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.

Gregory Soto. (Photo credits: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The disappointing end to the 2025 season for the New York Mets has been well documented. The team that once owned a league-best 45-24 record not only didn’t hold onto their division lead, but didn’t even make the playoffs. All despite having a clear path to do so on the last day of the season.

Following the disappointing season, a lot has been made of what exactly went wrong. One aspect that certainly contributed to things, and something that president of baseball operations David Stearns, himself, confirmed in his postseason press conference is that seemingly every move the team made at the trade deadline did not pan out.

With that being said, let’s take a look back at that July 31 trade deadline and see exactly how all players involved in trades the Mets made that day fared.

Deal No. 1

• Mets Receive: LHP Gregory Soto
• Orioles Receive: RHP Wellington Aracena, RHP Cameron Foster

Analysis:

A few days before the official deadline the Mets made their first move and went out and got much needed help for their bullpen. Gregory Soto, a left-handed reliever, was brought over from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for a couple pitching prospects.

Soto posted a 3.96 ERA and 3.33 FIP across 36 1/3 innings with Baltimore prior to the move. However, with the Mets those figures increased to a 4.50 ERA and 3.55 FIP across 24 innings. Soto allowed 33 hits across the 24 innings and saw his strikeout rate drop from 27.5% with Baltimore to only 21.8% with the Mets to end the season.

With that being said, the left-handed reliever was tremendous with New York his first month-plus with the team. Across his first 10 appearances, he did not allow an earned run. To take it even further, over his first 14 he only allowed an earned run once. In all, he had two scoreless debut appearances in August, then a sparkling 1.64 ERA in September. At first, the trade seemed like a tidy piece of business.

However, following suit with much of the pitching staff as a whole, Soto struggled mightily in September. In 11 September appearances Soto allowed at least a run in five of them, and of those five, in three he allowed multiple runs. In all, he posted a 7.94 ERA and allowed 20 hits across 11 1/3 September innings.

On the flip side, at the time of the deal, Wellington Aracena was the 15th-ranked prospect in Metsmerized’s midseason organizational prospect top-50 update. Meanwhile, Cameron Foster was unranked.

Aracena, who had a 2.38 ERA across 64 1/3 innings with Single-A St. Lucie prior to the deal, picked up right where he left off when he joined the Orioles’ organization. After a 23-inning run with Aberdeen (Single-A), where he posted a 2.35 ERA and 24 strikeouts, Aracena ended the season with 4 2/3 scoreless (six strikeouts) at the High-A level. The 20-year-old was only ranked 29th in Baseball America’s most recent Orioles top 30. However, a steady rise is expected if he keeps these type of performances up.

Meanwhile, Foster, 26 years old, performed decently for Baltimore’s Triple-A affiliate Norfolk down the stretch. He had a 3.38 ERA across 16 innings. It would not be surprising if he gets a shot at a lower leverage bullpen role for Baltimore in the near future.

Final Verdict: 

The thought process by David Stearns and staff was correct. The Mets really needed another left-handed option in the bullpen. An extremely underrated catastrophic event for New York was losing A.J. Minter early only. And, in addition, at the time of the deal, Brooks Raley only recently returned. So, it was not clear what exactly he was going to be, and that aside, New York just needed another reliable lefty out of the bullpen.

Soto had shown to be reliable and was exactly that early on in his tenure with New York. However, ultimately, with his performance going south in September, and the fact it appears Aracena seems to be a relatively decent prospect, looking back at this trade is a bit tough.

Grade: C-

Tyler Rogers. (Photo Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images)

Deal No. 2

• Mets Receive: LHP Tyler Rogers
• Giants Receive: OF Drew Gilbert, RHP José Buttó, RHP Blade Tidwell

Analysis:

The second deal the Mets made turned out to be comfortably the team’s best piece of business. New York acquired workhorse reliever Tyler Rogers from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for three players, two prospects and a major-leaguer, that were all once looked upon extremely positively within the organization.

By season’s end, the unorthodox thrower that is Rogers led relievers around the league in games at 81. The 34-year-0ld came to New York with a 1.80 ERA across 50 innings. Since his acquisition on July 31, Rogers appeared in 28 games for New York (53% of games since the deal), and performed very well with a 2.30 ERA across 27 1/3 innings. His play did dip slightly, but the overall sample was still very strong.

To acquire Rogers New York parted with one major leaguer and two prospects, one of which made his major-league debut by season’s end with the Giants. The two prospects, Drew Gilbert and Blade Tidwell, ranked 15th and 19th, respectively, in Metsmerized’s midseason organizational prospect top-50 update.

The established major leaguer was relief pitcher José Buttó. Buttó, who had thrown 167 innings across three-plus seasons with the Mets, struggled with the Giants down the stretch. In all, he posted a 4.50 ERA with San Francisco across 20 innings as he struggled mightily with walks (10). He specifically struggled in September as he posted a 7.27 ERA in the regular season’s last month.

Gilbert, who was once a top prospect in the Mets’ system as he was acquired in the Justin Verlander trade, hadn’t quite been developing in the minors how the Mets had hoped. As a result, they shipped him to San Francisco where he went 7-for-14 at the plate with Triple-A Sacramento before getting called up to make his major-league debut.

Gilbert ended up getting a 100 at-bat run to end the year, where he slashed a disappointing .190/.246/.350 (.598 OPS).  The metrics backed up the poor play at the plate, as his xBA, xwOBA, and exit velocity numbers all ranked below the league’s 25th percentile. He did play decently in the field though, as he posted a plus-two outs above average and flashed a strong arm (84th percentile arm strength).

Lastly, Tidwell, who had a cup of coffee in the majors with the Mets prior to the deal, performed well at the Triple-A level with Sacramento after the deal. Over 18 innings, he struck out 24 and only allowed three runs (1.50 ERA). He did have a couple stints on the injured list in the minors of the trade, but the performances were strong. If he can be a consistent performer at a major-league level remains to be seen.

Final Verdict: 

Rogers was superb for the Mets after the deal. He was certainly one midseason acquisition that panned out. Despite being a rental, the Mets did not exactly part with a lot either to get him.

