The lefty has fanned 31 and walked seven in his last three starts. The Mets selected him in the second round of the 2024 Draft out of Duke, and he pitched to a 3.06 ERA in 117 2/3 innings between Binghamton and Brooklyn in 2025. His ERA this year is at 3.78, which leads the team and is fourth in the Eastern League.

He is ranked the team’s third-best pitching prospect on MLB Pipeline behind Jonah Tong and Jack Wenninger.

Jonathan Santucci. Photo by Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Triple-A 

Buffalo Bisons (46-50) 7, Syracuse Mets (47-48) 3

Box Score

• 3B Christian Arroyo, 1-for-4, HR (7), 2 RBI (.777 OPS)
• 1B Christopher Morel, 2-for-4, R, 2 K (.994 OPS)
• SS Ronny Mauricio, 1-for-4 (.876 OPS)
• DH Nick Morabito, 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K (.781 OPS)
• RF MJ Melendez, 1-for-4, K (1.018 OPS)

Melendez is 10-f0r-25 with four homers and two doubles on his current six-game hitting streak.

• RHP Robert Stock (2.25 ERA) 4 IP, ER, 3 H, 3 K, HR
• RHP Tobias Myers (3.27 ERA) 2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, K, HR
• RHP Dedniel Núñez (4.91 ERA) IP, H, K

Nick Lorusso. Photo Credit: Rick Nelson

Double-A

Akron RubberDucks (42-47) 7, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (33-57) 3

Box Score

• 3B Nick Lorusso, 2-for-4, R (.805 OPS)
• CF Jose Ramos, 1-for-4, 2B, 2 K (.710 OPS)
• C Chris Suero, 0-for-3, R, BB, 2 K (.760 OPS)

Lorusso had a pair of singles and remains tied with Ryan Clifford for the Mets’ minor league home run lead with 16. Suero leads the team in walks (52) and is second in strikeouts (101). Ramos, who has taken 34 more at-bats than Suero, leads the team in strikeouts (104) and is second in walks (47).

• LHP Jonathan Santucci (3.78 ERA) 5 2/3 IP, 5 R, (4 ER), 6 H, 2 BB, 13 K, L

High-A

Hudson Valley Renegades (42-45) 14, Brooklyn Cyclones (37-50) 2

Game 1 Box Score

• CF John Bay, 2-for-3, 2 2B, R (.824 OPS)
• DH Daiverson Gutierrez, 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, K (.635 OPS)
• SS Mitch Voit, 0-for-3 (.764 OPS)

Bay is 12-for-40 in 11 games this month with three homers, three doubles and a triple.

• RHP Frank Camarillo (3.97 ERA) 3 ER, 5 H, BB, K, L

Hudson Valley Renegades (43-45) 5, Brooklyn Cyclones (37-51) 2

Game 2 Box Score

• SS Mitch Voit, 0-for-4, RBI, K (.754 OPS)
• LF JT Benson, 1-for-1, 2B, SB, 2 BB (.883 OPS)
• 3B Colin Houck, 1-for-2, 3B, R, BB, K (.602 OPS)

Benson’s OPS would lead the team if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. He’s played 39 games for Brooklyn after posting a .938 OPS in 33 games at St. Lucie.

• RHP Jose Chirinos (5.22 ERA) 5 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, BB, 5 K, HR, L

Trey Snyder, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Low-A

St. Lucie Mets (41-47) 8, Palm Beach Cardinals (46-43) 6

Box Score

• CF Trey Snyder, 4-for-5, HR (2), 3B, 5 RBI, SB, 2 R, K (.765 OPS)
• 2B Branny De Oleo, 2-for-4, HR (7), 2 RBI, BB, K (.670 OPS)
• DH Mike Tauchman, 2-for-5, 2B, 2 R (.821 OPS)
• 3B-SS Antonio Jimenez, 2-for-5, K (.780 OPS)
• 1B Randy Guzman, 1-for-4, RBI, 2 R, BB, K (.849 OPS)

It was the first four-hit game of the year for Snyder, 20, who was a fifth-round pick in 2024 out of a Missouri high school. He has improved his slash line across the board from a year ago when he posted a .624 OPS in 115 games with St. Lucie last year.

• RHP Ethan Lanthier (4.66 ERA) 2 1/3 IP, H, BB, 4 K
• RHP Tyler McLoughlin (6.37 ERA) 1 2/3 IP, H, BB, 3 K, W
• RHP Miguel Mejias (3.00 ERA) IP, 3 K, SV

The post Mets Minors Recap: Santucci Notches Career-High in Strikeouts appeared first on Metsmerized.

He is the organization’s No. 3 pitching prospect after Jonah Tong and Jack Wenninger. The Mets selected Santucci in the second round of the 2024 draft out of Duke.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (46-46) 2, Norfolk Tides (33-58) 3

Box Score

• SS Ronny Mauricio, 0-for-4, K (.892 OPS)
• LF MJ Melendez, 1-for-2, 2B, R, 2 BB, K (.897 OPS)
• 3B Christopher Morel, 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, K (.803 OPS)
• RF Nick Morabito, 0-for-4 (.785 OPS)

Morel is 7-for-25 with two homers and two doubles in nine games since the Mets signed him as a free agent on July 1.

• RHP Jack Weisenburger (6.34 ERA) 4 IP, ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 8 K, HR, L
• RHP Joey Gerber (5.84 ERA) 1 1/3 IP, K
• RHP Dedniel Núñez (6.75 ERA) 2 IP, BB

Jonathan Santucci. Photo by Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (32-54) 9, Hartford Yard Goats (46-39) 2

Box Score

• SS Kevin Villavicencio, 1-for-4, HR (2), 2 K (.540 OPS)
• C Chris Suero, 1-for-5, RBI, R, 3 K (.746 OPS)
• 3B Nick Lorusso, 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, R, BB (.803 OPS)
• CF Jaylen Palmer, 1-for-3, 2B, 3 RBI, R, BB, K (.645 OPS)

Lorusso, 25, has improved dramatically in his second year at Double-A. Last year he hit seven homers and posted a .680 OPS in 112 games. This season he’s hit 15 homers in 70 games. He was a ninth-round pick in 2023 out of the University of Maryland. Binghamton scored seven runs in the ninth, highlighted by Palmer’s three-run double.

• LHP Jonathan Santucci (3.60 ERA) 6 IP, 2 R, (ER), 4 H, BB, 8 K
• RHP Garrett Stratton (1.54 ERA) 2 IP, 2 K, W
• RHP Brian Metoyer (4.09 ERA) IP, H, 3 K

Daiverson Gutierrez, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

High-A

Wilmington Blue Rocks (42-43) 1, Brooklyn Cyclones (35-49) 2

Box Score

• C Daiverson Gutierrez, 1-for-4, RBI (.626 OPS)
• SS Mitch Voit, 0-for-4 (.766 OPS)
• DH Ronald Hernandez, 1-for-2, 2B, R, BB, K (.739 OPS)

Gutierrez won it with a walk-off single. He is a 20-year-old from Venezuela ranked the team’s No. 25 prospect on MLB Pipeline.

• LHP Daviel Hurtado (1.54 ERA) 4 2/3 IP, ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K, HR
• RHP Juan Arnaud (2.93 ERA) 1 1/3 IP, BB
• RHP Cristofer Gomez (3.58 ERA) 2 IP, 3 H, 3 K
• RHP Ryan Dollar (1.89 ERA) IP, H, K, W

Hurtado walked more than one batter for the first time this year. The 21-year-old Cuban was named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Month for June, per Mets Player Development. He went 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA last month, striking out 26 and walking four in 26 2/3 innings.

