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

Ryan Clifford
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Triple-A Syracuse

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nick Lorusso. Photo Credit: Rick Nelson

Double-A Binghamton

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

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

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

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

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

Channing Austin
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

High-A Brooklyn

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

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

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

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

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

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

Low-A St. Lucie

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FCL Mets

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

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

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

Organizational Leaders

Batting

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

Pitching (min. 10 innings)

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

Players of the Week

Offense – Nick Lorusso, IF Binghamton

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

Pitching – Channing Austin, P Brooklyn

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

Upcoming Schedule – May 25-31

• Triple-A Syracuse: @ Rochester
• Double-A Binghamton: vs. Portland
• High-A Brooklyn: vs. Wilmington
• Low-A St. Lucie: @ Bradenton

The post Minors Weekly Report: Clifford Continues Hot Streak appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Still in Triple-A with the Mets’ other top pitching prospects in the majors, Sproat now owns a 4.24 ERA.

Brandon Sproat. Photo Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Triple-A

The Syracuse Mets split their six-game series against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. The Mets are now 36-21 in the second half of the season and 67-65 overall.

Jared Young, who has been so solid for the Mets all year, had a fantastic week at the plate. Young went 8-for-22 with a double and a triple, also recording four walks and a stolen base. Young had a team-high five RBIs and scored three runs. With the strong week, Young raised his season OPS with Syracuse to .964.

Luisangel Acuña was also a standout at the plate, tying Young for the team lead with eight hits but in 20 at-bats. Acuña recorded two doubles, a walk, and three stolen bases while driving in three runs and scoring two. Acuña has hit the ball well in Syracuse this year with an average of .303, but he still has just a .732 OPS in Triple-A. He was called up to the Mets Monday as the team gained more roster spots in September.

In addition to Brandon Sproat’s masterful outing, the Mets also received solid bullpen contributions out of the bullpen from Austin Warren (2 G, 4 IP, 0.00 ERA), Richard Lovelady (2 G, 3 IP, 0.00 ERA), and Dylan Ross (2 G, 2.1 IP, 0.00 ERA). Warren (5.06 ERA) has struggled all year in Triple-A, while Lovelady (1.74 ERA) and Ross (2.25 ERA) have had much more success.

Jacob Reimer. Photo by Rick Nelson

Double-A

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies won four of six games against the Somerset Patriots to end August, putting them at 37-20 in the second half. The Rumble Ponies are 82-42 overall.

Jacob Reimer had a rollicking week at the plate as he continues to mash for the Rumble Ponies. Reimer went 9-for-19 with five doubles and a home run, walking twice and stealing a base. He also led the team with seven RBIs and tied for the team lead with six runs scored. With most of the Mets’ top prospects in Syracuse, Reimer has really shined in Binghamton and now owns a .916 OPS in 51 games with the team.

A.J. Ewing also had a good series, going 7-for-19 with a double, three walks, and three stolen bases. Ewing drove in three runs and also scored three runs as he now has an .879 OPS in 17 games in Binghamton.

A couple of lesser prospects, JT Schwartz and D’Andre Smith, were big contributors on offense. Schwartz went 6-for-17 with three doubles, three walks, and three RBIs, while Smith went 8-for-21 went a double, a triple, two walks, five stolen bases, and three RBIs. Schwartz (.611 OPS) has had a rough year, while Smith (.754) has been solid all year for the Rumble Ponies.

Ronald Hernandez. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

High-A

The Brooklyn Cyclones split their latest series with the Hudson Valley Renegades, moving them to 25-35 in the second half and 71-55 overall.

Ronald Hernandez recorded just 12 at-bats in this series but he was easily the most effective Brooklyn hitter. Hernandez went 7-for-12, recording three doubles, four walks, and three stolen bases. He drove in a run and scored five, tying for the team lead in the series. He’s struggled all year with a .671 OPS, but he has a five-game hitting streak and a .923 OPS in his last 13 games.

Marco Vargas, who was traded with Hernandez from the Marlins when the Mets dealt David Robertson in 2023, also had a good week for the Cyclones. Vargas went 5-for-18 and recorded two triples, three walks, and three stolen bases. Vargas drove in four runs and scored two as he raised his OPS to .643. Like Hernandez, Vargas has been swinging the bat better lately and has a .782 OPS in his last 17 games.