The concerns with Gilbert, granted a smaller sample size, reared its head at the major-league level. Meanwhile, Buttó, who did not performances well down the stretch after the deal, was out of options and a relatively easier bullpen arm to replace. Lastly, Tidwell did once again flash his strong stuff at the Triple-A level, but did have to battle through some injuries.

Of the three, Tidwell seems to be the most compelling, but even he struggled a the major-league level with the Mets and a long-term starter outlook at the top level seems unlikely.

Grade: B+

Ryan Helsley. (Photo credits: Brad Penner-Imagn Images)

Deal No. 3

• Mets Receive: RHP Ryan Helsley
• Cardinals Receive: INF Jesus Baez, RHP Frank Elissalt, RHP Nate Dohm

Analysis:

One of the more mind-boggling aspects of the trade deadline was how poorly Ryan Helsley performed after the Mets acquired the star reliever from St. Louis. Helsley had been one of the best relief pitchers in the big leagues over the last three seasons, and, despite a down season with St. Louis prior to the deal, still owned a 3.00 ERA across 36 innings. However, disaster struck early, as Helsley went on to posted a 7.30 ERA over 20 innings with New York.

That 7.30 ERA can even be looked upon as deceiving, as the veteran closer posted seven scoreless innings to end the season. Over his first 16 appearances with the team, Helsley threw 14 innings and allowed 22 hits, 20 runs (16 earned), and eight walks. Over that time, he saw his ERA rise from 2.75 to 5.14. As a result, the Mets were no longer able to trust him in high leverage situations, the area that Helsley was brought to fulfill, limiting the flexibility New York had with their bullpen down the stretch. This put other pitchers in roles they were not on the team to fulfill exacerbating the bullpens struggles during the team’s free fall.

Sometimes a change of scenery midseason, especially for a player who had spent their first seven seasons in one spot, just doesn’t work out. With that being said, Helsley was on pace to have the worst year of his career since 2021 prior to the trade. And, despite the 3.00 ERA, his fastball was getting hit hard (.406 BA, .332 xBA) with St. Louis. The minute the elite slider went south, he was left helpless with the Mets.

To acquire Helsley New York parted with infielder prospect Jesus Baez and two pitching prospects; Frank Elissalt and Nate Dohm. Baez was by far the highest-rated player the Mets gave up at the deadline as he ranked No. 7 in Metsmerized’s midseason top 50 list. Meanwhile, Dohm came in at No. 17 and Elissalt was No. 38.

Baez struggled since the move for St. Louis. He posted a .243/.303/.378 slash line (.682 OPS) which was a large drop from his .742 OPS with High-A Brooklyn previous to the trade. Even before the trade, Baez was struggling mightily with Brooklyn as he posted a .651 OPS in July. These struggles then carried over to the Cardinals’ organization. Baseball America had the 20-year-old ranked as the Cardinals’ No. 5-ranked prospect in their most recent rankings. However, that is likely to change given his struggles to end 2025.

Dohm, a third-round pick in 2024, struggled in his time after the trade to the Cardinals’ organization after impressing greatly with High-A Brooklyn (2.62 ERA, 43 strikeouts over 34 1/3 innings). He posted a 5.11 ERA across 12 1/3 innings to end with the season with Peoria (High-A), but spent a lot of his time after the deal on the developmental list.

Much like his counterpart, Elissalt struggled mightily after the deal as well, posting a 5.59 ERA across 9 2/3 innings (three starts/four games) with Peoria (High-A). His season was then cut short with an injured list stint. Prior to the deal the 23-year-old performed admirably with High-A Brooklyn (3.02 ERA, 50 2/3 innings).

Final Verdict:

At the time of the trade, the thought of pairing Helsley with Edwin Díaz was tantalizing. New York envisioned pairing two of the National League’s best closers shutting down the eighth and ninth innings en route to a deep playoff run. Unfortunately, the deal did not work out in the slightest and the concerns about Helsley’s 2025 regression were exacerbated in New York. As a result, the trade looks like a complete failure.

By season’s end, the right-handed closer will depart the organization with a -0.2 fWAR. Being a rental, and given his performance, a return to New York is extremely unlikely. If it is any solace, all three of the prospects the Mets gave up in the deal performed poorly after the deal. Which, especially given how one of the pieces was rated in the organization’s top 10, and the other was encouraging on the top 15, would help lighten the blow somewhat.

Grade: F

Cedric Mullin. (Photo credits: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images)

Deal No. 4

• Mets Receive: OF Cedric Mullins
• Orioles Receive: RHP Anthony Nunez, RHP Raimón Gomez, RHP Chandler Marsh

Analysis:

One area the Mets were expected to address leading up to the deadline was the center field position. New York did just that by acquiring veteran Cedric Mullins. Mullins, a veteran of eight seasons with Baltimore, struggled mightily after the deal. With New York, he slashed .182/.284/.281 (.565 OPS) while playing uneven defense in center. The concern of acquiring Mullins was there from the start as despite a .738 OPS with Baltimore, which was the highest in his career since 2021, several of the underlying metrics pointed to regression being on the horizon.

By season’s end, Mullins ranked below the league’s 10th percentile in xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG. He also had subpar hard-hit rate, struck out a decent bit, and the defensive runs saved statistic questioned his ability in the field (negative-14 overall in 2025). Of course, all these numbers were furthered by his lackluster performance in New York. However, even before the trade, all those figures were at least in the ballpark of where they ended.

New York gave up a trio of lower-end pitching prospects in the deal. Anthony Nunez, Raimon Gómez, and Chandler Marsh ranked 23rd, 32nd, and 46th, respectively, in Metsmerized’s midseason top 50 update. All three have worked out of the bullpen thus far in their careers.

Nunez was enduring a terrific season in the Mets’ system between the High-A (0.63 ERA over 14 1/3 innings) and Double-A (2.10 ERA over 25 2/3 innings) levels. Baltimore promoted the 23-year-old to the Triple-A level where he appeared in 16 games out of the bullpen, posting a 3.45 ERA.

Gómez, who was put in the spotlight earlier this season for touching 104 mph, wasn’t able to pitch after the deal due to injury. He had a 4.63 ERA across two levels in the Mets’ system prior to the deal. Lastly, Marsh threw 10 innings at the High-A level for Aberdeen, posting a 1.80 ERA and 11 strikeouts. The 23-year-old had a 2.42 ERA across 52 total minor league innings out of the bullpen this season.

