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.

The post Examining the Mets’ MLB-Ready Position Player Depth appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Minor league breakouts happen every year, so here are three players ranked outside the top 30 who have the potential to fly up prospect lists by the end of the season.

Cam Tilly

Cam Tilly, RHP

The Mets have had a ton of success in recent years drafting former college relief pitchers and turning them into starters. Christian Scott started just five of the 55 games he pitched for the Florida Gators. Nolan McLean started just three of the 39 games he appeared in for Oklahoma State. Will Watson started nine of the 36 games he pitched throughout his college career. Even Brendan Girton is a decent example of this. While he picked up 10 starts in his one and only year at Oklahoma, he was used primarily as a reliever for his first three years at Texas Tech. Even then, he pitched into the fourth inning just four times.

Cam Tilly, the Mets’ seventh-round pick in 2025, has the makings of the next arm to make that transition for the Mets. The righty came in at No. 34 just last month. He’s also already listed as a starting pitcher by the Mets, so we know the transition will at least be attempted.

Tilly spent two seasons at Auburn and started just six of the 33 games he appeared in, all in his second season. The word on Tilly from Baseball America (where he’s ranked No. 28) is that he has a standout splitter that they’ve slapped a 70-grade on, not something that’s done very often. He sits in the low to mid-90s and has topped out at 97, with the potential to develop more velocity. They give the pitch a 50-grade, along with a 60-grade sweeper, 55-grade slider and 40-grade curveball. Pitcher arsenals undergo significant changes while players develop in the minor leagues, so who knows what his pitch mix could look like in even one year from now. However, he’s coming into the organization with a pitch mix more than deep enough to start and two pitches Baseball America has graded as plus offerings, including one (the splitter) they deem to be “a true out pitch.”

Baseball America also compared Tilly to Scott, McLean and others who came to the Mets as relievers and then became starters, which I assure you was discovered after writing the first paragraph of this breakdown. But hey, it’s a pretty clear pattern to see with the Mets. All the ingredients are there for Tilly. Now, he just has to actually do it.

Cleiner Ramirez, OF

The international free agent signing process, at best, can be described as a broken system in desperate need of reform. That’s for many reasons we won’t get into right now, but it’s a mess. When strictly looking at predicting players’ future success, it’s a shot in the dark. The Mets made headlines this offseason by signing former Yankees-linked infielder Wandy Asigen for $3.9 million. What that signing overshadowed was the signing of outfielder Cleiner Ramirez for about $1.37 million, a significant number. Ramirez was MLB Pipeline’s No. 23-ranked international free agent, and he received the 30th-largest signing bonus in his 2026 class.

The 5-foot-9 right-handed hitter came in at No. 43 on MMO’s list. Pipeline has Ramirez with an above-average hit tool and expects him to hit for more power as he gets older and fills out. While he has some infield experience, he’s likely an outfielder. As mentioned, it’s a shot in the dark with IFA prospects, and it can even be hard to evaluate them while playing in the Dominican Summer League as Ramirez will do this season, but the Mets clearly think highly of him. Not only did they give him a handsome signing bonus, but they traded Franklin Gomez, an interesting left-handed prospect, to the Cleveland Guardians for international bonus pool money to have enough for both Asigen and Ramirez.

All eyes will be on Asigen this summer, but don’t forget about Ramirez. There’s breakout potential here.

Yordan Rodriguez, RHP

Jeff McNeil had a great career with the Mets, and it’s one that has a decent chance of landing him in the Mets Hall of Fame one day. With that said, it was time to move on. With one guaranteed year left on his deal (and a club option for 2027), the Mets traded McNeil to the Athletics in December. They retained roughly one-third of the money owed to him in 2026 and received teenage righty Yordan Rodriguez from the A’s. Rodriguez is extremely young — he will be 18 years old for all of 2026.

Last year, as a 17-year-old, Rodriguez pitched well in 15 and 1/3 innings for the A’s DSL affiliate. That doesn’t always mean a ton, but it’s still encouraging to see. Following the trade, JJ Cooper of Baseball America said Rodriguez ranked roughly in the 40-to-45 range of A’s prospects. It’s a flier for the Mets.

“There’s a chance that he could be something,” Cooper said. “And when you’re kind of making almost a little bit of a salary dump kind of move here, that’s probably a better approach if you’re the Mets than it is to pick up a close to the majors guy who’s only going to be an up-and-down guy.”

Now, he’s MMO’s No. 45 Mets prospect. Best-case scenario, Rodriguez is still many, many years away from the majors. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be interesting to see how he looks as a Met for the first time this year. There’s a good chance he repeats the DSL this year, given his age, but with his success there last year, he has a chance to make his stateside debut at some point in 2026.

The post Three Non-Top 30 Mets Prospects to Monitor in 2026 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Quickly, the Mets traded away Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil and let franchise home run leader Pete Alonso walk in free agency. These moves largely drew the ire of fans (to say the least), and Stearns’ focus on run prevention was the obvious culprit.

By Fielding Bible’s defensive runs saved, Nimmo was the only one of the three to post a positive mark despite grading out with one of the worst arms of all left fielders. However, he was traded for Marcus Semien, who graded out better and plays second base, a much more valuable defensive position. McNeil moved around between second base and all three outfield spots, and, while the versatility was valuable, he was clearly below-average glove in the outfield and slightly above average on the dirt. Then there’s Alonso, who finished dead last among all first basemen in DRS. He can pick it, but he was dreadful in just about every other aspect of playing first base.