Yohairo Cuevas was another contributor, having his best week in High-A. He went 8-for-26 with three doubles, a triple, a walk, and three stolen bases. Cuevas also drove in three runs and scored three runs, raising his OPS to .512 through 26 games in High-A.

Brooklyn’s best start came from Noah Hall, who wasn’t spectacular, but he got the job done. Hall went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Hall has shined all season, owning a 2.42 ERA in 24 appearances (20 starts).

Joel Díaz also had a decent start, allowing two runs over 5 1/3 innings. Díaz allowed four hits and two walks, striking out four. He lowered his season ERA to 3.69.

Austin Troesser was the team’s best arm out of the bullpen, pitching three scoreless innings over two appearances. He allowed just two baserunners on a couple of hits and struck out five batters. Troesser owns a 6.00 ERA in 10 appearances with Brooklyn.

Low-A

The St. Lucie Mets took four of six games from the Lakeland Flying Tigers in their latest series. With the series win, the Mets are now 41-19 in the second half and 75-50 overall.

Randy Guzman excelled at the plate in this series, going 8-for-18 with two doubles, a triple, and a home run. He drove in three runs and scored three runs. Guzman has been phenomenal for St. Lucie, owning a 1.021 OPS in 21 games.

Antonio Jimenez had a pretty good week, going 7-for-17 with a team-high five RBIs. The Mets’ third rounder this year has just a .642 OPS in his first 22 games, but an .845 OPS in his last six games.

Jonathan Jimenez delivered the team’s best start of the week, tossing four scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Jimenez has shined with a 1.77 ERA in six appearances (five games).

Out of the bullpen, the Mets got contributions from Christian Rodriguez (3 G, 4.1 IP, ER, 7 K), Ernesto Mercedes (2 G, 4.2 IP, 0 ER, 6 K), and Jose Chirinos (1 G, 3 IP, 0 ER, 0 K). Rodriguez (4.58 ERA) has struggled since being elevated from rookie ball, while Mercedes (3.46 ERA) and Chirinos (3.27 ERA) have been great all year for the Mets.

Organizational Leaders

Batting

AVG – A.J. Ewing (STL/BRK/BNG) – .317

OPS – Carson Benge (BRK/BNG/SYR) – .909

HR – Ryan Clifford (BNG/SYR) – 26

SB – A.J. Ewing (STL/BRK/BNG) – 68

Pitching

ERA – Jonah Tong (BNG/SYR) – 1.43 ERA

SO – Jonah Tong (BNG/SYR) – 179

WHIP – Zach Thornton (BRK/BNG) – 0.812

Players of the Week

Offense – Jacob Reimer, 3B/1B

Jacob Reimer has been in the shadow of many of the Mets’ other top prospects this year, but that shouldn’t take away from how good he’s been. The 21-year-old, who was the Mets’ fourth-round pick in 2022, has established himself as a borderline top-100 prospect in baseball this year and has a .286/.386/.513/.899 slash with 17 home runs and 74 RBIs in 112 games across High-A and Double-A.

Pitching – Brandon Sproat, P Syracuse

Brandon Sproat hit a bit of a bump after a stretch of really good starts in a row, but his latest start may be his best one so far this season. With Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong making the jump to the majors, Sproat is still making his case for a call-up and could be a factor down the stretch for the major league team.

Upcoming Schedule – September 2-7

• Triple-A Syracuse: @ Buffalo
• Double-A Binghamton: @ Akron
• High-A Brooklyn: @ Jersey Shore
• Low-A St. Lucie: @ Fort Myers

The post Minors Weekly Report: Brandon Sproat Makes Best Start of Season appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Jonah Tong. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Tong’s baseball career started with playing in Canada, where he was born and raised in Markham, Ontario. After graduating high school, Tong traveled to Arizona with other Canadians for an amateur baseball Pro Tour in 2022, where he got to play against professional players while facing competition from top-level Arizona JUCO colleges. From there, Tong got the invite to play at the Georgia Premier Academy in April and May, and later the MLB Draft League.