Final Verdict: 

Of the four trades on the list, this is really the only one where the player did not make much sense. It was clear the Mets needed a centerfielder, however, they may have rushed into getting the wrong one.

Mullins’ play, prior to the deal indicated a ton of regression and that is exactly what happened after he was brought to town. Luckily for the Mets, they did not have to give up much for the rental. This helps lighten the blow a bit, but Mullins’ struggles were certainly a detriment to the team down the stretch.

Grade: D

The post Revisiting The Mets’ Performance At The 2025 MLB Trade Deadline appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Note, all statistics are as of Sunday morning prior to the beginning of any games.

Gregory Soto Deal

The first deal the Mets made came on July 25 as New York acquired left-handed reliever Gregory Soto. In exchange, the Mets departed with two pitching prospects: Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster. Aracena was the 15th ranked prospect in Metsmerized’s midseason top-50 list while Foster was unranked.

Aracena picked up right where he left off so far in the Orioles’ system. He appeared in one game at the Single-A level, the same level he was at with the Mets, and two games at the High-A level after a deserved promotion. Across those three combined starts he has thrown 13 2/3 innings allowing three hits, one run, and has struck out 17. The 20-year-old is continuing a sensational season.

Meanwhile, Foster, 26 years old, was assigned to Triple-A within the Orioles’ system, the same level he was with the Mets prior to the deal. He has appeared in five games in relief, allowing seven hits and three runs over 5 2/3 innings. His combined season Triple-A ERA sits at 9.64 through 9 1/3 innings.

Tyler Rogers Deal

In the team’s second deal leading up to the deadline, the Mets departed with three players in exchange for right-handed reliever Tyler Rogers. New York dealt big leaguer José Buttó and two Triple-A players in outfielder Drew Gilbert and right-handed pitcher Blade Tidwell. Gilbert and Tidwell ranked 15th and 19th, respectively, in Metsmerized’s top-50 midseason prospect list update.

Buttó has been strong in relief for the Giants since the deal. He has appeared in six games and has not allowed a run across 5 2/3 innings. He has allowed two hits and three walks. Meanwhile, 24-year-old Gilbert has made his major-league debut, but has struggled mightily, going 1-for-18 at the plate with five strikeouts.

Lastly, Tidwell has been terrific for San Francisco’s Triple-A team. He has appeared in three games (two starts) and has tossed 16 innings, allowing nine hits, three earned runs, and has struck out 23. Importantly, he has only walked five. A promotion back to the big leagues appears near.

Jesus Baez. Photo by James Villani, MMO

Ryan Helsley Deal

In the Mets’ third and final bullpen move, they acquired right-handed reliever Ryan Helsley. In exchange for him, they gave up infielder Jesus Baez as well as pitchers Frank Elissalt and Nate Dohm.

Baez was the highest-ranked prospect the Mets departed with, according to Metsmerized’s midseason top-50 prospect list (No. 7). He has struggled mightily at the High-A level since the deal, slashing .179/.304/.179 across 39 at-bats. Baez struggled mightily with High-A Brooklyn in the month prior to the trade.

The 23-year-old right-handed pitcher, Elissalt, has also struggled since the move. He has appeared in three games (two starts) at the same level he was at with the Mets prior to the move (High-A). In these three games, he has opted a 7.04 ERA across 7 2/3 innings. He has walked seven hitters which has directly led to his struggles.

Lastly, 22-year-old Nate Dohm has made two starts since the trade at the High-A level. He has thrown five innings and allowed two runs, four hits, and has struck out six. The former Mississippi State Bulldog has a 2.93 ERA across 67 2/3 innings on the season.

Cedric Mullins Deal

The last deal the Mets made prior to the deadline was their only position-player deal. New York acquired outfielder Cedric Mullins in exchange for three pitchers: Anthony Nunez, Raimon Gomez, and Chandler Marsh. They ranked 23rd, 32nd, and 46th, respectively, in Metsmerized’s midseason top-50 prospect list.

Nunez has appeared in the Double-A and Triple-A levels for the Orioles thus far, combing for five innings, one hit, one run, and six strikeouts. He is having a breakout season, as he owns a 1.60 ERA and 66 strikeouts over only 45 innings.

Marsh, 22 years old, has thrown four innings at the Double-A level for Baltimore, allowing five hits and two runs. His High-A ERA on the season sits at 3.57.

Gomez, a flamethrower, has not thrown a pitch in the Orioles’ system yet, as he is currently on the injured list.

The post Early Look At How The Trade Deadline Subtractions Have Performed appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Prior to Friday’s game, Carlos Mendoza spoke to reporters about Tylor Megill, who threw a bullpen session on Thursday. Per Mendoza, Megill is getting closer to starting a rehab assignment. Before going on the injured list, Megill was 5-5 with a 3.95 ERA on the year.

Tylor Megill (38) – Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

The Mets (63-53) lost to the Brewers (71-44) 3-2 on Friday night, ending the game when Starling Marte was thrown out at home with a chance to tie it. Kodai Senga allowed two runs (one earned) in 4 1/3 innings, while four relievers combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings, but it wasn’t good enough as the Mets earned their fifth consecutive loss.

Jorge Eckardt of Metsmerized and The Rockaway Wave wrote about how the trade deadline affected players on the Brooklyn Cyclones.

Latest MLB News

The Giants selected outfielder and former Mets prospect Drew Gilbert from Triple-A to the major league roster. Gilbert, who came to the Mets in the Justin Verlander trade in 2023, was sent to San Francisco when the club acquired reliever Tyler Rogers. Gilbert made his MLB debut with the Giants Friday night.

Veteran pitcher Alex Wood announced his retirement on Friday. Wood pitched for 12 seasons and was an All-Star with the Dodgers in 2017. He complied a career 77-68 record with a 3.78 ERA.

Latest on MMO

Gabe Herz analyzes how Sean Manaea has been able to be mostly effective since returning from his injury.

Michael Mayer updates his list of the Mets’ top 50 prospects.

On This Date in Mets History

1988: The Mets played in the first complete game at Wrigley Field with their stadium lights turned on. The game was televised nationally on NBC.

Born on This Date: Pat Mahomes (1970), Tommie Agee (1942).

