Sunday was a day of offense for one, and almost none for the rest. The organization went 2-2, with a few promising performances and some discouraging ones. Both Syracuse (Triple-A) and Brooklyn (High-A) picked up a win, with Syracuse’s being particularly impressive, while Binghamton (Double-A) and St. Lucie (Single-A) each lost.
There have been two prospects making noise in Syracuse over the past week-plus. Ryan Clifford has been a major power threat, with six home runs in his past 11 games, while the generally underperforming Kevin Parada has suddenly found his stride.
It seems that a call to Triple-A has done wonders for the 24-year-old Parada, who, since being drafted 11th overall in 2022, has severely underperformed his lofty expectations. However, since being called to Syracuse, he is batting nearly .400 with an OPS over .900 in seven games. A very welcoming sight for a prospect many deemed to have passed his timeframe for a jump to the big leagues.
Ryan Clifford. Photo by Herm Card
Triple-A
Syracuse Mets 11, Rochester Red Wings 6
- CF Nick Morabito: 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, BB
- 1B Ryan Clifford: 2-for-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB
- C Kevin Parada: 1-for-5, R, 2 RBI
- SS Jackson Cluff: 2-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
The Syracuse offense erupted for 11 runs on Sunday, led by the scorching hot Clifford, who homered for the sixth time in 11 games. Before Clifford’s 416-foot, 110.7 mph blast in the fifth, Kevin Parada kept his elite stretch of hitting since his promotion, diving in a pair of runs in the fourth. Since being promoted to Triple-A, the catcher is batting .385 with a .914 OPS, seemingly finally turning a corner in his development.
- RHP Jack Weisenburger: 4.1 IP, 3 H, R, ER, 2 BB, 5 K
- LHP Nate Lavender: 1.2 IP, H, R, ER, 5 K, W
- RHP Joey Gerber: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB
- RHP Jonathan Pintaro: 1.2 IP, H, R, ER, 4 K
- RHP Dylan Ross: 1.0 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 2 K
It was a solid day for the Mets’ pitching staff, led by Weisenburger. The right-hander’s fifth start of the season was his best, allowing just one earned run after allowing three or more in the previous four. Ross had a nice outing, something that has not necessarily been easy to come by in 2026 for the Mets’ No. 17 prospect, lowering his ERA to 7.15.
Double-A
Portland Sea Dogs 3, Binghamton Rumble Ponies 1
- DH Marco Vargas: 2-for-3, 2B
- C Chris Suero: 0-for-4, K
- 3B Jacob Reimer: 0-for-3, BB, K
- 1B JT Schwartz: 3-for-3, HR, RBI
As has been the case for much of the season, Binghamton struggled to hit the baseball in Sunday’s contest. The number four Mets prospect, Reimer, struggled as he has for the majority of the season, striking out twice, with his batting average dropping to .207. The troubling aspect of Reimer’s game over the past 10 games is his lack of power, mustering just two extra-base hits over the stretch while striking out 12 times.
- LHP Jonathan Santucci: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, BB, 5 K
- RHP Guillo Zuñiga: 1.0 IP, 0 R, 2 K
- LHP Gabriel Rodriguez: 0.2 IP, H, 3 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, K, L
- RHP Dan Hammer: 1.1 IP, 0 R, BB
- LHP Jefry Yan: 1.0 IP, H, 0 R
The pitching for the Rumble Ponies on Saturday was superb, with the staff not allowing an earned run. All of their runs allowed came on a throwing error in the seventh inning. Mets’ eighth-ranked prospect Santucci delivered a superb outing, striking out five over his five innings, lowering his season ERA to 4.30. The only blemish on the outing was his inability to get past the fifth inning, something he has only done twice in his 10 starts this season.
High-A
Brooklyn Cyclones 2, Wilmington Blue Rocks 0
- 2B Mitch Voit: 0-for-3, BB, K
- C Ronald Hernandez: 2-for-4, K
- 1B Corey Collins: 1-for-3, HR, RBI, BB, 2 K
- RF JT Benson: 1-for-4, 2B, R
Despite a quiet day, as seems to be the norm this season, the Cyclones mustered just enough offense to get the job done. However, the season-long struggles for the offense continue to persist heading into June. Of the nine batters in the lineup on Sunday, just four have batting averages above the Mendoza line, and just two have an OPS higher than .700. After a two-hit day yesterday that included a home run, Mitch Voit, the Mets’ sixth-best prospect, did not follow his offensive outburst with much. However, he has been heating up as of late, having nine hits, including three extra-base hits, over his last 10 contests.
- LHP Daviel Hurtado: 3.2 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 3 K
- RHP Bryce Jenkins: 1.1 IP, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K, W
- RHP Juan Arnaud: 1.2 IP, H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
- RHP Hunter Hodges: 1.1 IP, H, 0 R, 2 K
- RHP Cristofer Gomez: 1.0 IP H, 0 R, 2 K
It was an elite showing for the Brooklyn pitching staff, holding the opposition scoreless. Hurtado made his second consecutive scoreless outing since his call to High-A, pitching 7.2 innings, allowing three hits, and just one walk. If he can keep his strong pitching performances going, he could reach Double-A by the end of the season.
Single-A
Bradenton Marauders 8, St. Lucie Mets 3
- SS Elian Peña: 0-for-4, BB, K
- CF Yohairo Cuevas: 1-for-1, 2B, 2 R, 2 BB, HBP
- C Julio Zayas: 2-for-2, R, 2 BB
- 1B Randy Guzman: 0-for-5
It was a rough day for the St. Lucie offense on Sunday. Peña, the Mets’ seventh-best prospect, struggled after going 10-for-21 over the previous six games. Cuevas and Zayas reached base a total of eight times, showing promise for the future.
- RHP Jonathan Jimenez: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, L
- RHP Elwis Mijares: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, ER, 3 K
- RHP Justin Armbruester: 1.2 IP, 0 R, 2 K
- RHP Josh Blum: 1.0 IP, 0 R, K
- RHP Joe Scarborough: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB
It was a struggle for the Mets’ pitching staff on Sunday, allowing eight earned runs, including seven earned runs. Coming off of a bounce back outing, Jimenez struggled mightily with his control, walking three in his three innings of work. It has been a theme this season, per the young right-hander, who has walked two or more in eight out of his 10 appearances.