Trey Snyder, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Single-A

St. Lucie Mets (38-46) 4, Jupiter Hammerheads (45-41) 1

Box Score

• 2B Trey Snyder, 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, K (.703 OPS)
• 1B Julio Zayas, 1-for-4, HR (4), 2 K (.681 OPS)
• SS Elian Peña, 1-for-5, R, 2 K (.722 OPS)
• LF Mike Tauchman, 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, R, BB (1.167 OPS)

Tauchman got his first hit in his third rehab game, he played the first two with the Florida Complex League Mets. He was having a nice spring training when his season was derailed by a torn meniscus in his left knee. Peña committed his 20th error in 69 games at shortstop.

• RHP Emilio Obispo (1.82 ERA) 5 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 6 K, W
• RHP Zack Mack (2.33 ERA) 2 1/3 IP, R, (0 ER), 3 H, K

Florida Complex League

FCL Mets (20-27) 0, FCL Cardinals (17-27) 3

Box Score

• C Yovanny Rodriguez, 1-for-2, HBP, CS (.865 OPS)
• LF Adolfo Miranda, 1-for-2, SB (.512 OPS)

Rodriguez, 19, of Venezuela is 7-for-18 with a double in his last six games.

• RHP Jean Brito (3.24 ERA) 4 IP, ER, H, BB, 6 K, L

Dominican Summer League

DSL Mets Blue (12-18) 0, DSL Marlins (14-15) 5

Box Score

• LF Henry Manrique, 1-for-3, K (.895 OPS)

Manrique’s single was the only hit for Mets Blue and it extended his hitting streak to five games.

• LHP Eduardo Pina (1.88 ERA) 3 IP, ER, H, 2 BB, 5 K, L

DSL Giants Black (15-14) 6, DSL Mets Orange (16-15) 10

Box Score

• DH Cleiner Ramirez, 1-for-3, 2B, SB, 2 R, 2 BB (.897 OPS)
• SS Sebastian Toro, 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB (.717 OPS)
• 1B Yadier Fuentes, 2-for-4, RBI, R, K (.915 OPS)

MLB Pipeline ranks Ramirez, 17, the team’s No. 21 prospect and projects him to reach the majors in 2031. He’s hit five homers and 10 doubles and stolen 10 bases in 27 games.

• RHP Olmedo Barria (2.49 ERA) 4 IP, H, 4 K, W

The post Mets Minors Recap: Santucci Extends Eastern League Strikeout Lead appeared first on Metsmerized.

In his start, he allowed just a hit and three walks in seven scoreless innings. Wenninger struck out five in what was easily his best start of the season. He now has a 3.48 ERA in 16 appearances (13 starts).

For more stats and news around the Mets minor leagues, continue reading the Minors Weekly Report below.

Jack Wenninger. Photo by Herm Card

Triple-A

The Syracuse Mets lost four out of six games in their series against the Worcester Red Sox. After dropping each of the first three games, Syracuse rallied to win two of the final three. The Mets are now 6-6 in the second half and 44-43 overall.

MJ Melendez went 6-for-21 in addition to the four home runs he hit this week. He totaled seven RBIs and also added three walks, leading or tying for the team lead in each of these categories. Melendez now owns an .869 OPS with Syracuse this season.

Jorge Polanco also had a successful week as he continues to rehab his way back to the major league club. Polanco went 2-for-12. Both of his hits left the park. He also walked twice and didn’t strike out once. Polanco has a .623 OPS in eight rehab games at the Triple-A level. The primary goal here is health and timing.

Nick Morabito continues to thrive, as he went 8-for-22 with a double and a home run. He added a walk and a stolen base while driving in three runs. Morabito now owns a .798 OPS. You could see a world where he gets more reps at the MLB level if/when the Mets sell off some pieces.

Zach Thornton also had a successful start, allowing three runs (two earned) in 5 2/3 innings. Thornton allowed three hits and four walks while striking out four. His Triple-A ERA now sits at 4.54. He, like Morabito, should get more MLB run after the trade deadline.

Matt Rudick, Photo by Rick Nelson

Double-A

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies and Chesapeake Baysox played five games in their series due to rain, and the Rumble Ponies struggled with just one win. Binghamton’s struggles from the first half of the season have spilled into the second half, as they are just 2-10 and 29-52 overall.

Matt Rudick went 5-for-14 against the Baysox, hitting a home run, walking four times and stealing three bags. It was a good week at the plate for the struggling Rudick, who sports a .560 OPS.

Nick Lorusso had a similar week to Rudick, going 4-for-16 with a home run and also recording four walks and three stolen bases. Unlike Rudick, however, Lorusso has been playing well and now owns a .790 OPS.

JT Schwartz also powered Binghamton’s offense, going 5-for-20 with three doubles and a home run. Schwartz added two walks and led his team with four RBIs. He now owns a .676 OPS.

Jonathan Santucci made two starts and looked fantastic. The lefty, one of the Mets’ top pitching prospects, allowed two runs across eight innings with an impressive 13 strikeouts. He also allowed just two hits and five walks. He now has a 3.77 ERA through 16 starts. He ought to be promoted to Triple-A by the end of the season.

R.J. Gordon gave up nothing in his five-inning start. He allowed five hits and a walk while striking out two. Gordon has struggled in 10 starts to the tune of a 6.61 ERA.

Mitch Voit
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

High-A

The Brooklyn Cyclones went 2-3 against the Frederick Keys, with the final game in their series suspended due to rain while in a 2-2 tie. The game will be completed on September 1. The Cyclones are now 7-7 in the second half and 32-47 overall.

Yohairo Cuevas led Brooklyn’s offense by going 5-for-13 with three home runs and nine RBIs, both leading the team. He also walked four times as he improved his season OPS to .632.

JT Benson stayed hot as well, going 6-for-16 with a double and a home run. He also added two walks and a stolen base while driving in three runs. Benson continues to crush the competition at High-A, owning a .938 OPS in 33 games. The 24-year-old has had one of the stronger showings in the Mets’ minor league system this year, and he may be rewarded with another promotion before the end of the season.

Mitch Voit showed off some pop with a strong week, going 4-for-19 with two home runs and three walks. Voit’s numbers have crept up since the beginning of the year, and he now sports a .763 OPS.

Daviel Hurtado shoved in his start, allowing just a hit and a walk in six innings. He also struck out eight in the effort, and he now has a 1.49 ERA in eight appearances at the High-A level.

Noah Hall also shoved in his start, allowing no runs in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed a hit and four walks while striking out eight. Hall now has a 5.63 ERA on the season.

Antonio Jimenez. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Low-A

The St. Lucie Mets had a dreadful series against the Tampa Tarpons, losing the first five games of the series before winning the finale. The Mets are now 3-10 in the second half and 36-43 overall.

Trey Snyder was one of the Mets’ few bright spots in this series, going 7-for-20 with two doubles, a walk and two stolen bases. Snyder owns a .650 OPS in 22 games with St. Lucie.

Antonio Jimenez also did his part, going 6-for-21 with two doubles and a home run. Jimenez now owns a .711 OPS through 31 games.

Simon Juan led the team with two home runs, doing so on three hits in 16 at-bats. Juan also walked once and stole a base while leading the team with four runs driven in. Juan has just a .571 OPS on the season.

Elian Peña struggled mightily, going 2-for-18 with five strikeouts, a walk and two stolen bases. His OPS has fallen to .731.