The post Morning Briefing: Tylor Megill Close to Rehab Assignment appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Deals

• RHPs Wellington Aracena (Low-A) and Cam Foster (Double-A) for LHP Gregory Soto
• OF Drew Gilbert (Triple-A), RHPs Blade Tidwell (Triple-A) and José Buttó (MLB) for RHP Tyler Rogers
• INF Jesus Báez (High-A), RHPs Nate Dohm (High-A) and Frank Elissalt (High-A) for RHP Ryan Helsley
• RHPs Raimon Gómez (High-A), Anthony Nunez (Double-A) and Chandler Marsh (High-A) for OF Cedric Mullins

The trade for Rogers elicited the most significant reaction from Mets fans because of the name recognition for Gilbert, Tidwell and Buttó. However, Gilbert has been merely mediocre offensively in a hitter-friendly league, and his long-term defensive fit is probably best suited for the corners, not center field. Tidwell struggled mightily in his short big league stint this season to the tune of 15 earned runs in 15 innings. Buttó has been a serviceable big league arm, though he’s out of options and his strikeouts are at a career low.

Drew Gilbert, Photo by Kylie Richelle of Syracuse Mets

Prospect Rankings and How They Were Originally Acquired 

• No. 7 – Jesus Báez, IFA ($275K bonus)
• No. 14 – Drew Gilbert, trade (Justin Verlander)
• No. 17 – Nate Dohm, 3rd round pick (2024)
• No. 19 – Blade Tidwell, 2nd round pick (2022)
• No. 23 – Anthony Nunez, UDFA
• No. 32 – Raimon Gómez, IFA ($10K bonus)
• No. 37 – Frank Elissalt, 19th round pick (2024)
• No. 46 – Chandler Marsh, UDFA
• Unranked – Cam Foster, 14th round pick (2022)
• MLB – José Buttó, IFA ($5K bonus)

As you see, Báez was far and away the best prospect the Mets dealt. The 20-year-old was hitting .244/.337/.406 for the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones at the time of the trade. Dohm is the best pitching prospect of the group, and he has a 2.62 ERA in 34 1/3 innings for Brooklyn this year. Gómez made noise earlier this season when he hit 104.5 mph, but has been shifted to a bullpen role, and has 15 walks and five HBPs in 22 innings for Brooklyn.

Nunez jumps out to me as a guy that we will probably see pitch in the big leagues this season. The former minor league infielder has held hitters to a .114 average this year (best among 1,222 minor league pitchers) and has a 1.58 ERA. Elissalt and Marsh have flashed promise as starters in the lower minors, and Foster has the makings of an MLB-caliber slider.

Roster Implications

As Mets fans should know by now, Stearns is keenly aware of a player’s roster situation when he makes a move. As noted above, Buttó was on the 40-man roster and out of options. Tidwell was also on the 40-man roster, and his MLB struggles this season certainly didn’t secure his grip on keeping that spot. Of the remaining eight players traded, four (Gilbert, Gómez, Nunez & Foster) are Rule 5 eligible this offseason. That means the Mets would’ve had to add any of them to the 40-man roster before the November deadline, or they would be exposed to the Rule 5 draft.

Cedric Mullins. Photo by Roberto Carlo

What They Did

The Mets turned arguably their biggest weakness into a strength by getting three arms capable of pitching in high-leverage situations. They got three very different arms, too. Soto is a hard-throwing lefty, Rogers is a submariner who gets a ton of groundballs, and Helsley is one of the hardest-throwing righties in baseball.

Take a look at the Mets’ current bullpen:

• Edwin Díaz
• Ryan Helsley
• Tyler Rogers
• Gregory Soto
• Reed Garrett
• Brooks Raley
• Ryne Stanek
• Rico Garcia

At the very least, that’s one of the best in the National League.

The Mets have needed a center fielder since Jose Siri struggled to start the season and then went down with an injury. Tyrone Taylor has been great defensively, but he’s struggled overall offensively (58 wRC+) and was particularly bad in July with a -14 wRC+. On the flip side, Cedric Mullins was impressive in July with a 137 wRC+ after a slow start to the season. Outside of a breakout campaign in 2021 (136 wRC+), Mullins has been slightly above league average offensively (104 wRC+ this season), and that would be a boost for the Mets in center.

Power has been up for Mullins with 15 home runs already this season after hitting 18 last year. His ISO (isolated slugging) of .204 would be the second-highest of his career. The July success for Mullins has coincided with his trying to pull the ball more. His pull % of 52.7 in July was his highest of the season

Mullins does still steal bases a bit, with 14 this season and 32 last year. His sprint speed is in the 80th percentile, up from 75th last year and 66th the year before. As for his defense, the different metrics do not agree. Defensive runs saved have him well below average at -14 DRS, and outs above average have him slightly above average at 2 OAA. While Jeff McNeil has been mostly fine in center field, he’s better at second base, and that gives manager Carlos Mendoza more options.

Nolan McLean. Photo Credit: Kylie Richelle

What They Didn’t Do

The Mets didn’t trade for a starting pitcher despite the recent struggles and injuries to the rotation. Griffin Canning is done for the year, while neither Frankie Montas nor Clay Holmes has looked good recently. That said, most of the starting pitchers who were expected to be traded during the deadline ended up staying put. That narrowed the Mets’ options in trying to improve their rotation.

Moreover, the Mets have two prospects in Triple-A Syracuse who have had impressive summers. Righty Nolan McLean has a 3.01 ERA in Triple-A this year in a hitter-friendly league. To start July, McLean had back-to-back 10-strikeout games, and he’s gone at least six innings in three of his last four starts. Fellow right-hander Brandon Sproat struggled to start this season. However, he’s completely turned it around with only two earned runs allowed and 39 strikeouts over his last six starts (33 innings).

One of the questions with McLean and Sproat is how many innings they will go this season. McLean is five away from his career-high, and Sproat is 20. The Mets also boast one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, Jonah Tong. He currently leads the minors in strikeouts (146), strikeout rate (40.6%), and his 1.66 ERA is second among 365 minor leaguers with at least 70 innings.