Statcast’s outs above average supports this as well. Nimmo (-1 OAA, 42nd percentile) and Alonso (-9 OAA, 2nd percentile) both graded out as negative defenders, and while McNeil (2 OAA, 72nd percentile) was a plus, he was only a plus at second base. Semien (7 OAA, 92nd percentile) was clearly better. McNeil simply didn’t have a position anymore.

The Mets quickly filled first base by signing Jorge Polanco and then, surprisingly, added Bo Bichette to play third base. They also traded for Luis Robert Jr., a well-known great defender, to play center field, but most of the attention was on Polanco and Bichette.

Polanco has played first base for one at-bat in the majors and zero at-bats in the minors, and Bichette has never played third base in the majors or minors. It’s natural to wonder how Stearns could preach run prevention and then sign Polanco and Bichette to play two positions they’ve never played before.

For fans who have that concern, though, fortunately, middle infielders move to the corners all the time. The changes shouldn’t be nearly as big a story as they have been.

Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

History of Players Moving to First

Let’s start with Polanco. Through parts of 12 seasons in the big leagues, Polanco has technically played all four infield positions. He has primarily been up the middle, spending over 4,000 innings at shortstop and 3,500 innings at second base, but also has over 200 innings at third base.

He isn’t and has never been a particularly good defender, but he has been playable enough for teams to routinely put him up the middle. Interestingly enough, this move to first base could provide him with an opportunity to change that. Don’t be fooled by the Ron Washington line from “Moneyball.” It can be done, and it is done very often.

There are seven players who appear in the top-12 in both DRS and OAA among first basemen in 2025: Matt Olson, Carlos Santana, Ty France, Spencer Steer, Ryan O’Hearn, Kody Clemens and Jonathan Aranda. Of those seven, five came up playing positions other than first base. The two that did are Matt Olson, who did occasionally play right field but has the vast majority of his career innings at first base, and Ryan O’Hearn, who came up as a first baseman but has played at least some outfield in most of his big league seasons.

Here are the other five:

• Santana: Made his MLB debut at catcher, and didn’t play first base until his second year in the league. He has just 4 and 1/3 career minor league innings at first base. He is now in the top 10 among first basemen in DRS since 2003, when The Fielding Bible first began.
• France: Technically made his MLB debut as a pinch hitter, but made his first start as a third baseman. He also played second base as a rookie, and made his first MLB appearance at first base in the second-to-last game of his rookie year, moving from second to first in the 9th inning as part of a slew of Padres defensive changes. Played a lot of both corner infield spots in the minors, but has over 1,000 more minor league innings at third base. First base did not become his primary position until his third year in the big leagues.
• Steer: Made his MLB debut at third base, and also started games at first base and second base during his rookie season. He has over 1000 career minor league innings at third base, over 700 at second base, over 400 at shortstop and just 17 at first base. He is now a primary first baseman, but has significant MLB innings in the outfield and has played up the middle as recently as 2024.
• Clemens: Made his MLB debut at second base, and also started games at third base and left field before he received one at first base. The vast majority of his minor league innings are at second base. He now has twice as many career MLB innings at first base, but still plays second base often, and in 2025 started games at first base, second base, left field and right field.
• Aranda: Made his MLB debut at second base, and also started games at first base and third base during his rookie season. Most of his minor league innings are at second base, but also has over 1000 career minor league innings at first base and over 500 at third base. His first full season in the big leagues was in 2025, and it was also the first time he only played first base.

There’s a good mix of origins among this group. Olson, who is the “purest” first baseman of the seven, is also one of the best defensive first basemen of all time. Santana is right there with him, despite basically learning first base from scratch when he was already in the majors.

Steer and France both made their MLB debuts on the other side of the corner infield, and Clemens and Aranda both made their MLB debuts at second base. All four of them spent significant time in the minor leagues playing up the middle, with first base either being a clear second fiddle or, in Steer’s case, almost not a thing at all.

While Clemens has generally been a good defender wherever he’s put, France, Steer and Aranda weren’t very good at the other infield spots. All were able to become plus defensive first basemen.

Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

History of Players Moving to Third

As for Bichette, he has primarily been a shortstop in his big league career. In fact, when looking at his Baseball Reference page for his historical fielding stats, only one position shows up: Shortstop. Of course, everyone remembers him moving to second base on the fly during the 2025 World Series, but even then, he had at least 262 career minor league innings to draw on as experience.

There’s no sugar coating it here with Bichette — he’s a bad fielder. But bad fielding shortstops often move to third base and do just fine.

There are seven players who appear in the top-12 in both DRS and OAA among third basemen in 2025: Ke’Bryan Hayes, Maikel Garcia, Ernie Clement, Ryan McMahon, Nolan Arenado, Matt Chapman and Nacho Alvarez Jr. Of those seven, four came up playing positions other than third base. Hayes, Arenado and Chapman are third basemen through and through.

Here are the other four:

• Garcia: Made his MLB debut as a shortstop, didn’t play third base until his second year in the league. He has over 3,000 minor league innings at shortstop and under 100 minor league innings at third base. He even has one more minor league inning at second base than he does at third base. Now, the vast majority of his MLB innings come at third base, but he also started games at shortstop, second base, center field and right field.
• Clement: Made his MLB debut as a pinch hitter and his first MLB start as a second baseman. He split time between second base and third base as a rookie. He has over 2,000 career minor league innings at shortstop, a little over 350 at second base, and a little over 200 at third base. He has played third base the clear most as a big leaguer, but is still used as a utility infielder. In 2025, he made 66 starts at third base, 49 at second base, 19 at shortstop and six at first base.
• McMahon: Made his MLB debut as a pinch hitter and his first MLB start as a first baseman. Most of his minor league innings came at third base, but he didn’t become a primary third baseman until his fifth MLB season due to sharing an infield with Arenado. While he now has by far the most career innings at third base, he was moved around between first base, second base and third base early in his career, initially spending by far the most time at second base.
• Alvarez Jr.: Made his MLB debut at second base. Has over 1,500 career minor league innings at shortstop and about 500 at third base. In his 64 career MLB starts, 56 have come at third base.