With a commitment to North Dakota State University, Tong ultimately altered that plan, as he was selected by the New York Mets in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft and signed for the full slot value at $226,000.

After being limited to 21 innings in 2023, Tong got off to a fast start in 2024. In his first five appearances, Tong struck out 43 batters while allowing just two unearned runs—none earned!—over 23.2 innings. Over three levels in ’24, Tong tossed 113 innings with a 3.03 ERA. Among 313 minor league pitchers with a minimum of 100 innings pitched, Tong posted the sixth-highest strikeout rate (34.2 percent) and second-lowest fielding independent pitching (2.33).

Following the ’24 season, Tong went home to Canada for a bit but arrived back in Port St. Lucie in mid-January for a preseason camp. Noting the limited places to throw in Canada, Tong has enjoyed the ability to get his work in without weather limitations.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Tong in February, where he discussed his arsenal, studying major league pitchers and the mental side of the game.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Tong: My favorite player used to be Brett Cecil. An odd one for a lot of people. I remember I went with my rookie travel ball team to this meet-and-greet with the Blue Jays. We got to take pictures with some of the players and went to the game. He was the first person I saw and was like, Wow! That’s a big-league pitcher right there.

Jacob deGrom was up there, and Tim Lincecum became a huge influence, as most people know.

Credit: USA TODAY

MMO: Who introduced you to the game?

Tong: I always tell this funny story about how I woke up one day, and I was trying to find some sports place. I was going through the newspaper, and I saw this local T-Ball organization. I asked my parents if I could join, and their faces lit up. They said absolutely because they both have softball backgrounds. So, technically me, I guess, but my parents heavily influenced my career.

MMO: At what point during your development did you start to concentrate on pitching?

Tong: Since I knew I couldn’t hit! [Laughs.] My dad and I would get into some mini-arguments about me hitting because my dad always wanted me to be a two-way player in college and conquer the international scene. I said, ‘Dad, that’s just not happening.’

My middle sister played soccer and did gymnastics back home at the highest level you could for the longest time, and I was like, Okay, she’s not going to the Olympics for both of those.

He always wanted me to hit and have as many options as possible. When I was 16, I went on this fall tournament. I got caught stealing three times, and I tagged up on a ball that didn’t leave the infield. My coach looked at me and said, “Maybe we should do pitching.” My dad wasn’t fully sold, but that’s the story. [Laughs.]

MMO: That ended up being a good decision in the long run though.

Tong: I think so. Funny enough, my grandpa—out of nowhere this past season—came up to me and said, “Jonah, I think you should start hitting.” I said, ‘I don’t think that’s how it works.’ He said, “I think you could. Look at [Shohei] Ohtani!” And I went, ‘Yeah, okay, I think I’m good.’ [Laughs.]

If you need a bunt, I can do that. That’s pretty much it.

MMO: I found your path into professional baseball so interesting. For those who don’t know, can you talk about your journey from Canada to the States to eventually getting drafted by the Mets in 2022?

Tong: In the ’21 offseason, I started to work through everything. I just got into college, and then in January, I got invited to Arizona for this travel ball team from Canada. I went down and played a bunch of the spring training teams; it’s kind of like our [major league] spring training. At that point, I looked at my parents and said, ‘I don’t think it makes sense for me to ramp up for this and then all of a sudden just stop.’ I looked around, and I followed Georgia Premier, and I think Pro 5 because my buddy went there.

Georgia Premier hit me up after that and asked if I would consider coming down to play. I told them I would think about it. Then the Arizona thing happened, and I said, ‘I think this is a good opportunity for me to go and branch off on my own and start learning about who I am as a person, and see if I can do it.’ So I did that, and I had an awesome time.

The Draft League was kind of the same deal when the season ended in May and I wanted to find somewhere else to play before the draft. My agent made a few calls, and I ended up getting an opportunity to go to the Draft League. I met a lot of people, and it was a lot of fun.

I think that’s the place I learned that baseball is not going to be easy. You’re facing guys who are three or four years older, but you do learn a lot.

MMO: Were the Mets on your radar as a potential landing spot in the 2022 Draft?