The Mets also didn’t get a “big bat” that some fans were hoping for. Outside of Eugenio Suarez and, to a lesser extent, Ryan O’Hearn and Ramon Laureano, that power bat wasn’t available on the market. The market to get a masher wasn’t really there, and while Mullins doesn’t fit that description, he does make the Mets better offensively.

Final Thoughts 

I’d give the Mets a B+ for their deadline work.

As I said previously, the Mets turned their bullpen from a weakness into one of the best in the league, and they did it without giving up an upper-echelon prospect. They also improved their worst offensive position in center field. Again, without giving up top prospects. All of the pieces the Mets did get are rentals, so that’s not ideal. There were controllable bullpen pieces traded, though with hefty price tags.

All in all, the Mets are a better team than they were before the deals, didn’t give up a ton of their farm system value, and are better suited to win games in the playoffs.

The post Breaking Down the Mets’ Four Trades appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

President of baseball operations David Stearns managed to address a number of key needs. The bullpen was bolstered, while center field received a much-needed upgrade.

However, on the flip side, the Mets were unable to deal for another starter. You could also make a compelling argument that another bat was needed.

With that said, it was a very positive trade deadline overall for the Mets. And, on that note, let’s dive into a special edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Cedric Mullins. Photo by Roberto Carlo

3 UP

NOT GIVING UP THE FARM

This trade deadline was a seller’s market. Selling teams were asking for a lot in return for their assets, and we saw that in a slew of different trades. That’s why David Stearns deserves extra credit for not giving up any of the Mets’ premium prospects, including the likes of Brandon Sproat, Jett Williams and Jonah Tong. Granted, the front office did give up a ton in the return package for reliever Tyler Rogers. Drew Gilbert and Blade Tidwell were both included in that deal. Gilbert ranked No. 14 on Michael Mayer’s midseason list of top 50 prospects in New York’s system. Tidwell was No. 19. Meanwhile, infielder Jesus Baez, who was part of the package sent to the Cardinals for Ryan Helsley, was ranked No. 7. Therefore, Stearns was able to keep hold of his farm system gems while still acquiring players that should help this team to win now.

BULLPEN UPGRADE

Arguably the biggest need for the Mets approaching the deadline was bullpen help. As a result, Stearns deserves a lot of credit for how he went about bolstering the bullpen. He took full advantage of the slew of relievers available by acquiring three high-end arms. Gregory Soto is the kind of hard-throwing lefty reliever that the Mets have lacked all year long. Tyler Rogers is a submarine pitcher who offers a unique skillset, and Ryan Helsley is a flamethrower with nasty stuff. All of a sudden, the Mets now have one of the deepest and most dangerous bullpens in all of baseball. What was a considerable weakness is now a significant strength.

Manager Carlos Mendoza will now have the luxury of using Reed Garrett and Ryne Stanek in the middle innings. Then, it will be up to a combination of Soto, Rogers, Helsley and Edwin Díaz to shut down offenses and help secure wins. Helsley’s addition is an exciting one given the way he can overpower hitters. And Rogers is arguably one of the most efficient and underrated relievers in all of baseball. New York now has a bullpen that has the potential to do some real damage in October.

UPGRADING IN CENTER

I was never thrilled about the prospect of the Mets trading for Luis Robert Jr., while I’ve always been a big fan of Cedric Mullins. Therefore, I think the right center fielder was acquired at the deadline. Granted, Mullins isn’t the player he once was. But he’s an upgrade offensively over Tyrone Taylor, and he offers better defense in center field than Jeff McNeil. Mullins is currently hitting .229/.305/.433/.738 with 15 home runs and 49 RBIs. He also has 19 doubles, 14 stolen bases and 34 walks this year. The veteran is also capable of making highlight-reel plays with the glove. Furthermore, maybe the chance to play in a more talented lineup with an opportunity to compete for a World Series will lead to a resurgence for Mullins.

Sandy Alcántara. Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

3 DOWN

FALSE START

As productive as the trade deadline was for the Mets, more could still have been done. You can make a strong argument that another starter was needed. With Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea still ramping up, coupled with Clay Holmes‘ current downwards trajectory, there are question marks hovering over this rotation. Plus, when you consider that the likes of Twins RHP Joe Ryan, Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara and Diamondbacks righty Zac Gallen all stayed put, maybe New York missed an opportunity to get even better. After all, you can’t win without pitching, and a lot will have to go right in order for this rotation to thrive down the stretch and into October.

Maybe Holmes will get the train back on the tracks. Maybe Senga and Manaea will stay healthy and turn back into dominant arms. Maybe some of the top pitching prospects will come up and produce. Then it won’t matter. But, as of right now, it is hard to argue that the rotation didn’t need some more quality depth.

NOT ENOUGH

Adding just one bat was never going to be enough to fix what has been a maddeningly inconsistent offense. And, even if Mullins proves to be a home run addition, that won’t solve all of the offensive flaws. This lineup is too streaky, and it continues to struggle with runners in scoring position. Of course, it will be up to the stars and those now on the roster to step up and play to the back of their baseball cards. But, seeing some of the names moved on Thursday, it isn’t a stretch to say that acquiring another big bat would have really helped to lengthen the lineup. Not doing so could make a real difference once we reach October.

POTENTIAL LOGJAM

The Mets didn’t have to trade one of their infielders at the trade deadline. That’s great at first glance. However, not doing so could create some problems down the stretch. New York now has a boatload of infielders and only so many at-bats to give out. Following the addition of Mullins, Jeff McNeil will now seemingly move back to second base. Furthermore, it seems that Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio, and Brett Baty will all share playing time at third. Luisangel Acuña is also still in the mix. It sure feels like one of those players will end up being a bit-part player down the stretch run. It will be interesting to see who that is, and how the Mets navigate that. Maybe it would have made more sense to have traded one or two of those infielders in order to further strengthen a real area of need.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Trade Deadline Recap Special appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mullins Trade

Anthony Nunez, 24, struck out 60 in 40 innings combined between High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton, with 25 2/3 of that work coming at Binghamton. He pitched to a 2.10 ERA at Binghamton and was ranked No. 23 on Mike Mayer of Mets Merized Online’s list of top 50 prospects.

Raimon Gómez, 23, of Venezuela, was excellent at Low-A St. Lucie (0.69 ERA in 13 innings pitched), but struggled since a promotion to Brooklyn (6.95 ERA in 22 innings pitched). He was No. 32 on the MMO list.