Arenado, Chapman and Hayes are elite defensive third basemen who have eight Platinum Gloves between them (Arenado with six and Chapman with two), and while the two veterans have slipped a tad defensively at this point in their careers, Hayes is in his defensive prime and could easily win a Platinum Glove of his own.

Aside from the three generational third base defenders, though, the rest continue the pattern of former middle infielders moving to a corner. McMahon’s path to third was blocked by Arenado, but he wound up playing a very good defensive second base while he waited for his turn at the hot corner. Garcia, Clement and Alvarez Jr. are all former shortstops who moved off the position once in the majors. Garcia moved for Bobby Witt Jr., Clement moved for Bichette, and Alvarez Jr. mainly just filled in for an injured Austin Riley at third base in his limited MLB action.

Overall outlook for the New York Mets

The Mets have a good infrastructure in place to help Polanco and Bichette make these transitions. The Mets hired Kai Correa to be the new bench coach, who is well known for helping players improve their defense. Eno Sarris of The Athletic noted that Correa “helped JD Davis into his best time at third base defensively,” and that “he’s really good at this.” Davis, the former Met, struggled mightily at third base throughout his career in Queens.

Much has also been made about Bichette’s subpar arm strength, but that’s also overblown. The throw from shortstop is longer than the one from third base, and he had the same arm strength last season as Alex Bregman, a widely accepted good defensive third baseman. As long as the throws are accurate, the arm strength won’t be a big deal.

Yes, Polanco and Bichette have both been bad fielders throughout their careers. Polanco is below average, and Bichette, to put it kindly, has been one of the worst shortstops in baseball. But the Mets don’t need them to turn into great fielders; they just need them to be fine. Both were signed, first and foremost, for their bats. Defense is important everywhere, but it’s the most important up the middle. There, the Mets have greatly improved with the additions of Semien and Robert Jr.

As stated earlier, Alonso was dead last in DRS among first basemen in 2025. As long as Polanco doesn’t do the same, he will be an improvement. At third base, Mark Vientos was dead last in DRS among all third basemen, despite playing fewer innings at the position than Baty. As long as Bichette doesn’t do the same, he will be an improvement. Yes, Baty was a plus defensive third baseman, and it’s fair to think he will continue to be one in 2026. Baty playing third base while Bichette is the DH is a lineup configuration that could occur fairly often.

Neither Polanco nor Bichette has played in their new position before, but it’s a common transition for players. The examples above are recent, but there are plenty more. Bregman was mostly a shortstop coming up through the minors, and while every time he’s played shortstop, he’s been nothing more than average, he’s a great defensive third baseman. Manny Machado (1,768 minor league innings at SS, 36 at 3B) is one of the best defensive third basemen of the last few decades, and he’s very firmly a bad defensive shortstop. Eugenio Suárez came through the minors as a shortstop and struggled mightily defensively whenever he played there in the majors, but played a solid third base for many years.

Even longtime Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy, who was worth -64 DRS at second base over his career (the third worst since 2003), was worth positive-26 DRS at first base (the 20th best since 2003).

Over and over again, middle infielders prove they can handle a corner. If you can survive up the middle, as Polanco and Bichette have for many years, then you have a very good chance of at least being playable at a corner. Will they be among the best defenders in baseball at their new positions? Probably not, but there’s a very real chance they’re better than they were up the middle, and the bar is low for them to be an improvement on what the Mets had in 2025.

Most importantly, this is normal. Asking middle infielders to move to the corners is normal, common, and bordering on a non-story — the opposite of what it has been.

The post Polanco, Bichette Could Be Fine Defensively appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

But it goes far beyond WAR. Robert is a perfect fit for the 2026 Mets roster as it currently stands.

How Robert Fits in the Lineup

Here’s what a potential 2026 lineup could look like:

SS Francisco Lindor
RF Juan Soto
3B Bo Bichette
1B Jorge Polanco
2B Marcus Semien
DH Brett Baty
CF Luis Robert Jr.
LF Carson Benge
C Francisco Alvarez

On paper, that is a great lineup. One through nine could all hit 20 home runs, and some are expected to hit many more than that. Of course, everyone won’t do that, but they all have the potential to do so if they play a full season. Even Marcus Semien is just one year removed from a 23-homer season and is now moving to a ballpark that is better suited for his power.

There is also a ton of flexibility. Baty is slotted in as the DH right now, but he can play third base and second base, and is expected to learn first base and left field during spring training. Baty could be a “DH” who plays the field five days a week. He could play first base while Polanco is the DH on Monday, third base while Bichette is the DH, and left field while Robert Jr. is the DH and Benge shifts to center field. With Robert’s lengthy injury history, some of those half-days off might be a good idea.

He’s a terrific defender in center field, and now the Mets’ defense up the middle of Alvarez, Lindor, Semien, and Robert Jr. is among the best in baseball. Tyrone Taylor is also a strong defender in center field, but his bat doesn’t offer nearly as much upside. Now, Taylor can slot right into that clear fourth outfielder role where he is best suited.

Some pressure is taken off of Benge as well. While there is still plenty of room for him to be on the Opening Day roster, it’s not a need anymore. Baty and Taylor can handle left field if the Mets want to get Benge a little more seasoning in Triple-A first, and even if he is up, he doesn’t have any pressure to be some great offensive force. He can hit at the bottom of the lineup and find his footing, a great situation for a young player to be in.