Christian Rodriguez had an effective, albeit short, start as he allowed just a run in 3 2/3 innings. He allowed seven hits and no walks but also struck out seven. Rodriguez owns a 3.32 ERA in 22 appearances.

Trey McLoughlin was phenomenal out of the bullpen, striking out eight in 3 2/3 hitless innings. His only baserunner allowed was a walk. McLoughlin owns a 7.36 ERA in 20 relief appearances.

Yovanny Rodriguez

FCL Mets

The FCL Mets looked good, going 3-1 in the last week of play. They are now 19-25 and in fourth place in the Florida Complex League East Division.

Yovanny Rodriguez went 6-for-11 at the plate with a double and three runs driven in. He also added a walk as he improved his OPS through 38 FCL games to .889.

Eris Albino tossed four scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the FCL Mets, allowing two hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Albino has a 5.86 ERA in nine relief appearances.

DSL Mets

The DSL Mets Blue went 2-4 this past week, driving their record down to 11-15. The DSL Mets Orange also struggled, going 1-5 to fall to 14-13.

Royner Bravo looked good for the second consecutive week for DSL Mets Blue, going 6-for-12 with a triple, two walks and a stolen base. He also added four RBIs as he now sports an .842 OPS. On the mound, Eduardo Pina tossed four scoreless innings in his start, allowing five baserunners with one strikeouts. Pina has a 1.59 ERA in five appearances.

In three games for DSL Mets Orange, top prospect Wandy Asigen went 1-for-5 with five walks and two RBIs. The hit, a single, is Asigen’s first of his pro career with the Mets. On the mound, Oscar Montero tossed three scoreless innings with one hit allowed, three walks, allowed and five strikeouts. Montero owns a 9.28 ERA in five starts.

Organizational Leaders

Batting

• AVG – A.J. Ewing (BNG/SYR) – .339
• OPS – A.J. Ewing (BNG/SYR) – .961
• HR – Ryan Clifford (SYR)/Nick Lorusso (BNG) – 14
• SB – Jihwan Bae (SYR) – 28

Pitching (min. 10 innings)

• ERA – Anderson Severino (SYR) – 1.31
• SO – Jonathan Santucci (BNG) – 93
• WHIP – Daviel Hurtado (STL/BRK) – 0.684

Players of the Week

Offense – MJ Melendez, DH/OF Syracuse

MJ Melendez spent a lengthy portion of this season in the major leagues, but now he’s doing his damage in Triple-A after a demotion. The veteran had a fantastic week, in which he certainly looked better than the competition he faced. He’s likely to be one of the first position players called back up to the majors in the event of an injury or trade.

Pitching – Jack Wenninger, P Syracuse

Jack Wenninger opened the season in underwhelming fashion, but he delivered a gem in his latest outing and looks to be back in form. The 24-year-old who was drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 draft by the Mets is a promising prospect, alongside guys like Jonah Tong and Jonathan Santucci, whom the Mets are hoping will be the next wave of impact pitchers in the major leagues.

Upcoming Schedule – July 7-12

• Triple-A Syracuse: @ Norfolk
• Double-A Binghamton: @ Hartford
• High-A Brooklyn: vs. Wilmington
• Low-A St. Lucie: @ Jupiter

The post Minors Weekly Report: Wenninger Dominant in Start appeared first on Metsmerized.

As the weather heated up, so did the bats. Well, for the most part. Don’t look at Ryan Clifford‘s June numbers.

TRIPLE-A: SYRACUSE METS

HITTER OF THE MONTH: NICK MORABITO

Statistics: 24 G, slash, 3 HR, 5 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI, 11 BB, 25 SO, 11 SB (0 CS)

Yonny Hernández finished with a better slash line, but I’m still going to give the nod to Nick Morabito here because of what his recent developments could mean for the post-trade-deadline New York Mets. In 70 Triple-A games, Morabito has 22 extra-base hits. Nine of those have come in 24 games in June. He also homered on the final day of May, which would have further shown his power uptick if the calendar had just lined up a little bit differently. Morabito is never going to be a big power threat, but it’s encouraging to see him hitting the ball with authority. If the Mets make a move at the deadline, like sending Tyrone Taylor to a team that could use a fourth outfielder, Morabito could come up to fill that spot.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: NATE LAVENDER

Last week, I wrote about how Nate Lavender‘s MLB debut might finally be around the corner. Since then, he’s thrown four more scoreless innings with five strikeouts and only three baserunners. After leaving the organization for a year as a casualty of the Rule 5 Draft, he has been returned to the Mets from the Rays and is looking like the exciting lefty reliever Mets fans were ready for a few years ago. Xzavion Curry deserves a shoutout here for a very strong month, but 19 strikeouts in 27 innings just isn’t enough to beat out what Lavender did from the pen.

Nick Lorusso. Photo credit: Rick Nelson

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: JONATHAN SANTUCCI

Statistics: 5 G (5 GS), 22.0 IP, 16 H, 8 R (7 ER), 25 SO, 13 BB, 2.86 ERA, 1.32 WHIP

Jonathan Santucci might be the best pitching prospect in the Mets’ system. He has a nasty slider, a great fastball and two developing pitches in a curveball and a changeup that both look promising. His June was great, and in a year where it seems like a lot of the Mets’ top pitching prospects have struggled and taken steps back, Santucci has maintained. He did leave his last start of the month on June 30 after two hitless innings, but there was a long rain delay, so that’s more than likely the reason.

JT Benson. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

HIGH-A: BROOKLYN CYCLONES

HITTER OF THE MONTH: JT BENSON

Statistics: 19 G, .288/.405/.652/1.057, 5 HR, 5 2B, 2 3B, 14 RBI, 10 BB, 20 SO

June was a big rebound month for a lot of Cyclone hitters, including Mitch Voit, Corey Collins, Daiverson Gutierrez and Ronald Hernandez, but it’s JT Benson who takes the top spot. Benson isn’t really a bounce back; he hit well enough in May. But he was clearly the best of the bunch. For a college bat signed after two seasons in indy ball, Benson’s breakout is the kind of one that’s always fun to see. He’s a good athlete in the outfield, and he’s old enough that even though he’s still relatively new to High-A, the Mets could push him quickly to Double-A, too.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: DAVIEL HURTADO

Statistics: 5 G (5 GS), 26.2 IP, 11 H, 6 R (6 ER), 26 SO, 4 BB, 2.03 ERA, 0.56 WHIP

Daviel Hurtado is in the middle of a full-fledged breakout. Promoted to Brooklyn at the end of May, he has been nails. June was a work of art. On June 30, to close his month, Hurtado went six full innings scoreless, allowing just one hit and one walk while punching out eight. It was his second-straight start where he went six full innings, too. A 21-year-old lefty who throws in the mid-90s and could have even more in the tank, Hurtado should be on everyone’s radar.

SINGLE-A: ST. LUCIE METS

HITTER OF THE MONTH: YOHAIRO CUEVAS

Statistics: 13 G, .326/.456/.630/1.086, 2 HR, 8 2B, 6 RBI, 9 BB, 9 SO

It was a tough month for St. Lucie hitters. Elian Peña struggled, Antonio Jimenez struggled, Randy Guzman got hurt and no one else really separated themselves. So, it goes to Yohairo Cuevas, who started the year in Brooklyn but was sent down to St. Lucie after a really rough start. His sample size is a little smaller than others because he was sent back to Brooklyn on June 18. An outfielder with a strong arm, Cuevas tore up St. Lucie while he was there, and his next task will be figuring out High-A.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: CAM TILLY

Statistics: 4 G (4 GS), 18 IP, 10 H, 3 R (2 ER), 15 SO, 5 BB, 1.00 ERA, 0.83 WHIP

Where St. Lucie bats struggled, St. Lucie pitchers excelled. Emilio Obispo, Joel Lara and Zack Mack all deserve recognition, but Cam Tilly was the best. He threw 6 and 1/3 no-hit innings on June 9 to start a combined no-hitter. That might have gotten him player of the month honors alone, but then he gave up just two more earned runs in 11 and 2/3 innings before and after in the month. It’s a big bounce-back month for the 22-year-old who entered the year as a popular under-the-radar arm to pop, but just hasn’t so far.

FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE: FCL METS

HITTER OF THE MONTH: VLADI GOMEZ

Statistics: 19 G, .377/.443/.472/.915, 1 HR, 2 2B, 7 RBI,5  BB, 8 SO, 11 SB (3 CS)

It was tight between Vladi Gomez and Bohan Adderley as the two had nearly identical numbers, but Gomez’s low strikeout numbers gave him the edge. The 20-year-old has played second base, third base, shortstop, left field and right field this season, and has a lot of experience in center as well. With the way St. Lucie’s bats hit in June, Gomez should get a look back at Single-A. He’s had two short stints there so far this year and hit well in six games. Time to make the move permanent.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: CALVIN ZIEGLER

Statistics: 3 G (2 GS), 2.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R (1 ER), 3 SO, 2 BB, 3.86 ERA, 2.14 WHIP

It’s pretty slim pickings here for FCL Mets pitchers, so we’ll go with a different angle. Calvin Ziegler made his return to the mound for the first time since April of 2024, over two full years ago. At one time a big name in the Mets’ farm system, Ziegler has been plagued by injuries throughout his minor league career. When healthy, the strikeout numbers have been tantalizing, but he really hasn’t been fully healthy since 2022. From 2023 through now, he has 9 and 1/3 total innings. All that matters right now, though, is he’s back, and it’s great to see.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE: DSL METS

HITTER OF THE MONTH: CLEINER RAMIREZ

Statistics: 20 G, .316/.388/.618/1.006, 5 HR, 8 2B, 13 RBI, 5 BB, 10 SO, 6 SB (1 CS)

Cleiner Ramirez received the second-largest signing bonus in the Mets’ most recent IFA class, and he’s showing why so far. He’s only 5-foot-9, but he packs a punch, with his 13 extra-base hits leading all Mets in the DSL. He’s played both up-the-middle infield positions and center field so far through his first 20 professional games, and has just overall looked really, really impressive. The Mets might have something here.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: RANDY GUZMAN

Statistics: 4 G (1 GS), 13.2 IP, 9 H, 1 R (0 ER), 17 SO, 3 BB, 0.00 ERA, 0.88 WHIP

It’s always really, really tough to evaluate pitchers in the Dominican Summer League, but it gets easier when a guy doesn’t give up a run. Or, at least, an earned run. The strikeout rate is great, the walk rate is great, and really, everything Randy Guzman showed in the first month of his season has been great. And yes, this is a different Randy Guzman from the Single-A power hitter. Can’t wait to have fun dealing with that for the next few years, at least.

The post Minor League Players of the Month: June 2026 appeared first on Metsmerized.

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

Nick Morabito. Photo Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Triple-A

The Syracuse Mets defeated the Norfolk Tides in four of six games in their series. With the series win, the Mets climbed back to over .500 at 38-37, and they are in fifth place in the International League East division.

Nick Morabito had a rare power stroke this week, going 7-for-21 with three home runs and four RBIs. Morabito also walked five times and stole four bases without getting caught. Morabito’s Triple-A OPS is up to .779.

Ben Rortvedt also enjoyed a multi-homer week, going 3-for-12 with two home runs and a double. Rortvedt drove in four runs and walked three times. He owns a .769 OPS with Syracuse.

Yonny Hernández also stood out at the plate, going 5-for-14 with three doubles, three walks and a stolen base. Hernández has his OPS up to .716.

Kevin Parada continued his hot play in Syracuse with a .357/.438/.500/.938 slash for the week, with two walks and two doubles.

Francisco Lindor also played a rehab game for Syracuse last week.

Xzavion Curry made two starts and looked generally solid, combining to allow five runs in 12 innings. He struck out eight across his two starts and now has a 4.54 ERA with Syracuse.

Joey Gerber looked excellent in two bullpen appearances, allowing one hit in four scoreless innings. He also walked two and struck out seven. Gerber has mostly struggled this year, though, owning a 6.86 ERA in Triple-A.

Jonathan Santucci. Photo by Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Double-A

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies split their six-game series with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Binghamton dropped the first two games before ripping off three straight wins and losing the series finale. The Rumble Ponies are now 27-42 and still in last place in the Eastern League Northeast division.

Jose Ramos led Binghamton’s offense with two homers in a 7-for-21 series. Ramos added a double and a walk, raising his OPS to .697.

Nick Lorusso went 6-for-17 with two doubles and a home run, driving in four runs. Lorusso walked twice and stole a base, improving his OPS to .752.

Chris Suero went just 4-for-16, but he added a double and a home run, and also showed great plate discipline with six walks. Suero also stole a base and now has a .778 OPS.

Jonathan Santucci was stellar in his start, tossing six scoreless innings. Santucci allowed six hits and two walks while striking out seven, lowering his ERA to 3.73.

R.J. Gordon began to turn his season around with two great starts this week, combining to allow three runs in 9 1/3 innings. Gordon allowed 11 baserunners and struck out just five, but he lowered his ERA from 9.19 to 6.84.

Max Green allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits and no walks with two strikeouts. Green has a 3.86 ERA in seven appearances with Binghamton.

Daiverson Gutierrez, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

High-A

The Brooklyn Cyclones had a brutal week against the Wilmington Blue Rocks, getting swept in six games. The Cyclones’ horrid season continues as they sit at 25-40 and in last place in the South Atlantic League North division.

Daiverson Gutierrez was far and away the Cyclones’ best hitter in a series where there weren’t many bright spots. Gutierrez went 5-for-18 with three doubles and a home run, driving in three runs. Gutierrez has not had a good season, owning a .579 OPS.

Corey Collins also had a pretty good week, going 5-for-17 with a double and four walks. Collins continues to display impressive plate discipline and has a .792 OPS.

Dakota Hawkins made two starts and didn’t allow a run, doing so in 7 2/3 innings. He allowed five baserunners and struck out seven. He’s been fantastic in High-A, owning a 2.08 ERA in 14 appearances (four starts).

Ryan Dollar impressed out of the bullpen, allowing no runs in 3 2/3 innings across two appearances. Dollar allowed three hits and three walks with four strikeouts and owns a 3.09 ERA in nine appearances.

Elian Pena. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Low-A

The St. Lucie Mets only played five games due to rain, but they looked good with a 4-1 record against the Daytona Tortugas. St. Lucie is now 33-33 and tied for second place in the Florida State League East division.

Elian Peña looked strong at the plate, going 5-for-13 with a double, six walks and two stolen bases. Peña now owns a .768 OPS for the year.

Antonio Jimenez also impressed, going 5-for-20 with a home run, two doubles and eight RBIs. Jimenez also recorded three walks and a stolen base. His OPS now sits at .680.

Joel Lara had a fantastic start, allowing no hits in four innings. He gave up just one walk and struck out seven, lowering his ERA to 5.40.

Emilio Obispo continued his strong season, allowing one run in five innings with six strikeouts. Obispo’s ERA in nine appearances (six starts) with St. Lucie is now 1.67.