Chandler Marsh, 22, pitched to a 3.45 ERA in 31 1/3 innings at Brooklyn, striking out 38 and walking 16. He was ranked No. 46.

Jesus Baez. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Helsley Trade

Jesus Baez, 20, of the Dominican Republic was the highest rated MMO prospect (No. 7) to be dealt at the deadline. The infielder slashed .244/.337/.406 with 10 homers, 42 RBIs and seven steals in 70 games for Brooklyn.

Nate Dohm, 22, was taken in the third round of last year’s draft out of Mississippi State. He was 1-2 with a 2.62 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts) covering 34 1/3 innings for Brooklyn. He struck out 43 and walked 13. He was ranked No. 17.

Frank Elissalt, 23, was selected in round 19 of the draft last year out of Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He struck out 57 in 50 2/3 innings for St. Lucie and eight in 5 2/3 innings for Brooklyn. The right-hander’s ERA was 3.04 combined at the two levels. He was ranked No. 37.

Rogers Trade

Drew Gilbert, 24, slashed .243/.347/.430 with 12 homers, 47 RBIs and four steals in 361 plate appearances at Triple-A Syracuse. The outfielder acquired from Houston when the Mets traded Justin Verlander was ranked No. 14.

Blade Tidwell, 24, was 6-4 with a 4.10 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 79 innings pitched at Syracuse, where he struck out 87. He had a 9.00 ERA (15 earned runs in 15 innings) in four appearances with the Mets. He was ranked No. 19.

Buttó, 27, was 3-2 with a 3.64 ERA and 1.38 WHIP for the Mets. He struck out 41 in 47 innings pitched.

Soto Trade

Wellington Aracena, 20, of the Dominican Republic went 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA and 1.14 WHIP for Low-A St. Lucie. The right-hander struck out 84 in 64 1/3 innings. He was ranked No. 15 on MMO.

Cameron Foster, 26, was a 14th round Mets draft pick in 2022 from McNeese State. The right-handed reliever struck out 34 in 26 2/3 innings for Binghamton and pitched to a 1.01 ERA. He was not ranked on MMO.

The post Mets 2025 Trade Deadline Roundup appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets traded a pair of minor league right-handed pitchers to the Orioles Friday for lefty reliever Gregory Soto.

Wellington Aracena, 20, was 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 17 appearances (eight starts) for St. Lucie. He struck out 84 in 64 1/3 innings.

Reliever Cameron Foster, 26, struck out 39 in 30 1/3 innings pitched while posting a 2.97 ERA and 1.06 WHIP for Binghamton and Syracuse. He was a 14th-round pick in the 2022 draft from McNeese State.

The trade deadline is Thursday. Will any top prospects be dealt?

Drew Gilbert. Photo Credit: James Farrance

Triple-A

Omaha Storm Chasers (38-61) 2, Syracuse Mets (50-50) 8

Box Score

• CF Drew Gilbert, 3-for-4, 2 HR (12), 4 RBI (46), 2B (.796 OPS)
• 3B Luis De Los Santos, 2-for-4, HR (4), 2 RBI (30) (.605 OPS)
• C Matt O’Neill, 3-for-4, 2 RBI (3) (1.045 OPS)
• 2B Yonny Hernández, 1-for-3, 2 R (.835 OPS)

O’Neill was promoted last week, making it to Triple-A Syracuse for the third consecutive year. The 27-year-old was drafted from the University of Pennsylvania in the 20th round in 2019. He was born in Morristown, N.J., and played high school baseball for Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, N.J.

• RHP Brandon Sproat (4.30 ERA) 5 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K, W
• RHP Jonathan Pintaro (3.86 ERA) 2 2/3 IP, BB, 3 K
• LHP Richard Lovelady (1.23 ERA) 1 1/3 IP, 2 K

Sproat, who allowed an earned run for the first time in five starts, has struck out 73 in 90 innings pitched.

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (62-30) 12, Reading Fightin Phils (36-56) 9

Box Score

• 3B Nick Lorusso, 1-for-3, HR (7), 2 RBI (45), 3 R, 2 BB (.762 OPS)
• C Chris Suero, 3-for-5, HR (1), RBI (1), SB (1), 3 R, K (.623 OPS)
• SS Jett Williams, 1-for-5, 2 RBI (34), R, BB, 3 K (.891 OPS)
• CF Carson Benge, 2-for-4, 2 RBI (12), R, K (.974 OPS)
• DH Ryan Clifford, 1-for-3, 2 RBI (62), R, 2 BB, K (.830 OPS)

Lorusso, who was born in Carmel, N.Y., homered for the second straight game. Benge has reached base in 10 consecutive games. Binghamton scored seven runs in the fifth inning.

•  RHP R.J. Gordon (4.96 ERA) 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 6 K, HR, W

This was Gordon’s third appearance for Binghamton since being promoted from Brooklyn, where he pitched to a 3.06 ERA over 67 2/3 innings. It wasn’t a great start, but it was an improvement from his last time out (six earned runs, 4 1/3 innings). He was drafted in the 13th round last year out of the University of Oregon.

High-A

Brooklyn Cyclones (58-36) 1, Greensboro Grasshoppers (66-27) 2

Box Score

• CF A.J. Ewing, 2-for-4, 2B, R, CS (6) (.816 OPS)
• 3B Boston Baro, 3-for-4, 2B, RBI (28), SB (17) (.596 OPS)
• 2B Marco Vargas, 0-for-4 (.592 OPS)

Baro doubled into the right-field corner to open the scoring. The 20-year-old still has more to prove at High-A. After posting a .767 OPS at St. Lucie last year, his slash line is down across the board this season at Brooklyn. He also made two errors to raise his season total to 17.

• RHP Will Watson (2.25 ERA) 4 2/3 IP, 6 H, 2 R, ER, 2 BB, 8 K, HR, L
• RHP Chandler Marsh (3.00 ERA) 2 IP, H

In nine appearances for Brooklyn, Watson has 49 strikeouts in 40 innings pitched. He was selected in the seventh round of last year’s draft from the University of Southern California. Marsh has struck out 34 in 30 innings with Brooklyn.