Robert also joins Bichette, Semien and Polanco as right-handed (or switch-hitting) additions to a lineup that seriously struggled against left-handed pitching in 2025. Semien was a little better vs righties but generally struggled overall offensively in 2025. Bichette and Polanco were better vs lefties, but hit both sides well.

In 2025, Robert Jr. hit .211/.272/.329/.601 vs. righties and .258/.369/.473/.842 vs lefties. Even in a season where his overall offensive numbers were decently below league average, he still crushed southpaws.

As a team in 2025, the Mets had a .696 OPS vs. left-handed pitching, the No. 17 mark in baseball. Just three teams — San Diego, Cincinnati and Cleveland — made the playoffs with a lower OPS vs. lefties. Those three teams combined to win two playoff games.

A Change of Scenery

This isn’t a super bold take, but Robert is a very clear candidate for someone who can benefit from a change of scenery.

Three years ago, he was an All-Star. In 2023, Robert Jr. hit .264/.315/.542/.857 with 38 home runs and stellar center field defense. Over the last two years, he hasn’t come close to replicating that, hitting .223/.288/.372/.660 from 2024-2025, consistently about 15-16% below league average at the plate.

Moving from the White Sox to the Mets, Robert Jr. enters a lineup that is leaps and bounds better than any lineup he has been a part of in his MLB career. Last season, Robert Jr. hit everywhere from first to seventh in the White Sox lineup, usually with one of Andrew Benintendi, Colson Montgomery, Josh Rojas or Edgar Quero hitting behind him. It wasn’t a potent lineup, and pitchers often had no incentive to pitch to him.

Among 215 hitters with at least 400 plate appearances in 2025, Robert saw the 22nd-lowest percentage of pitches in the strike zone. Of course, some of this is his doing. Robert Jr. chases a lot of pitches out of the zone, so naturally, pitchers are going to try to take advantage of that flaw in his game. His company on this leaderboard includes big chasers like Javier Baez, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Nick Castellanos, but also some stars like Bryce Harper, Cal Raleigh and Fernando Tatis Jr.

Robert sits at a very interesting place on the list, between Shohei Ohtani (No. 20), Aaron Judge (No. 21), and Kyle Schwarber (No. 23). All three of those superstars have a much better than league-average chase rate, but are simply pitched around. In the Mets’ lineup, Robert won’t be the threat teams are pitching around, and how much can they afford to if he’s hitting at the bottom of the lineup with Lindor and Soto looming?

He chases a lot; that’s just part of who he is. Teams will still likely pitch him out of the zone more than the league average, but teams will also likely be forced to come after him and throw him strikes more than ever before in his career. For all of his chase, he’ll take a free pass, walking at a 9.3% clip last year, which was in the 62nd percentile. Hitting seventh with Benge and Alvarez behind him is already better protection than he would have gotten in Chicago. The Mets could get bold and hit him ninth, use him as a “second leadoff,” and protect him with Lindor and Soto. No pitcher is trying to put Robert and his 90th percentile sprint speed on for free in front of those two.

Following the trade, Sam Ehrlich of Driveline Baseball posted on X, “Luis has elite bat speed, but struggles to catch the ball out in front. We wrote about him in our swing path optimization project as someone who would benefit through biomech assessments and specialized drills.”

The Mets’ hitting lab, which was reported on last year by The Athletic and others, could be a huge asset for him. What Ehrlich said Robert Jr. would benefit from is exactly what the Mets can provide. Maybe the White Sox provided it, too; there’s no way to know. But with the recent report from The Athletic about the league aiming to even the playing field when it comes to developmental technology, it’s fair to think that Robert Jr. is about to gain access to levels of tech he has never had before.

Yes, he’s struggled mightily offensively the last two seasons, but some of those offensive woes are lessened when you look under the hood. Robert’s xwOBA last year was .321, which ranked in the 44th percentile. It was still below average, but it was actually the exact same mark as Brandon Nimmo. The difference is Nimmo outperformed his xwOBA by .008, while Robert underperformed his by .032 (the 16th-worst mark in baseball among 251 Statcast qualifiers). Some better luck, and some swing optimization to get the most out of his power, as noted above, and Robert’s offensive output could take a massive upswing.

It’s easy to say that moving to a better team will provide better results, but it’s not just about being “reinvigorated” mentally. There are reasons to think that Robert, still just 28 years old, can recapture what made him one of the most exciting players in baseball not that long ago. Even if he recaptures just some of it, he’ll still be a massive improvement for the Mets in center field.

Long-Term Outlook

For all the positives that were just heaped on Robert, there is a very real scenario where this move just doesn’t work out. He’s been a below-average hitter for the last two seasons, and he has dealt with injuries in almost every season of his career. Maybe he never returns to the hitter that he once was, and maybe he picks up a long-term injury at some point. Robert is a high ceiling, low floor, low risk addition.

It’s rare that you can acquire a player via trade who has this type of ceiling for the package the Mets sent the White Sox. Of course, a lot of that is also because the floor is very, very low. Robert Jr. is a volatile player. He has big-time power, defense, and speed, but throughout his career has always struggled making contact.

The range of outcomes for those types of players has always been vast. Both of last year’s MVPs had dreadful whiff rates, with Ohtani finishing in the bottom fourth percentile and Judge in the bottom second percentile. You can be inner-circle Hall of Fame-level great with those whiff rates. Or you can be one of the worst hitters in baseball. The bottom ten hitters in whiff rate last season include Ohtani, Judge and Nick Kurtz, but also include Gabriel Arias, Ryan McMahon and Jordan Walker.