Jonathan Jimenez allowed three runs (one earned) in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed four hits and three walks while striking out seven. Jimenez owns a 5.14 ERA in five starts with St. Lucie.

FCL Mets

The FCL Mets had a solid week, going 3-1 and improving to 15-19. They sit in third place in the Florida Complex League East division.

Wyatt Vincent had a scorching week at the plate, going 5-for-15 with three homers and six RBIs. Vincent has been great in the FCL, owning an .892 OPS.

Jose Lopez had a strong outing, tossing four scoreless innings in one bullpen appearance. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out four. Lopez owns a 4.57 ERA in seven appearances this year.

DSL Mets

The DSL Mets Blue went 1-3 this past week to drop to 6-10 on the year. The DSL Mets Orange, on the other hand, went 2-3 and are now 10-6 on the year.

Frank Moreno raked for the DSL Mets Blue, going 10-f0r-19 with two home runs and nine RBIs. Moreno owns a .940 OPS this season. Jhoangel Marquez tossed three scoreless innings with five strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 5.23.

Anthony Delgado had a good week for DSL Mets Orange, going 5-for-10 with a double and four walks. Delgado has an even 1.000 OPS through 11 games. Olmedo Barria looked great out of the bullpen, tossing four hitless innings with four strikeouts. He owns a 3.00 ERA through four appearances.

Organizational Leaders

Batting

• AVG – A.J. Ewing (BNG/SYR) – .339
• OPS – A.J. Ewing (BNG/SYR) – .961
• HR – Ryan Clifford (SYR) – 14
• SB – Mitch Voit (BRK)/Sam Robertson (STL) – 24

Pitching (min. 10 innings)

• ERA – Channing Austin (BRK) – 1.17
• SO – Jonathan Santucci (BNG) – 65
• WHIP – Daviel Hurtado (STL/BRK) – 0.798

Players of the Week

Offense – Nick Morabito, OF Syracuse

Nick Morabito remains one of the Mets’ top prospects. While his calling cards are his speed and defense, he showed this past week that he can hit for power. Morabito has more home runs already this season than he’s had in any other professional season of his career, and he’s hoping he can get back to the big leagues before long.

Pitching – Jonathan Santucci, P Binghamton

Jonathan Santucci also remains one of the Mets’ top prospects. He hasn’t had the season he hoped he would, but he’s been better lately and had one of his best outings of the season this past week. The lefty at his best can be dominant, and he could see himself in Syracuse soon with more dominant outings.

Upcoming Schedule – June 23-28

• Triple-A Syracuse: @ Lehigh Valley
• Double-A Binghamton: @ Erie
• High-A Brooklyn: vs. Jersey Shore
• Low-A St. Lucie: @ Fort Myers

The post Minors Weekly Report: Nick Morabito Displays Rare Power appeared first on Metsmerized.

Nick Morabito
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Triple-A 

Norfolk Tides (27-45) 5, Syracuse Mets (36-36) 6

Box Score

• LF Nick Morabito, 2-for-5, 2 HR (7), 2 RBI (.767 OPS)
• CF Cristian Pache, 2-for-5, 2B (.709 OPS)

Morabito’s two home runs on the night marked his first pair of June. He’s now slashing .255/.359/.436 this month.

• LHP Nate Lavender (5.02 ERA) 1 1/3 IP, H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K
• RHP Dan Hammer (1.76 ERA) 2 2/3 IP, H, BB, 5 K

Syracuse went with a bullpen game on Thursday night, which saw Lavender, Felipe De La Cruz and Jefry Yan combined to give up five runs while Hammer, Guillo Zuñiga and Daniel Duarte turned in scoreless outings.

Double-A

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (33-31) 1, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (25-41) 8

Box Score

• DH Chris Suero, 1-for-3, HR (11), 2 RBI, 2 BB (.771 OPS)
• C Vincent Perozo, 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI (.835 OPS)

Suero’s June heater continued on Thursday, as he’s now sporting an .867 OPS this month, and Perozo has excelled at the plate since being promoted from High-A Brooklyn in May.

• LHP Jonathan Santucci (3.73 ERA) 6 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 7 K

Santucci bounced back from a bit of a rough outing on June 12 against the Somerset Patriots (4 IP, 3 ER) with a gem vs. New Hampshire.

High-A

Brooklyn Cyclones (25-40) 4, Wilmington Blue Rocks (31-34) 5

Box Score

• SS Mitch Voit, 0-for-4, BB (.721 OPS)
• 1B Corey Collins, 3-for-4, BB (.786 OPS)

Voit was held hitless for just the third time this month while Colin Houck launched his sixth home run of the season.

• LHP Daviel Hurtado (2.01 ERA) 4 1/3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 5 K

Hurtado had his first uneven outing for Brooklyn since being promoted from St. Lucie in late May, though Hunter Hodges, Bryce Jenkins and Gregori Louis combined for 3 2/3 scoreless frames out of the bullpen.

Single-A

Daytona Tortugas (21-45) 5, St. Lucie Mets (33-33) 8

Box Score

• 2B Elian Peña, 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB (.759 OPS)
• SS Ronny Mauricio, 1-for-3 (.666 OPS)

Mauricio began his rehab assignment on Thursday with a one-hit showing. Peña had been struggling in June, but he now has five hits over his last two games.

• RHP Joel Lara (5.40 ERA) 4 IP, BB, 7 K

St. Lucie’s bullpen combined to allow five runs over five innings, but Lara’s hitless outing made it five-straight appearances for him without giving up an earned run.

Florida Complex League

FCL Cardinals (10-21) 2, FCL Mets (14-18) 4

Box Score

• SS Anthony Frobose, 2-for-3 (.737 OPS)
• LF Vladi Gomez, 2-for-3 (1.019 OPS)

Wyatt Vincent hit his second homer of the campaign, and Gomez had his third multi-hit performance over his last four games.

• RHP Nathan Hall (0.00 ERA) 1 IP, K
• RHP Eris Albino (5.82 ERA) 4 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Hall made his professional debut after being selected in the sixth round of the 2025 MLB Draft while Camden Lohman turned in two scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

Dominican Summer League

DSL Mets Orange (8-5) 5, DSL Cardinals (7-6) 4 Box Score

DSL Colorado (7-6) 13, DSL Mets Blue (6-7) 14 Box Score

DSL Mets Orange got a three-hit performance from Yadier Fuentes and four scoreless innings of relief from Olmedo Barria while six players had two or more hits for DSL Mets Blue in a slugfest with DSL Colorado.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Nick Morabito Hits Two Homers appeared first on Metsmerized.

Jefry Yan
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (34-33) 1, Buffalo Bisons (31-36) 4

Box Score

• LF Nick Morabito, 1-for-4, RBI, 3 K (.726 OPS)
• DH Kevin Parada, 1-for-3 (.931 OPS)
• 1B Ryan Clifford, 0-for-3 (.734 OPS)

Parada was promoted from Binghamton despite posting a .523 OPS in 29 games there and has flourished at Syracuse ever since. He’s 16-for-44 (.364 batting average) in 15 games. The 24-year-old was a first-round pick (11th overall) in 2022.

• RHP Jack Weisenburger (4.99 ERA) 4 IP, ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K
• LHP Jefry Yan (0.00 ERA) IP, 2 BB, 3 K

This was Yan’s Syracuse debut after he struck out 45 in 26 2/3 innings at Binghamton while pitching to a 3.71 ERA. He plays with passion.

