Minors Weekly Report: Clifford Continues Hot Streak

Things are starting to look up for the Mets’ minor league affiliates, even if only slightly. Fantastic individual performances are starting to translate into team success, and the four affiliates combined to lose no series over the previous week. The FCL Mets also had their best week yet.

Continue reading below for the latest updates and stats in this week’s Minors Weekly Report.

Ryan Clifford
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Triple-A Syracuse

The Syracuse Mets defeated the Buffalo Bisons four games to two in their series last week, averaging over six runs per game in the six-game set. The Mets also began their next series against the Rochester Red Wings on Memorial Day, losing the opener 8-5. They are 27-24 and in fourth place in the International League East division.

Ryan Clifford continued his hot streak at the plate, going 6-for-22 with two doubles, three homers, four walks and a stolen base. Clifford drove in nine runs and scored eight, both team highs for the week, while improving his OPS to .749.

Eric Wagaman also had a great week at the plate, going 11-for-23 with a double, two home runs, four walks and a stolen base. Wagaman drove in seven runs and scored six. Since joining Syracuse, he has a 1.043 OPS in 13 games.

Christian Arroyo swung the bat well, recording nine hits in 29 at-bats. Arroyo recorded two doubles and a home run, also stealing a base. He owns a .741 OPS for the year.

Syracuse’s starters all struggled during the week, but the team still received great performances out of the bullpen. Danis Correa tossed four scoreless innings across two outings, allowing just two hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Correa has a 1.69 ERA in nine appearances between Syracuse and Brooklyn.

Nate Lavender didn’t allow a hit over 2 1/3 innings across three outings. He allowed just one walk and struck out three batters while also recording a save. In six games with Syracuse, Lavender owns a 3.38 ERA.

Nick Lorusso. Photo Credit: Rick Nelson

Double-A Binghamton

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies split their six-game series with the Richmond Flying Squirrels. It was a very even series with Binghamton slightly outscoring Richmond 33-32. The Rumble Ponies are now 16-29 and still in last place in the Eastern League Northeast division.

Nick Lorusso was the star of the show at the plate, hitting four home runs with six RBIs while going 7-for-25. He also walked once, stole three bases and scored six runs. Lorusso’s strong week elevated his season OPS to .751.

Jose Ramos impressed with his eye at the plate, drawing seven walks while also going 5-for-15. He hit a home run and drove in three runs while scoring six, also adding a stolen base. Ramos now has a .722 OPS for the year.

Binghamton’s best start of the week was a brief, yet solid one from R.J. Gordon. In 3 1/3 innings, Gordon allowed no runs on two hits, two walks and four strikeouts. He has otherwise struggled massively this year, owning a 16.55 ERA in six appearances across two minor league levels.

Jefry Yan and Brian Metoyer provided great pitching out of the bullpen. In two appearances, Yan tossed three hitless innings with just two walks and six strikeouts. He lowered his season ERA to 3.66. Metoyer also tossed three innings but across three appearances. He allowed no runs on one hit, one walk and three strikeouts. He now owns a 4.70 ERA.

Channing Austin
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

High-A Brooklyn

The Brooklyn Cyclones also split their series last week with the Hudson Valley Renegades. It was another extremely close series, with Brooklyn outscoring Hudson Valley 25-24. The Cyclones are just 13-31 and still in last place in the South Atlantic League North division.

John Bay was Brooklyn’s most accomplished hitter for the week, going 8-for-22 with a home run and six RBIs. Bay also added two doubles, a walk and three stolen bases while scoring five runs. He owns a .755 OPS on the season.

Yonatan Henriquez went 7-for-23 with the bat, but he hit just one extra-base hit and struck out a whopping 13 times. Still, Henriquez stole five bases and scored four runs while driving in two. He’s struggled mightily this season, owning a .467 OPS.

Channing Austin delivered a gem on the mound, pitching 6 2/3 scoreless innings on just one hit, one walk and eight strikeouts. Austin has been sensational in an otherwise dreadful season for the Cyclones, sporting a 1.17 ERA through his first eight starts.

Frank Camarillo also pitched a quality start, allowing two runs in six innings. He allowed four hits and a walk while striking out three. This was Camarillo’s first start with Brooklyn after being promoted from St. Lucie. He now has a 4.14 ERA in eight total starts.

Bryce Jenkins continued his stellar season out of the bullpen with three more scoreless innings across two appearances. In 12 appearances on the year, Jenkins sports an 0.57 ERA.

Low-A St. Lucie

The St. Lucie Mets defeated the Palm Beach Cardinals in four of their six games last week. The Mets ended the series on a three-game win streak after dropping two of the first three games. St. Lucie is now 20-25 and in third place in the Florida State League East division.

Branny De Oleo had a fantastic week at the plate, going 6-for-19 with two home runs and a double. He recorded four RBIs, four runs, a walk and a stolen base. De Oleo now owns a .756 OPS on the season.

Yohairo Cuevas also impressed, going 6-for-17 with two doubles, a triple and five walks. He also drove in four runs and scored two. In six games with St. Lucie, Cuevas owns a 1.088 OPS.

Randy Guzman led the team with eight hits in 19 at-bats. He recorded just one extra-base while walking once and stealing a base, also scoring five runs. Guzman has an impressive .852 OPS for the season.

Jose Chirinos didn’t start his game, but he still delivered St. Lucie’s best pitching performance of the week in a 5 1/3 inning outing. He allowed just one run on three hits and three walks while recording 10 strikeouts. Chirinos has been great with a 2.75 ERA in eight appearances (six starts).

Nicolas Carreno also looked great on the mound, tossing four scoreless innings in his start. He allowed two hits, two walks and a hit batsman while striking out seven. Carreno now sports a 1.69 ERA in nine appearances (four starts).

Christian Rodriguez tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings in two appearances out of the bullpen. He allowed three hits and two walks with four strikeouts, lowering his ERA in 12 appearances to 1.99.

FCL Mets

The FCL Mets had a strong week, going 4-2, including winning each of their last three games. They are now 8-8 on the young season.

Outfielder Heriberto Rincon impressed at the plate, going 6-for-21 with two homers and seven RBIs. Rincon also added two doubles, a walk and a stolen base while scoring five runs. Rincon has a .790 OPS on the year.

Jose Guevara made two starts during the week, allowing four runs over 9 1/3 innings with 12 strikeouts. Guevara has a 3.93 ERA on the year in four appearances (three starts).

Organizational Leaders

Batting

AVG – A.J. Ewing (BNG/SYR) – .339
OPS – A.J. Ewing (BNG/SYR) – .961
HR – Ryan Clifford (SYR) – 10
SB – Sam Robertson (STL) – 22

Pitching (min. 10 innings)

ERA – Bryce Jenkins (BRK) – 0.59
SO – Jonah Tong (SYR) – 55
WHIP – Bryce Jenkins (BRK) – 0.59

Players of the Week

Offense – Nick Lorusso, IF Binghamton

Nick Lorusso mostly struggled in Double-A in 2025 and had been trending that way once again in 2026. A sensational week at the plate has his prospects looking up, though, as he now sports an OPS in the mid-.700s. Lorusso is certainly an older prospect at 25 in Double-A, but his latest success with the bat is still a welcome development.

Pitching – Channing Austin, P Brooklyn

Channing Austin is operating on a different level this year after struggling between St. Lucie and Brooklyn a year ago. With an ERA slightly above 1.00 through eight starts, he’s been arguably the most dominant pitcher in the Mets’ system. At 24, he could see himself rise through the system quickly if his success continues.