The offensive production the Mets will get from Robert Jr. next year is as big a mystery as any. The good thing is, if he doesn’t work out, the Mets ultimately don’t lose much. Luisangel Acuña and Truman Pauley are not needle movers, even if they each have something interesting about their games. You still have to give to get, and really, the Mets didn’t give much.

If Robert works, then the Mets gained a productive center fielder for 2026 and maybe 2027 if they pick up his club option. If he doesn’t, then the Mets have a contingency plan for both this year and the future. Benge is a capable center fielder, and can shift over from a corner while Baty, Ryan Clifford, or even someone currently outside the organization plays left in 2026. They could also keep Benge in left and go with some internal glove-first center field options like Taylor or Nick Morabito.

Then, going forward, the Mets have a very interesting center field prospect in A.J. Ewing, who is expected to play MLB innings in 2027. He is the perfect fit because, in theory, he helps the Mets win in the short term while also not blocking the top-end prospect the Mets have in the pipeline, who just isn’t ready quite yet. Robert is the perfect bridge to Ewing, and there’s always a chance that he’s good enough that he plays himself into sticking around in 2027 and beyond.

The post Breaking Down New Met Luis Robert Jr. appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

After them, though, the bottom four spots of the Mets bullpen still have a fair share of question marks. Another free agent signing or trade acquisition is possible, if not probable, but there will almost certainly be spring training competition for at least a couple of spots.

Former Chicago Cub Adbert Alzolay signed a two-year minor league deal with the Mets last offseason and spent all of 2025 recovering from Tommy John Surgery. He recently started pitching again in the Venezuelan Winter League, so he should be ready for spring training. Huascar Brazobán, who looked fantastic at times and unplayable at others last year, will be in the mix. Richard Lovelady, Cooper Criswell, Austin Warren, Joey Gerber, Carl Edwards Jr., and Alex Carrillo all have a shot as well.

But what about prospects? One of David Stearns’ hallmarks in Milwaukee was his ability to develop high-quality relief pitchers instead of needing to pay them. The current Mets closer, Williams, is one of them.

Development takes time; these things do not happen overnight. Now, two years into Stearns’ tenure with the Mets, some of these prospects are ready to start impacting the big league club.

Dylan Ross. Photo by Kylie-Richelle

Dylan Ross

Fans might recognize Dylan Ross from the tail end of the 2025 season (if you haven’t mentally blocked it out by now). He was promoted to the big league club on Sept. 27 in time for the final two games of the regular season, but never made his MLB debut.

Ross, a 13th-round pick in 2022, was selected by the Mets in the middle of his rehab from Tommy John surgery. He suffered a setback after signing and underwent a UCL revision procedure, pushing his timeline back another year. By the time he was fully healthy and ready to pitch in a game, the 2024 season was almost over. He made his pro debut and his one and only appearance of 2024 on Sept. 7.

After some Arizona Fall League action to end 2024, he flew through the minors in 2025. Ross started the year at High-A Brooklyn but quickly earned promotions to Double-A, Triple-A and then eventually MLB. He’s a fireballer who can hit triple digits on the gun, but he uses his splitter and his slider almost an equal amount. Both are good pitchers, and he’ll even mix in a curveball here or there. It’s a deep arsenal for a relief pitcher, and paired with top-end velocity, Ross has true back-end of the bullpen potential if he can lower the unsustainable 14.7% walk rate. Seeing as the Mets evidently felt confident enough in him to promote him to end 2025, making the Opening Day roster is a real possibility.

Ryan Lambert

An eighth-round pick in 2024, Ryan Lambert should make his MLB debut in 2026. The Mets pushed him aggressively to High-A in his draft year, a rarity, which set expectations for them to continue being aggressive with him in 2025. However, they eased off the throttle a bit. Lambert started 2025 in High-A and was quickly promoted to Double-A, but then stayed there for the rest of the year. He made 39 appearances for the Rumble Ponies and posted a 1.71 ERA and 1.29 WHIP.

Lambert’s 39.5% strikeout rate on the season trailed only Tong among Mets minor leaguers with at least 50 innings pitched, but it came with a 13.2% walk rate. He’s a classic two-pitch, fastball-slider fireballer. He can hit triple digits, he strikes a ton of batters out, and he can sometimes lose the zone. He’s a big league arm. The only question is when. Opening Day might be pushing it, the Mets may want to get him some looks at Triple-A first, but it’s not off the table. Especially today, going straight from Double-A to the big leagues is becoming more and more common.

Jonathan Pintaro

Jonathan Pintaro is a fascinating prospect. Signed out of independent ball in June of 2024, Pintaro stepped into affiliated ball for the first time as a 26-year-old and shone. He dominated High-A, was great in Double-A, and even made it to Triple-A all in his first three months in the organization. He started 2025 back at Double-A and was once again very good, and then got the call to make his big league debut straight from Binghamton. Ultimately, it didn’t go great. The Mets put him in the 9th inning to close out a 7-1 game vs. the Atlanta Braves, but gave up two runs and was only able to get two outs before the Mets turned to Díaz to finish the job.

He was then sent back to the minors, but this time to Triple-A, where he remained for the rest of the year. At 28 years old, he’s not a traditional prospect, but Pintaro’s stuff is very real. He throws a diverse five-pitch mix that’s headlined by a very good cutter and is accompanied by a 4-seam, changeup, sinker and sweeper. He’ll probably at least be given a chance to make the Opening Day roster, and if he doesn’t will certainly be in the cards for a promotion when the Mets need to make a move.

Douglas Orellana

Douglas Orellana is a fantastic storyteller. He signed with the Mets when he was 19 — old for international free agent signees — and has had to deal with the challenges that come with that throughout his pro career. He’s slowly climbed the organizational ladder, impressing at each stop, and made it as high as Triple-A last season.