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (24-37) 7, Somerset Patriots (33-28) 5

Box Score

• 3B Nick Lorusso, 3-for-5, HR (10), 2B, 5 RBI, K (.723 OPS)
• RF Eli Serrano III, 2-for-3, 2B, 2 SB, 3 R, 2 BB (.643 OPS)
• C Chris Suero, 1-for-5, HR (10), 2 K (.759 OPS)

Lorusso’s three-run homer broke a 4-4 tie with two outs in the ninth. Suero homered for the second straight game, a 413-foot blast to left.

• LHP Jonathan Santucci (4.13 ERA) 4 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 5 BB, 5 K, HR
• RHP Carlos Guzman (2.87 ERA) 1 1/3 ERA, BB, 3 K

This was the third time in 12 starts that Santucci, 23, allowed three earned runs or more. He has struck out 68 and walked 29 in 56 2/3 innings. He is the No. 8 Mets prospect on MLB Pipeline, the third-ranked pitcher behind Jonah Tong and Jack Wenninger.

High-A

Frederick Keys (37-21) 4, Brooklyn Cyclones (24-36) 13

Box Score

• CF Yonatan Henriquez, 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB (.451 OPS)
• 3B Colin Houck, 2-for-5, HR (3), 4 RBI, 2 SB, 2 R, K (.611 OPS)
• C Daiverson Gutierrez, 2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R, BB (.548 OPS)
• SS Mitch Voit, 1-for-4, 2 RBI, SB, 2 R, HBP, K (.718 OPS)
• RF John Bay, 1-for-3, HR (8), 3 R, 2 BB (.812 OPS)

Houck’s three-run homer was a towering drive to the opposite field. Bay leads the team in homers and Voit leads the team in stolen bases (20 in 24 tries).

• LHP Daviel Hurtado (0.50 ERA) 5 IP, H, BB, 2 K, W

Low-A

St. Lucie Mets (28-33) 2, Palm Beach Cardinals (31-30) 1

Box Score

• CF Trey Snyder, 1-for-4, 2B (.830 OPS)
• RF Yohairo Cuevas, 1-for-4, CS (.893 OPS)
• DH Jackson Hauge, 1-for-2, 2B, 2 RBI, BB (.546 OPS)

Cuevas showed off the arm here, nailing a runner at the plate trying to score on a fly ball to right. The 22-year-old is 9-for-25 with six doubles, four walks and a stolen base in his last seven games.

• RHP Joel Lara (6.10 ERA) 3 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 K
• RHP Zack Mack (2.70 ERA) 2 IP, 3 K, SV

Rookie Ball Florida Complex League

FCL Mets (11-16) 3, FCL Marlins (12-15) 4, 9 innings

Box Score

• 3B Roybert Herrera, 2-for-4, CS (1.219 OPS)

Herrera, an 18-year-old from Venezuela, is 10-for-23 with two doubles and a homer in nine games.

• RHP Camden Lohman (6.17 ERA) 4 IP, BB, 6 K

Lohman, an eighth-round pick last year out of a Missouri high school, retired 12 of the 13 batters he faced in his best outing of the year. It came after his worst showing. Last time out the 19-year-old gave up six earned runs and only recorded one out.

Dominican Summer League

DSL Miami (3-6) 6, DSL Mets Blue (5-4) 3

Box Score

• RF Jonnhan Sanchez, 1-for-2, R, BB, K (1.198 OPS)

Sanchez, 19, of Venezuela, is 11-for-26 with a homer, two doubles and six stolen bases in eight games.

• RHP Enmanuel Feliz (0.00 ERA) 2 IP, 2 BB, 2 K

DSL Mets Orange (5-4) 9, DSL Arizona Red (6-3) 3

Box Score

• DH Cesar Acosta, 3-for-4, 3B, 3 RBI, SB, R (.920 OPS)
• RF Jhonael Cuello, 3-for-4, 3B, RBI, 4 SB, 2 R (1.095 OPS)
• LF Anthony Delgado, 1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, K (.861 OPS)

Cuello is 13-for-34 with a homer, three triples and two doubles in nine games. The 18-year-old Dominican has stolen eight bases in nine tries.

• RHP Randy Guzman (0.00 ERA) 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, BB, 6 K

Guzman, 18, has thrown 7 2/3 scoreless innings, struck out eight and walked two over two outings.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Hurtado Dominating for Brooklyn appeared first on Metsmerized.

Meanwhile, infielder Grae Kessinger reached base four times as his rehab continued with High-A Brooklyn and Ryan Clifford clubbed his organizational-leading 14th home run of the season for Triple-A Syracuse.

Ryan Clifford. Photo by Herm Card

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets 5 (32-30), Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders 0 (31-30)

Box Score

• LF Ryan Clifford: 1-4, HR, 2 RBI (.776 OPS)
• CF Cristian Pache: 2-4, 2B, RBI (.696 OPS)
• 2B Ji Hwan Bae: 1-3, R, SB (.765 OPS)

Clifford hit his 14th home run of the season on Saturday. That figure ranks top 20 in all of minor league baseball. However, Clifford’s so-so OPS of .776 on the season shows he has been an “all-or-nothing” hitter in 2026.

Bae. meanwhile, stole his 20th base of the season. That figure ranks third in the International League.

• RHP Jack Weisenburger: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO (5.40 ERA)
• RHP Jonathan Pintaro: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO (3.16 ERA)

After a cup of coffee in the big leagues, Pintaro has continued his Triple-A successes. He threw two innings of one-run ball on Saturday. Entering Saturday, Pintaro’s xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG all ranked above the 68th percentile in Triple-A.

Pintaro combined with Weisenburger and Nate Lavender in the shutout of the Railriders. Weisenburger, in particular, was great. He followed the opener Lavender and tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings in his best appearance of the season.

Jonathan Santucci. Photo by Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies 4 (22-34), Reading Fightin Phils 1 (24-32)

Box Score

• 3B Nick Lorusso: 3-4, HR, 2 RBI (.703 OPS)
• C Vincent Perozo: 2-4, HR (.772 OPS)
• SS Wyatt Young: 3-4, SB (.618 OPS)

Two Rumble Ponies homered on Saturday. Perozo hit his third of the season in the second inning and Lorusso hit his ninth in the third frame. Lorusso, 25, is only three home runs away from tying a career-high. He hit 12 in 2024.

• LHP Jonathan Santucci: 6.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO (3.93 ERA)
• RHP Saul Garcia: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO (4.24 ERA)
• RHP Guillo Zuñiga: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO (2.70 ERA)

Like Syracuse, Binghamton also pitched terrifically on Saturday. Santucci led the way with arguably his best start of the season allowing one run over 6 2/3 sparkling innings.

After Santucci posted a 5.71 ERA across four starts in April, that figure lowered to 3.45 in May. The left-handed starter has now thrown 11 2/3 innings over his last two starts and has allowed six hits and one run while striking out 10.

Mitch Voit. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

High-A

Brooklyn Cyclones 12 (21-34), Jersey Shore Blueclaws 4 (22-33)

Box Score

• SS Grae Kessinger: 1-2, 2 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB (.714 OPS)
• 2B Mitch Voit: 1-4. HR, 2 RBI, BB (.726 OPS)
• LF Trace Willhoite: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI (.754 OPS)

Brooklyn continued their onslaught of Jersey Shore on Saturday. The South Atlantic League’s worst offense posted 12 runs and 10 hits. Every member of the Cyclones’ lineup had at least one hit. Leading the way and reaching base four times was Kessinger; he is on a rehab assignment.