Low-A

 St. Lucie Mets (52-40) 6, Jupiter Hammerheads (39-53) 3

Box Score

• DH Randy Guzman, 1-for-3, HR (1), 2 RBI (2), BB (1.833 OPS)
• 1B Trace Willhoite, 1-for-4, HR (12), RBI (52), BB, K (.854 OPS)
• LF Yohairo Cuevas, 3-for-5, 2B, RBI (10), CS (2) (.812 OPS)

Guzman homers in his St. Lucie debut. The 20-year-old from the Dominican Republic hit seven homers in 178 plate appearances in Rookie Ball for the Florida Complex League Mets before he was promoted.

• RHP Jonathan Jimenez (3.00 ERA) 3 IP, ER, BB, 2 K
• RHP Layonel Ovalles (1.59 ERA) 3 IP, W

Jimenez, 21, of Venezuela, hadn’t allowed an earned run since June 14 (18 innings pitched over five outings).

Dominican Summer League

DSL Mets Orange (22-16) 7, DSL Arizona Red (23-15) 8

Box Score

• 2B Elian Peña, 2-for-3, 4 SB (16), 2 R, 2 BB, K (.838 OPS)
• LF Heriberto Rincon, 1-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI (15), SB (27), 2 R (.763 OPS)
• SS Yunior Amparo, 1-for-4, 2 SB (15), CS (3), R, BB (1.001 OPS)

Peña has a four-steal game and a three-homer game less than a month apart. He stole third base three times Friday and is 16-for-17 swiping bases. After starting 0-for-26 and hitting .186 in June, the 17-year-old is slashing .316/.435/.456 in 57 at-bats this month.

• RHP Yoralbert Cadiz (5.24 ERA) 3 2/3 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 K

DSL Phillies Red (16-22) 3, DSL Mets Blue (16-22) 2

Box Score

• SS Yorber Semprun, 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI (.905 OPS)
• RF Hector Francis, 2-for-3, 2B, CS (1) (.438 OPS)
• 1B Vladi Guerrero, 1-for-3, 2B, R, K (.687 OPS)

Semprun has 32 hits, 20 runs scored, and 12 steals in 28 games. The 17-year-old has made 10 starts at shortstop, eight at second base, and eight at third. Guerrero has recorded a hit in five of his last six games. He is the 18-year-old son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero and the half-brother of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He wears No. 27.

• RHP Jean Brito (2.36 ERA) 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, BB, 4 K, L

This was only the second time in 10 appearances that Brito allowed two earned runs or more. His outings have mostly been short, but effective. The 19-year-old Venezuelan has struck out 27 and walked 16 in  34 1/3 innings pitched.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Gilbert Goes Deep Twice appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Nolan McLean. Photo Credit: Kylie Richelle

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (49-50) 6, Omaha Storm Chasers (38-60) 2

• CF Drew Gilbert – 0-for-4 (.762 OPS)
• LF Jared Young – 2-for-5, 1 R, 2 RBI (32), 1 K (.961 OPS)
• DH Joey Meneses – 2-for-4, 1 R, 3 RBI (43) (.770 OPS)
• 3B Luke Ritter – 3-for-4, 2 2B, 2 R, 1 K (.734 OPS)

Ritter had himself a big day at the plate with two extra base hits, showing some signs of life in an otherwise disappointing season. Young has continued his onslaught on Triple-A pitching since his return with a two-hit day as well.

• RHP Nolan McLean (3.01 ERA) 7 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 6 K (55 of 85 pitches for strikes)
• RHP Dylan Ross (1.59 ERA) 2/3 IP, 1 BB, 1 K

McLean went seven-plus strong innings, needing only 85 pitches to get there. He has continually proven that he may be the best Mets prospect in Triple-A with his focus on only pitching skyrocketing him through two levels in 2025. Ross pitched for the second day in a row and struck out one and walked one, lowering his ERA to 1.59

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (61-30) 6, Reading Fightin Phils (36-55) 2

• 1B Ryan Clifford – 1-for-3, 2 BB (.828 OPS)
• DH Nick Lorusso – 2-for-4, 2B, 2 R, HR (6), 3 RBI (43), 1 K (.747 OPS)
• SS Jett Williams – 1-for-5, 1 R, HR (9), 1 RBI (32), 1 K (.897 OPS)
• CF Carson Benge – 1-for-5 (.966 OPS)
• C Kevin Parada – 0-for-2, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K (.760 OPS)
• 3B Jacob Reimer – 1-for-5, 1 K (.773 OPS)

Parada has helped rebuild some of his stock as a hitter over the last month-plus, putting himself back on the map despite some poor defensive results behind the plate. Reimer has cooled since an amazing start to his Double-A career, but he still doesn’t seem overmatched.

• RHP Jonah Tong (1.72 ERA) 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 6 K (53 of 79 pitches for strikes)
• RHP Ryan Lambert (2.42 ERA) 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• RHP Cameron Foster (1.01 ERA) 1 IP, 1 K

Tong just continues pushing the issue and upping his prospect stock that saw him unranked to start the season. He’s now almost universally considered a top-50 farmhand in baseball. Foster almost dropped his ERA below 1.00 with yet another scoreless outing.

High-A

Brooklyn Cyclones (58-35) 4, Greensboro Grasshoppers (65-27) 8

• CF Eli Serrano III – 1-for-5, 1 K (.727 OPS)
• 2B Marco Vargas – 1-for-4, 1 RBI (27), 1 BB, 1 K (.602 OPS)
• SS Jesus Baez – 0-for-5, 4 K (.738 OPS)
• 3B Boston Baro – 1-for-5, 2B, 1 R (.581 OPS)
• 1B Corey Collins – 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI (7), 1 BB, 1 K (.707 OPS)

Baez has struggled in July with a .156/.250/.344 slash line over only 32 at-bats, and he had the golden sombrero on Thursday. A.J. Ewing had the day off.

• RHP Joel Díaz (3.80 ERA) 3 1/3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K ( 35 of 58 pitches for strikes)

Díaz was not very sharp, but the bullpen could not hold the lead, and every one of the three relievers who followed allowed at least an earned run, including  Josh Blum, who gave up his first High-A run.

