s not catching, as they would still have a catcher available to replace Torrens without sacrificing the DH if necessary.

He’s started hot in 2026, hitting .286/.448/.810/1.258 with three home runs and a triple in 29 plate appearances, but that has also come with a 38% strikeout rate. It’s six games into his season, so it’s obviously way too early to draw any conclusions about anything good or bad, but the early returns look similar to last season.

Suero continues to find himself in the company of some of the best prospects in baseball offensively, and he offers a unique blend of defensive versatility that very few players can. A utility player who can catch can help a team win in a lot of different ways. That toolset should get him to the big leagues at some point. The only question is when.

The post Chris Suero Might be the Mets’ Most Fascinating Prospect appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

For pitching depth, it’s pretty clear. There are a handful of starters on call in Syracuse, and the same goes for the relievers. For the hitting depth, it’s a little less clear.

Ronny Mauricio was the first to get the call, replacing Soto, even though he’s an infielder. With five players capable of playing at least a corner outfield spot (Luis Robert Jr., Carson Benge, Brett Baty, Jared Young and Tyrone Taylor), an outfielder was not required to be Soto’s replacement.

If the Mets do not sustain another injury by the time Soto returns, Mauricio will be demoted and, in turn, become the next in line to be promoted again the next time he’s needed. If Soto is still on the injured list and the Mets need to call up a second player, the question gets a bit more complicated.

Ronny Mauricio
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

If a catcher is placed on the injured list…

Hayden Senger will be promoted. If Senger is unavailable at that time, it’ll likely be Ben Rortvedt. Simple.

If a middle infielder is placed on the injured list…

The list of replacements isn’t very exciting.

But first, even if Mauricio is already on the roster, that doesn’t guarantee him every day playing time. If Francisco Lindor is the one injured, Mauricio will likely play a good amount, but the Mets can put Bo Bichette at shortstop and Baty at third base. If he’s replacing Marcus Semien, Baty likely gets a good chunk of the playing time at second base while Mauricio enters a weird platoon with Taylor and Young. If one of those two occupies the third outfield spot, Baty plays second. If Baty heads to the outfield, Mauricio plays second.

While the Mets could theoretically call up an outfielder and still have enough infielders to survive, they’ll likely want someone capable of backing up a middle infield spot. There are no infielders besides Mauricio currently on the 40-man roster, so MLB veterans Christian Arroyo and Vidal Bruján would be in line to be added to the 40-man and promoted. Out of camp, it sounded like Bruján is in the lead.

Cristian Pache. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

If a corner infielder is placed on the injured list… 

It could be anyone. There is a lot of position flexibility on the Mets roster.

It doesn’t even have to be an infielder called up to replace them. If it’s Jorge Polanco, the Mets still have three players on the roster capable of playing first: Baty, Young and Mark Vientos. If it’s Bichette, Baty likely becomes the everyday third baseman and Mauricio is his backup.

Morabito and Melendez are options, as are Bruján, Arroyo, and Christian Pache. There’s also Tommy Pham, who the Mets recently brought back, though he hasn’t appeared in a minor league game yet this season. He also has an opt out on April 25.

Nick Morabito. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

If another outfielder is placed on the injured list…

An outfielder will be called up to replace him.

Nick Morabito and MJ Melendez are both already on the 40-man roster. Morabito is the more exciting option of the two, because he would be promoted to make his MLB debut. He’s a speedy, contact-oriented outfielder who can play all three spots on the grass—and play them well. Melendez would likely be the pick if the Mets deem Morabito not ready. He is only a corner outfielder, but Benge’s versatility doesn’t rule him out as an option even if Luis Robert Jr. is the one to hit the shelf.

If they go with someone not on the 40-man roster, the list grows. Ryan Clifford, as Steve Gelbs noted on SNY over the weekend, is the most interesting of those options.

A first baseman and corner outfielder, Clifford has prodigious power and a high strikeout rate, though it has steadily improved throughout his minor league career. While he’ll always strike out more than the average hitter, it’s probably good enough to stay afloat in the majors at this point. It would be an aggressive move, but it can’t be ruled out. There are a couple of holdups. If the Mets promote Clifford, they will likely want him to play every day versus right-hand pitching. With the current group of Mets position players, that might not be possible. The other is Clifford and Young on the same roster would be a bit redundant, as they’re both 1B/OF who would only play vs right-handed pitching.

Pache, who had a very impressive spring training, is another option.

A.J. Ewing, Jacob Reimer or Chris Suero could theoretically be options to be called up straight from Double-A, but that’s highly unlikely. If the Mets want a player like Ewing, they’ll likely go for Morabito first, just as they’ll likely go for Clifford before Reimer. And, the Mets will want all three playing as much as possible, not joining the Mets just to ride the pine.

Odds are, a good handful of these players will take at-bats for the Mets in 2026. Injuries hit every team, and when the Mets do need to call on Syracuse for help, this is who is in line for the opportunity.

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