Voit, the Mets’ first-round pick in 2025, hit his seventh home run of the season. He also stole his 17th base of the year.

• LHP Daviel Hurtado: 5.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO (0.69 ERA)
• LHP Gregori Louis: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB (2.04 ERA)

Hurtado, 21, he been terrific since his call-up to Brooklyn. Across his first three starts, he has allowed four hits and one run over 13 innings. That is good for a sparkling 0.69 ERA.

Trey Snyder, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Single-A

St. Lucie Mets 5 (25-31), Clearwater Threshers 1 (35-21)

Box Score

• 2B Trey Snyder: 2-4, 2 R, 2 SB (.910 OPS)
• SS Elian Peña: 1-3, SB (.797 OPS)
• LF Yohairo Cuevas: 1-3, 2B, RBI (.861 OPS)

St. Lucie went wild on the base paths on Saturday swiping seven bases en route to a 5-1 victory over a strong Clearwater team. Two Mets had multiple hits (Snyder, Antonio Jimenez) and only one Met had an extra-base hit (Cuevas).

Peña is coming off an extremely tough May where he slashed .216/.343/.307 (.650 OPS). He is 3-for-12 to start June and swiped his 18th bag of the season on Saturday.

• RHP Joel Lara: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 SO (6.75 ERA)
• RHP Christian Rodriguez: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO (1.78 ERA)

Rodriguez continues to shine as one of the more underrated arms in the organization. The 21-year-old out of Venezuela tossed two more scoreless innings on Saturday. As a result, his ERA is down to 1.78 over 30 1/3 innings this season. He has struck out 35 and walked 11. The opposition is hitting .196 against him.

Meanwhile, Lara matched his season high of four innings. He was terrific allowing only one hit. His ERA has steadily been falling since some early season struggles. The 19-year-old has only allowed one earned run over his last 12 2/3 innings.

Florida Complex League

FCL Cardinals 12 (8-16), FCL Mets 8 (12-12)

Box Score

• RF Bohan Adderley: 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, BB (.852 OPS)
• SS Anthony Frobose: 3-4, 2B, 3B, 3 R, BB (.668 OPS)
• DH Roybert Herrera: 3-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, BB (1.359 OPS)

Despite outhitting the Cardinals 12 to six, the Mets only scored eight runs, which was not enough. Four different Mets had multiple hits, two of which had three. Frobose and Herrera had three hits apiece; Herrera homered and doubled.

Herrera, 18, is 7-for-16 with three extra-base hits to begin his 2026 season. He already has five walks to only three strikeouts. His 1.359 OPS through 16 at-bats is an improvement on his .850 mark in 2024 (79 at-bats) and .859 mark in 2025 (123 at-bats).

• RHP Camden Lohman: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 1 SO (7.45 ERA)
• RHP Yoralbert Cadiz: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO (2.61 ERA)
• RHP Jean Brito: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO (2.61 ERA)

Lohman entered the game in the third inning and struggled mightily. He was only able to record one out as he walked four hitters and allowed two hits which resulted in six runs coming across to score.

Cadiz and Brito continued their respective strong starts to the season. Cadiz struck out five across 2 1/3 innings of one-run ball. Meanwhile, Brito was perfect over the final two innings of the game. Each have a 2.61 ERA on the season.

Dominican Summer League

DSL Mets Orange 15 (4-1), DSL NYY Bombers 14 (1-4)

Box Score

• SS Cleiner Ramirez: 3-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI (1.091 OPS)
• LF Jhonael Cuello: 3-5, 2B, 5 RBI (1.228 OPS)
• RHP Oscar Montero: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB (135.00 ERA)
• RHP Derlin Rojas: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 SO (0.00 ERA)

The wildest game in the Mets’ minor league system Saturday came in the Dominican Summer League. Mets Orange scored 15 runs on nine hits and six Bombers’ errors.

Ramirez and Cuello led the way offensively combining to drive in eight runs. Ramirez cracked two homers and now has six hits through his first 20 professional at-bats. The 17-year-old is listed at 5-foot-9.

Rojas, 18, notched his first professional win calming things down over 2 2/3 innings after Montero started the game and was only able to record one out before being removed from the contest after allowing six runs (five earned).

DSL Arizona Red 12 (3-2), DSL Mets Blue 3 (3-2)

Box Score

• RF Henry Manrique: 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB (1.460 OPS)
• 3B Michalle Mercedes: 2-3 (.889 OPS)
• RHP Edgardo Rodriguez: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO (18.00 ERA)

Mets Blue committed four errors on Saturday en route to a 12-3 defeat. Manrique and Jesus Minaya had the team’s two lone extra-base hits. Rodriguez and Henderson Hernandez were the only two Mets pitchers who did not allow an earned run.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Santucci Turns In Gem For Binghamton appeared first on Metsmerized.

Jack Wenninger. Photo by Herm Card

TRIPLE-A: SYRACUSE METS

HITTER OF THE MONTH: RYAN CLIFFORD

Statistics: 27 G, .233/.308/.534/.842, 8 HR, 5 2B, 1 3B, 18 RBI, 12 BB, 34 SO

Ryan Clifford is doing Ryan Clifford things. After a slow start to 2026, May was a return to what we expect from him. He’s hitting for prodigious power. He’s striking out a ton. It’s what Clifford does. While the strikeout rate is improved from the 39.6% it was through April, it was still 29.1% in May. That’s still high. However, is it good enough to survive in the big leagues? That’s up for debate.

There are 19 qualified hitters striking out at least 29% of the time in the big leagues this year. Some are good, like Elly De La Cruz, Munetaka Murakami, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Kurtz. Others are struggling, like Ramón Laureano, Jorge Soler, Nolan Gorman and Austin Riley. Where does Clifford land on that scale? At this point, the only thing that will answer that question is a promotion.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: JACK WENNINGER

Statistics: 5 G (4 GS), 22.2 IP, 19 H, 13 R (10 ER), 20 SO, 13 BB, 3.97 ERA, 1.41 WHIP

It wasn’t quite as dominant a May for Jack Wenninger as it was an April, but he was still good enough to take the crown here. The last thing Wenninger needs to do before his MLB debut is limit walks. His walk rate in May was 13.1%, about the same as his mark through April. It’s not at the point where it’s a huge, glaring concern, but it needs to improve. If Wenninger is in the zone just a little bit more, he’ll be in the big leagues sooner rather than later.

Even then, he still should the next man up for a promotion. Christian Scott and Jonah Tong, who both started the year in Syracuse with Wenninger, are in the big leagues. Zach Thornton made his big league debut earlier this season, but that was likely matchup-driven versus a lefty-heavy Nationals lineup. Wenninger is better. If a rotation spot opens up, he should be the one to get the call.

Jonathan Santucci. Photo by Binghamton Rumble Ponies

DOUBLE-A: BINGHAMTON RUMBLE PONIES

HITTER OF THE MONTH: JOSÉ RAMOS

Statistics: 24 G, .262/.392/.476/.868, 5 HR, 3 2B, 18 RBI, 16 BB, 26 SO

José Ramos is not a household name, which makes sense as a 25-year-old who was signed as a minor league free agent this offseason. (He was previously in the Dodgers organization for six years.) After a tough April, Ramos was undoubtedly Binghamton’s best hitter in May. He had 20 extra-base hits in 44 games at Triple-A for the Dodgers last season before electing free agency too, so there might be some real pop in his bat. He is old for the level, though, so the big test will be whether he can repeat his success at Triple-A whenever he is promoted.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: JONATHAN SANTUCCI

Statistics: 6 G (6 GS), 28.2 IP, 25 H, 13 R (11 ER), 32 SO, 11 BB, 3.45 ERA, 1.26 WHIP

Jonathan Santucci is known, but might still be the most under-the-radar pitching prospect in the Mets system. He is a lefty with a fastball that has good velocity and ride, a wicked, elite slider, and a curveball and changeup that are showing promise. His only “issue” is that as a former position player, he hasn’t been pitching very long, so he’s still pretty raw. The control comes and goes, but even then, his 11.4% walk rate isn’t that big of a deal. It’s high, but it’s manageable, and should improve as he gets more experience. His ceiling is up there with the best pitching prospects in the system.

