Eight Mets Hurt the Most by the Lockout

Due to the Major League Baseball lockout, players on the 40-man roster are ineligible to play in the minor leagues. That includes the 14 members that wouldn’t be on the major league roster.

The Mets made several additions to their 40-man roster before the lockout occurred but now those prospects and several players who have had a taste of major league action are missing out on valuable practice and game time that others are getting.

Let’s dive into the eight Mets that are currently in limbo and most impacted by their addition to the 40-man roster as identified by John Sheridan yesterday.

Mark Vientos

Vientos is the first of four Mets prospects to be promoted to the 40-man roster prior to the lockout. Only a month older than Brett Baty, Vientos spent 11 games at Triple-A Syracuse last season and played in 83 games total. The Mets are envisioning Baty as the third baseman of the future while Vientos converts to a corner outfield spot. Vientos has limited game reps in the outfield and needs to be something the Mets are comfortable with before bringing him up.

Ronny Mauricio

Depending on the ranking system, Mauricio is either the Mets second or third-ranked prospect in the org. The switch-hitting shortstop struggles with plate discipline, recording 101 strikeouts in 392 minor league at-bats in 2021. Plus he needs time to work at second base with Francisco Lindor plugged in at shortstop for at least the next five seasons.

Adam Oller

Oller is 27 and was originally drafted by the Pirates in 2016. He thrived in the Mets minors with a 3.45 ERA in 120 innings in Binghamton and Syracuse. He also had a 10.4 k/9. He’s not a finished product but could plug in as a back end of the rotation starter if he had a strong start in Triple-A this season.

Jose Butto

Butto is a 23-year-old pitching prospect who has never pitched above Double-A. In eight starts at the level, he had a 3.12 ERA and a 3-2 record, pitching 40 and a third innings. His fastball tops out at 95 and his changeup might be the best in the Mets minor leagues.

Khalil Lee

Lee made it to the majors last season out of necessity rather than ability. His 11 games were lackluster, recording one hit in 18 at-bats. But in the minor leagues, he would more than redeem himself as a potential fourth or fifth outfielder heading into the season. In 102 games at Triple-A, Lee slashed .274/.451/.500 with 14 home runs, 20 doubles, and 71 walks to 115 strikeouts. He was overaggressive on the basepaths with eight steals to 10 caught stealing.

Nick Plummer

Plummer is a former first-round pick but hasn’t lived up to his prospect pedigree. The Mets signed him as a free agent this offseason following a 2021 season that saw him post a combined .280/.415/.479 slash line across two levels for the Cardinals. Plummer was drafted for his high potential but still needs time to become a complete product.

Travis Blankenhorn

The Mets utility man, Blankenhorn played in 23 games in the majors for the Mets after being signed from Minnesota. Blankenhorn is expected to be major league depth and start and stay the majority of the season in Triple-A. Unlike some of the Mets other options at second base, Blankenhorn could benefit from getting and staying ready at the minor-league level as he’s still only 25.

Patrick Mazeika

Mazeika is the third catcher on the Mets roster and probably played more than even he expected last season. Mazeika isn’t special by any means but he’s a decent option in a pinch for a position devoid of offense league-wide. He actually threw out baserunners at an above league-average rate last season.