He has a fastball that he throws in the mid-90s (and occasionally high 90s) along with a slider and curveball. The slider is his best pitch, and it’s a true plus offering. Now a full-time reliever, Orellana does have experience starting, so there’s an easy-to-see path for him to break into the big leagues as a multi-inning reliever. He has the stuff to give him a chance to earn higher leverage opportunities down the line, but the most likely outcome for Orellana in 2026 is to be a frequent passenger on the shuttle from Syracuse to Queens, most likely during the second half of the season.

Nate Lavender

Remember Nate Lavender? During 2024 spring training, Lavender began to emerge as a lefty with a legitimate chance to impact the big league roster at some point. Then, five games into his 2024 season, he partially tore his UCL and needed to undergo elbow surgery. The following offseason, the Tampa Bay Rays selected Lavender in the Rule 5 Draft. He spent the entire 2025 season on the injured list for the Rays, and at the end of the season, was returned to the Mets.

Lavender hasn’t thrown a pitch in a game since April 19, 2024. He will not be in play for Opening Day. But good lefties are few and far between. If Lavender has recovered from his nearly two-year absence, he has a chance to be a good lefty. IT will take time to see how his recovery has gone, but if he gets back on the mound and starts having success at Triple-A, he has a good chance to make it to Queens in 2026.

Ryan Ammons & Saul Garcia

These last two are long shots. The Mets acquired Ryan Ammons during the 2024 offseason from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Justin Slaten, who the Mets selected in the Rule 5 Draft. Slaten was never really a Met; the Red Sox essentially “moved up” in the Rule 5 Draft, and gave the Mets Ammons to do so. After starting his Mets (and professional baseball) career at Single-A, Ammons has spent about the last year and a half with High-A Brooklyn. He strikes out a ton of batters, but also walks a ton. While he’s only reached High-A, he is a lefty, and lefties are valuable. If he moves up the ladder in 2026 and pitches well, there’s a chance he could be called upon at some point by the end of the year.

Saul Garcia had a similar season to Lambert. Both pitchers appeared at both High-A and Double-A, threw about 50 innings with a sub-2 ERA, and had a high strikeout rate to go with a high walk rate. Where they differ is that Garcia spent most of his year at High-A and finished with just a taste of Double-A, while Lambert was the opposite. Garcia should start 2026 back at Double-A and figures to see significant time there, but if he pitches well enough and the Mets have a need, it’s not out of the question to see him in Queens at some point.

The post Seven Relief Prospects Who Could Help the Mets in 2026 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

We’re talking about true breakouts, too. Carson Benge was great, but he was a first-round pick. Jonathan Santucci was great, but he was a second-round pick. Jacob Reimer was great, but he’s been a Top 15 prospect in the system before.

Here, we’re looking for players who, at best, snuck their way onto Top 30 lists, and in most cases hadn’t once appeared on one before this season.

AJ Ewing Credit: Binghamton Rumble Ponies

A.J. Ewing

A.J. Ewing is the only hitter on this list, not because the Mets had a bad offensive season in the minor leagues—they had a good one—but because most of the hitters to have strong seasons were already at least somewhat known. A.J. Ewing was easily the hitter who exceeded expectations the most.

He started 2025 in Single-A, quickly earned a promotion to High-A, survived the curse of being a left-handed hitter on Coney Island, and finished his year in Double-A. He hit at every level, and finished the year with an overall slash line of .315/.401/.429/.830 over 124 games. He even hit .339 with an .801 OPS in 28 Double-A games after being promoted there one day after turning 21.

He’s not a power threat at this point and likely won’t ever be a big one, but he could eventually grow into enough pop to hit 15-ish home runs a year. He has an aesthetically pleasing left-handed swing, is very fast (stole 70 bases in 2025), and made real strides as a center fielder. The Mets have also given him some reps at second base—not a ton but enough to feel confident in him playing the position if needed. He likely won’t be a factor in 2026, but 2027 is very much on the table. At the very least, a utility player with his speed who can play both the infield and outfield is a nice piece to have.

Jack Wenninger. Photo by Kylie Richelle

Jack Wenninger

The Mets’ pitching development in 2025 was a sight to behold, and of the arms to not crack the big leagues yet, Jack Wenninger might have been the best. A sixth-round pick in 2023, his first full season in 2024 was so-so. He struck out a ton of batters, but still finished with an ERA over four. In 2025, he fully blossomed into a legitimate starting pitching prospect who, in another organization, might be the best in the system.

In 135 2/3 innings, Wenninger posted a 2.92 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 147 strikeouts and 42 walks. He missed bats, limited free passes, and overall just pitched really well. While his fastball is good (and got faster in 2025), it’s not a standout pitch; his splitter is his best offering. It’s a wicked split, and the star of a well-rounded arsenal that also includes a sinker, slider and curveball. After spending all of 2025 in Double-A, he’s a real big league option for 2026. If anything, if he pitches well in Triple-A, it’s more likely than not that Wenninger makes big league starts for the Mets next season.

Will Watson. Photo by Sam Johnston/Brooklyn Cyclones

Will Watson

Will Watson started his college career in Division III. He then went to a JUCO. Then to the prestigious University of Southern California after turning down his hometown Seattle Mariners after being drafted by them in the 20th round. Then, a year later, he was a seventh-round pick by the Mets.

In his first full minor league season, he threw 121 1/3 innings with a minuscule 2.60 ERA, reaching Double-A after starting the year in Single-A. He walked more than ideal, but struck out a ton as well. The stuff—a high-powered, high-IVB fastball, cutter, slider and nasty changeup—is legit. He’s already broken out, and is talented enough that a second “breakout” into true national relevance is more than on the table in 2026.