Ronald Hernandez. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

HIGH-A: BROOKLYN CYCLONES

HITTER OF THE MONTH: RONALD HERNÁNDEZ

Statistics: 22 G, .263/.371/.461/.832, 4 HR, 1 2B, 1 3B, 11 RBI, 11 BB, 27 SO

Acquired for David Robertson back in 2023, Ronald Hernández is now in his third season in Brooklyn. He’s shown flashes along the way, and this month is one of them. The 22-year-old switch-hitting catcher has some pop in his bat but can be streaky at times, and this is a good streak. Behind the plate, Hernández isn’t great. He might not be a catcher long term. But he’s athletic enough to handle first, and while it hasn’t happened yet, maybe a corner outfield spot. His bat is interesting enough to try to find him a defensive home.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: CHANNING AUSTIN

Statistics: 4 G (4 GS), 21.2 IP, 10 H, 2 R (2 ER), 30 SO, 9 BB, 0.83 ERA, 0.88 WHIP

Brooklyn native Channing Austin is the best pitcher no one knows about in the Mets’ system. Ok, obviously some people know about him, but many probably don’t. He dominated in Brooklyn in May, so much so he earned himself a promotion for the final week. His fastball is great, and his curveball, slider and changeup are all effective. A former college reliever who threw under 60 innings combined in four years, the Mets see him as a starter. So far, they’re right.

SINGLE-A: ST. LUCIE METS

HITTER OF THE MONTH: AJ SALGADO

Statistics: 24 G, .241/.355/.481/.836, 3 HR, 4 2B, 3 3B, 13 RBI, 11 BB, 22 SO

Signed as a free agent in July 2025, AJ Salgado had a solid 23-game showing to end the season and has been good to start 2025. The extra-base hits are coming in droves, and he’s showing a solid approach to come with it. The 24-year-old is playing first base and both corner outfield spots for St. Lucie, and, given his age and production, could be ticketed for Brooklyn any day now.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: NICOLAS CARRENO

Statistics: 5 G (2 GS), 21.2 IP, 10 H, 3 R (2 ER), 31 SO, 13 BB, 0.83 ERA, 1.06 WHIP

There’s a group of younger pitching prospects in the lower levels of the Mets’ system right now that are really, really interesting, and Nicolas Carreno might highlight that bunch. A 19-year-old lefty, Carreno sits 95 mph on his fastball. Those guys don’t grow on trees. And, incredibly, that’s not his best pitch. The 86 mph slider is the star, and batters can’t touch it. The one knock on his profile is he only throws three pitches, and two are fastballs (four-seam and sinker). If he doesn’t develop another pitch, the bullpen might be in his future. But even if that’s the case, he has the stuff to be a weapon out of the pen.

FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE: FCL METS

HITTER OF THE MONTH: YOVANNY RODRIGUEZ

Statistics: 16 G, .268/.339/.589/.928, 5 HR, 1 2B, 1 3B, 15 RBI, 5 BB, 18 SO

The Mets’ most expensive signing in the 2024 IFA class, Yovanny Rodriguez had an okay debut season in the Dominican Summer League and a much better repeat year in 2025, prompting his move stateside this year. So far, he’s been up to the challenge. Despite the large signing bonus, he’s not one of the organization’s premier prospects. Repeating the DSL will cause that. With that said, the catcher is still just 19, so it’s very encouraging to see him start his 2026 in this manner. He hasn’t been perfect, but he’s been good.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: JOSE GUEVARA

Statistics: 4 G (3 GS), 18.1 IP, 12 H, 9 R (8 ER), 25 SO, 9 BB, 3.93 ERA, 1.15 WHIP

Jose Guevara is missing bats, limiting free passes, and overall just doing most of the things pitchers need to do to be successful. At 21 years old, he’s a bit old for the level, so the next test for him will be Single-A. After a couple of recent promotions from St. Lucie to Brooklyn, Guevara could be next in line to fill the vacated spots. He had a few games in both spots last year but didn’t have much success, so it will be interesting to see if round two goes any better.

The post Minor League Players of the Month: May 2026 appeared first on Metsmerized.

Jonah Tong
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (21-20) 3, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (22-18) 11

BOX SCORE

• CF Nick Morabito – 0-for-3, 1 BB, 1 K (.744 OPS)
• 1B/LF Ryan Clifford – 0-for-4, 1 RBI (23), 3 K (.750 OPS)

Syracuse had three hits on Thursday and reached base eight times. Since he seemed to turn it around in May, Ryan Clifford has struggled, striking out ten times in his last 14 at-bats. Catcher Ben Rortvedt went 0-for-3 with two RBIs and a strikeout

• RHP Jonah Tong (5.68 ERA) 1 2/3 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 2 HR allowed (32 of 55 pitches for strikes)
• RHP Dan Hammer (2.13 ERA) 1 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K

Jonah Tong had his shortest outing of the 2026 season, not getting out of the second inning and throwing three wild pitches. While his defense didn’t help him, opening the game with an error, Tong has continued to struggle with his control in 2026. Tong has already walked 24 batters this year after walking 47 in all of 2025. Hammer had a great bounce-back outing after two consecutive appearances allowing a run.

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (12-24) 3, Somerset Patriots (17-19) 5

BOX SCORE

• C Chris Suero – 2-for-4, 1 R, HR (6), 2 RBI (16), 1 K (.812 OPS)
• CF Eli Serrano III- 0-for-4, 2 K (.692 OPS)
• 3B Nick Lorusso – 1-for-4, 1 R, 2 K (.657 OPS)

Suero is running a ridiculous line of .182/.357/.455 for a .812 OPS due to some batted ball luck, but under the hood the stats show growth for the young utilityman.

• LHP Jonathan Santucci (4.45 ERA) 5 IP, 6 H, 4 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 4 K (53 of 84 pitches for strikes)
• LHP Felipe De La Cruz (1.93 ERA) 1 IP, 1 BB, 2 K

Santucci had a quality start but struggled in the fifth inning, walking a batter who would advance on a wild pitch and then score on a single for the game-deciding run.

High-A

Brooklyn Cyclones (9-26) 7, Rome Emperors (20-16) 0

BOX SCORE

• CF Sam Biller – 1-for-3, 2B, 1 R, 1 RBI (3), 1 BB, 1 K (.637 OPS)
• 2B Colin Houck – 1-for-4, 2B, 1 R, 1 RBI (10), 2 K (.611 OPS)
• C Daiverson Gutierrez – 1-for-2, 3 R, 2 BB (.543 OPS)
• DH Ronald Hernandez – 2-for-5, 1 R, 2 SB (4), 1 K (.776 OPS)

Hernandez stole two bases, providing another glimpse into his outsider profile as a contact/speed catcher. Mitch Voit went 0-for-3 with an RBI, two walks and two strikeouts.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Jonah Tong Has Rough Outing For Syracuse appeared first on Metsmerized.