Low-A

St. Lucie Mets (50-40) 7, Daytona Tortugas (42-48) 4/ FINAL 6 INNINGS

• RF Simon Juan – 1-for-2, 3B, 1 R, 1 RBI (38) (.636 OPS)
• 3B Jeremy Rodriguez – 0-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI (30) (.566 OPS)
• SS Trey Snyder 0-for-2, 1 R, 1 BB (.657 OPS)
• 2B Nick Roselli – 1-for-2, 1 R, HR (6), 2 RBI (27) (.686 OPS)
• 1B Trace Willhoite – 1-for-3, 2B, 1 RBI (51), 1 K (.845 OPS)

Roselli had his second straight solid performance, hitting his sixth home run of the season. Willhoite just continues hitting, and despite the recent promotion of Corey Collins to Brooklyn, he may not have much left to prove in St. Lucie.

• RHP Juan Arnaud (2.59 ERA) 2 IP, 4 H

Jose Guevara made his Low-A debut and gave up four runs in 2 1/3 innings on only one hit by walking three consecutive hitters with the bases loaded and then allowing an RBI single. Arnaud has improved his control vastly in his second go-around in St. Lucie, cutting his walk total nearly in half in just ten fewer innings.

St. Lucie Mets (51-40) vs. Daytona Tortugas (42-49) POSTPONED

The second game of the doubleheader was postponed due to inclement weather and will be made up at a later date during St. Lucie’s next series vs. Daytona between August 1 and August 3.

Florida Complex League

FCL Mets (25-28) vs. FCL Marlins (19-35) CANCELED

The post Mets Minors Recap: Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong Throw Gems appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (48-50) 8, Omaha Storm Chasers (38-59) 4

Box Score

• CF Drew Gilbert – 4-for-5, 2B, 1 RBI (42), 1 K (.772 OPS)
• LF Jared Young – 3-for-5, 3 R, 3B, HR (9), 4 RBI (30), SB (2) (.967 OPS)
• 1B Joey Meneses – 2-for-4, 1 BB (.757 OPS)
• 3B David Villar – 1-for-2, 1 R, HR (6), 1 RBI (18) (.730 OPS)

Drew Gilbert has had a great month of July, slashing .333/.406/.649 with nine of his 19 hits going for extra bases.

• RHP Blade Tidwell (4.32 ERA) 3 1/3 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (45 of 74 pitches for strikes)
• RHP Dylan Ross (1.69 ERA) 1 IP, 2 BB, 2 K

Tidwell did not have great control today, but limited the runs while failing to get out of the fourth inning. Dylan Ross battled some control issues but did not allow a run and struck out two in his inning of work.

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (60-30) 7, Reading Fightin Phils (36-54) 0

Box Score

• 1B Ryan Clifford – 3-for-4, 3 R, HR (18), 3 RBI (60), 1 BB, 1 K (.827 OPS)
• 3B Nick Lorusso – 3-for-4, 1 R, 2B, 2 RBI (40), SB (6), 1 BB (.728 OPS)
• CF Jett Williams – 1-for-5, 1 K (.895 OPS)
• LF Carson Benge – 1-for-5, 1 R, HR, 1 RBI (10), 1 K (1.009 OPS)
• C Chris Suero – 0-for-3, 1 BB (.243 OPS)

Chris Suero has had a rough introduction to Double-A, but did manage to walk on Wednesday. Ryan Clifford keeps showing his power is real, and despite the low batting average, has had a pretty solid month, slashing .210/.329/.548.

• RHP Luis Moreno (3.99 ERA) 3 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 3 K (34 of 54 pitches for strikes)
• RHP Joshua Cornielly (3.30 ERA) 2 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 K
• RHP Brian Metoyer (5.40 ERA) 1 IP

Brian Metoyer had a great bounce-back outing after struggling on July 13. Since his promotion, he has only been scored upon in one of his six appearances. Luis Moreno has been hit hard in July, allowing a .306 batting average in 12 1/3 innings.

High-A

Brooklyn Cyclones (58-34) 1, Greensboro Grasshoppers (64-27) 3

Box Score

• CF A.J. Ewing – 1-for-3, 2B, 1 RBI (22), CS (6) (.809 OPS)
• LF Eli Serrano III – 1-for-4, 1 R (.734 OPS)
• SS Marco Vargas – 0-for-3, 1 BB (.601 OPS)

Brooklyn only managed four hits and a walk, with an A.J. Ewing RBI double being the only run driven in and extra-base hit. Colin Houck can’t wait for July to end, as he’s slashing .137/.220/.216 with 20 strikeouts in 51 at-bats.

• RHP Brendan Girton (2.47 ERA) 4 1/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR allowed (39 of 64 pitches for strikes)
• RHP Raimon Gomez (5.14 ERA) 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR allowed

In a pitching duel, the Cyclones’ bullpen just couldn’t keep it scoreless. Brett Banks allowed his first run since June 28, and hitters have hit .240 against him this month compared to .185 in June.

Low-A

St. Lucie Mets (50-40) 14, Daytona Tortugas (42-48) 1

Box Score

• RF Simon Juan – 3-for-3, 3B, 1 R, 3 RBI (37), 2 BB (.626 OPS)
• 3B Jeremy Rodriguez – 2-for-6, 1 R, 3 RBI (29) (.571 OPS)
• SS Trey Snyder 2-for-5, 1 BB, 2 K (.659 OPS)
• LF Yohairo Cuevas – 3-for-5, 2 R (.793 OPS)
• 2B Nick Roselli – 3-for-3, 3 R, 1 RBI (25), 2 BB (.665 OPS)
• CF Yonatan Henriquez – 2-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBI (40), 1 K (.655 OPS)

Nick Roselli has been a man on fire in July, slashing .308/.438/.385 with eight runs scored and an 8/8 BB/K ratio. Daiverson Gutierrez had his 21st error of the season, showing that while his offensive game is coming around, he is still rough behind the plate, which is easy to explain for a player who will play the entire 2025 season at 19 years old.

Florida Complex League

FCL Mets (25-28) 11, FCL Marlins (19-35) 6

Box Score

Edward Lantigua hit his third home run of the season, and Dangelo Sarmiento hit his first of the season. Daniel Silva went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Branny De Oleo stole his 16th base of the season.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Drew Gilbert Has Four-Hit Night appeared first on Metsmerized Online.