R.J. Gordon. Photo by Bella Dunning/Brooklyn Cyclones

R.J. Gordon

There was no shortage of pitching breakouts for the Mets in 2025, and that includes 2024 13th-round pick R.J. Gordon. In his first taste of professional baseball, Gordon casually threw 128 2/3 innings with a 3.36 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 147 strikeouts and 46 walks. He’s not the most overpowering of the Mets pitching prospects, but the results were electric. He was great in High-A to start the year, earned a promotion, and continued pitching well in Double-A. The fact that the Mets turned a 13th-round pick into a very real starting pitching prospect speaks volumes about their pitching development and how far it’s come in just two seasons under David Stearns.

Brendan Girton, Photo by Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Brendan Girton

For my money, there was no Mets minor league pitcher who blew past expectations in 2025 more than Brendan Girton. After posting an era over seven in his final college season, Girton completely re-tooled his arsenal, going from leaning heavily on his four-seam fastball to adding a sinker, splitter and slider. In his first full professional season, the 2024 10th round pick threw 87 innings with a 3.10 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 101 strikeouts and 40 walks. He’s far from a finished product, but the stuff is real, and the strides he made in 2025 while actively developing multiple new pitches are opening.

The post 5 Breakout Seasons from Mets Minor Leaguers appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets are stacked with prospects, both pitching and hitting.

Let’s take a look at which prospects led the organization in all the important statistical categories and what the outlook is for them heading into 2026 and beyond. For the rate stats, it’ll be qualified players. For the pitching stats, there are so few qualified arms that we’ll look at pitchers with at least 80 innings pitched, a group of 14. We’re also only going to look at Single-A and above here, excluding the Dominican Summer League and Florida Complex League. While many of the players are “qualified,” so many fewer games are needed to qualify in those leagues.

Hitting

A.J. Ewing — 153 H, .315 BA, .401 OBP, 70 SB

After an up-and-down 2024, A.J. Ewing broke out in a big way in 2025. He started the season at Single-A, hit .400, got promoted to High-A, weathered the harsh environment of being a left-handed hitter in Brooklyn, and received a second promotion to Double-A. His bat took a huge leap forward, and his glove wasn’t half bad in center field as well.

Most impressively, though, was his improvement on the basepaths. After stealing 13 bases in 90 games in 2024, Ewing swiped 70 in 124 games in 2025. It was by far the most of anyone in the Mets organization, and the fifth most of anyone in minor league baseball. Of the 12 players to swipe at least 60, Ewing was one of three to do so while also hitting over .300.

Ewing propelled himself from a borderline top-30 organizational prospect to a no-doubt top-10, and if he starts his 2026 just as well, he has a good chance to crack MLB top-100 lists.

Jacob Reimer — .491 SLG, .870 OPS, 157 wRC+

Jacob Reimer entered 2025 as almost a bit of an afterthought. He broke out in 2023 and established himself as one of the organization’s top infield prospects, but then played just 25 games in 2024 due to injury. It was a lost season for Reimer, and other prospects grabbed more of the headlines by the time 2025 came around.

Reimer took the headlines back. He started the year with High-A Brooklyn and was a huge part of the middle of their lineup. He was promoted to Double-A after 61 games, and basically repeated his performance at Binghamton for another 61 games. He has plus power that he maximizes by lifting and pulling the ball, and he makes really good swing decisions to boot.

The Mets will likely make a slew of changes to their lineup in the offseason, particularly on the infield. One possible path is moving on from Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio, and Luisangel Acuña, giving Brett Baty the everyday third base job, and having the right-hand-hitting Reimer in Triple-A if Baty falters.

Ryan Clifford — 29 HR, 93 RBI, 85 BB, .233 ISO

Ryan Clifford is the prototypical three true outcomes hitter. He hits for a ton of power, draws a ton of walks, and of course, strikes out way, way too much. He’s never going to hit for a high batting average, but if he maximizes his potential, he will get on base and slug. His 29 home runs were 12 more than any other Mets minor leaguer, and sixth among all minor league baseball players. Of the five players above him, four were in their age-24 season or older. Clifford was in his age-21 season.

Likely a first baseman at the big league level, there’s a real scenario where Clifford gets the bulk of the playing time at first base for the Mets in 2026. Of course, that would only happen if Pete Alonso and the Mets part ways, but it’s certainly possible. He’d also need a platoon partner against left-handed pitching as Clifford’s OPS is over 200 points lower vs. southpaws, so the Mets would need to bring in a righty first baseman (Wilmer Flores reunion?).

Or, the Mets just re-sign Alonso, and Clifford becomes a potential DH option when needed.

Jett Williams — 91 R, 58 XBH

The highest-profile Mets hitting prospect for several years, Jett Williams, had a very positive 2025 season. Similar to Reimer, Williams lost most of his 2024 season due to injury, playing just 33 games, but was back in full force in 2025. He didn’t light the world on fire, but did exactly what people expected him to do.

He has an outstanding approach, which allows him to get on base a ton, setting the table for the big boppers behind him. And even then, he out-bopped everyone else when it comes to extra-base hits. He’s not ever going to lead his team in home runs, but he did smack a very respectable 17 in 2025, an impressive mark for someone standing just 5-foot-7. He hit a ton of doubles and triples, too, and stole 34 bases on top of that.

There’s a very clear path for Williams to see significant playing time in the big leagues in 2026. Jeff McNeil, if he is still on the team, will be a free agent at the end of the season. Williams can start the year in Triple-A (he needs to), and then eventually work his way into the lineup in place of McNeil at second base. There’s a natural platoon formed there with McNeil being a lefty and Williams being a righty, and both players can play the outfield as well. Then, in 2027, Williams takes the full-time second base job.

Pitching

Jonah Tong — 1.43 ERA, 1.68 FIP, 0.92 WHIP, 2.16 xFIP, 179 K, 40.5 K%, 29.9 K-BB%, .148 BAA

Nolan McLean was the breakout Mets pitching prospect of 2025 after bursting onto the scene in the big leagues and instantly establishing himself as the team’s ace. Make no mistake, though, Jonah Tong was the best Mets pitcher in the minor leagues (and likely best pitcher in general among all 30 organizations).

There might be an instinct to brush this off because of Tong’s uneven performance in the big leagues over his five starts to finish the year, but don’t do that. You don’t put up a 1.43 ERA by accident. You don’t strike out 179 batters by accident. You don’t lead the best pitching system in all of minor league baseball in ~almost~ every statistical category by accident.

He’s young, and he has things to work on. He needs to bring down the walks a bit, and he needs to get more comfortable with his curveball and slider. But the stuff is absurd, and his future looks bright.

Joander Suarez — 4.5 BB%

Yes, the only thing Tong doesn’t lead in is walk percentage. Suarez isn’t a highly regarded prospect, nor does he have outstanding stuff, but he’s slowly been making his way through the levels of the Mets organization since 2018 and turned in his best season yet in 2025. He posted a 3.76 ERA on the season, and it was 3.05 at Double-A, where he spent the majority of his season; he just got rocked in a few games at Triple-A. He strikes out enough guys, 93 in 93 and 1/3 innings, and as shown by his inclusion on this list, he doesn’t walk people.

For all the successes of the Mets organization in developing pitching, there is a tendency among some of their arms to walk too many batters. Tong, McLean, and Brandon Sproat all ran walk rates above 10% this season, and in total, eight of the 14 qualified pitchers did so. Suarez, all the way down at 4.5%, was essentially an outlier. Again, you’re not going to find him high on any prospect lists, but there’s definitely something interesting here. He should get a chance to conquer Triple-A next season, and if he does, he could be an option for the Mets either as a spot starter or long reliever.

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Christopher Suero. Photo by Ed Delany of Metmerized

Suero enjoyed somewhat of a breakout 2025, hitting 16 home runs and 33 extra-base hits overall with a .786 OPS across High-A and Double-A. He can draw walks and has a ton of power in his bat, but also has swing and miss concerns. He struck out at a 29.3% clip in 2025, way up from 22.1% in 2024.

Despite being a catcher, Suero is easily a plus runner, and his athleticism allows him to move out from behind the plate and play first base and left field. In 2025, Suero played 619 innings at catcher, 141 1/3 innings at first base and 181 innings in left field. He’ll probably be the second of two catchers on the roster, but he’ll still play plenty. With only four players listed as outfielders on the roster, there should be opportunities for Suero in left field as well.

Nick Morabito. Photo Credit: Rick Nelson

Morabito is probably the biggest name of all Mets prospects heading to the desert. A second-round pick out of high school in 2022, Morabito has been around for a little while at this point. He’s a prototypical contact hitter, hitting for a solid average, stealing a ton of bases and playing a solid center field.

Even though he was at Double-A for the first time, his 2025 was definitely a step back. His batting average dropped nearly 40 points, his on-base percentage dropped more, and his slugging percentage dropped a tick (though he’s never been a power hitter). His strikeout rate also jumped over 20%, a big eyebrow raiser. The Fall League is an opportunity to get back on the right track.

This is an important offseason for Morabito. He’s Rule 5 eligible, and the Mets will need to decide if he’ll be placed on the 40-man roster to protect him or if they’ll leave him exposed. He hasn’t played above Double-A, but a team could be tempted to take a shot on his speed, defense and contact and give him an opportunity. He’s likely a fourth outfielder in the big leagues if he makes it, and the question becomes if that’s worth protecting for the Mets.

D’Andre Smith. Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

Smith, a fifth-round pick in 2022, had a nice bounce-back season after an injury-riddled 2024. He started the year at High-A but spent most of it at Double-A, and posted an OPS in the mid-.700s with 30 extra-base hits.

Still listed as an infielder, Smith actually spent the vast majority of his time in the outfield in 2025, spending over 300 innings in each corner as well as a handful in center. Smith will also be Rule 5 eligible, though he’s at less of a risk to be selected than Morabito.

The Mets are also sending four pitchers: Brett Banks, Bryce Jenkins, Austin Troesser and Wyatt Hudepohl. Banks had a strong year that finished at High-A. Jenkins only threw 12 innings at Single-A. Troesser, similarly, only threw 16 innings. Hudepohl is the only starting pitcher the Mets are sending, and he didn’t pitch at all in 2025 due to injury. They’re using the AFL to get these guys more reps.

The Mets are affiliated with the Scottsdale Scorpions this year, along with the Houston Astros, Washington Nationals, Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants. Of the rest of the Scorpions roster, Tigers prospect Kevin McGonigle is easily the highest-profile player on the roster. McGonigle is one of the best prospects in baseball and could end up as the No. 1 overall at some point next season.

Other interesting prospects include infielder Max Anderson (Tigers), infielder Seaver King (Nationals), catcher Walker Janek (Astros), outfielder Zach Cole (Astros), and pitchers Anderson Brito (Astros) and Sean Paul Liñan (Nationals).

The AFL season starts October 6 and runs through November 15. Teams typically have Mondays off, mirroring the minor leagues. View the full schedule here.

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