Tong: Yeah, I was close with the area scout, Marlin McPhail, but I didn’t know that [he was with the Mets] at the time. I just saw a guy with an iconic bucket hat he wore everywhere he went.

I remember talking to him after my first start, and from there we just started talking more and more. He would ask how I was doing and adjusting and would ask me different situations. It was honestly refreshing to talk to somebody after being away from everybody I’ve ever known. To get to know somebody and pick his brain was the coolest thing.

I really didn’t know that I was going to go anywhere [in the draft] until late the night before when I started to hear a little bit more.

MMO: You mentioned being away from home and how big of an adjustment it was. Can you expand on some of those adjustments and challenges you faced?

Tong: Every stop I made, I had to learn something new. When I was in Arizona, I was with a few buddies from back home. In my first inning there, I walked five straight guys. I had no idea where it was going. I asked if I could go one more inning, and it was three-up-three-down with three punchouts against a junior college from Nebraska. And I was like, Alright, I’m just trying to get my feet wet. I was still having a lot of fun because I was with people I knew.

When I went to Georgia, I got picked up by the pastor of the academy and his wife. I thought it was a little different, but I was excited about a new challenge. I was dropped off at the academy in the middle of Statesboro, Georgia, which if you know where Statesboro, Georgia, is, is nothing crazy.

The first time I called my mom; I was just bawling my eyes out. I said, ‘Mom, I’m homesick, I can’t do this anymore.’ She was trying to walk me off the cliff and asked if I wanted to be picked up. I told her no, and that if I was going to go to college, I couldn’t be doing this. Shoot, if I’m going to play baseball, I can’t be doing this because you’re going to be put in situations like that. The next day I woke up and made some friends; the rest is history.

With the Draft League, the experience from the academy helped, and that just continued to where I’m at now. It all taught me to be flexible and open-minded because you don’t know where you’re going to be day-to-day.

MMO: One intriguing trait in your arsenal is the carry your four-seam fastball generates. When did you start to realize that your four-seamer has such rise, and how do you utilize that on the mound?

@TJStats

Tong: When I went to the Draft League, there was a tweet that went out with a highlight of what I did. Honestly, I thought I pitched horribly in my last game. It was not pretty. But they highlighted something called IVB, which stands for induced vertical break. The number was around 20, and I thought, Okay, that’s interesting, but I don’t know what that means. 

When we got to draft camp, they told me that my fastball had a pretty good amount of ride, and I told them I had no idea what that was. They took the time to explain it to me, and once I figured out what it was, I looked up some pitchers for inspiration. Tyler Glasnow was a big comp for fastball shape, I guess because I have more cut ride. I started to watch him and figured out where he pitched. I noticed that if it had ride, it would make sense to pitch up, which is exactly what they told me.

It’s been a big part of my game, especially going into this year, and trying to learn how to use that and pair it with my offspeed [pitches]. I think that’s why my curveball plays; even though it’s not the fastest pitch and not the nastiest thing in the world, there’s enough difference in movement.

MMO: Along with your four-seamer, you also feature a changeup, curveball and slider. Can you talk about the rest of your arsenal? Is it true that you learned your changeup and curveball grips from watching videos online?

Tong: Yeah! My dad and I used to throw across the street—we still do occasionally—and he said I should try and learn a curveball. Originally, I threw a knuckle curve, or so I thought. Basically, I had my two fingers on top, and I pushed it with my fingers. I thought it was a knuckleball, but it was really like a knuckle curve.

Fast forward, they told me that pitch was probably not going to play, and I should consider throwing a regular curveball. I scoured the internet, played around with some stuff, and looked at other pitchers. Clayton Kershaw was a big one; that’s a Hall of Fame curveball. I looked at that and made adjustments and didn’t really think about it for a while.

With my changeup, an influencer and former player with the Cardinals, Robby Rowland, had a video when I was nine or ten of him throwing a Vulcan changeup. I was like, Woah, Vulcan? That sounds sick! Why would I ever throw a circle changeup when I can throw a Vulcan? I tried to learn that, and my dad didn’t want me throwing a splitter at that age. So I thought, How can I mess with something that he can’t tell me I can’t do? The next best thing was this changeup. That developed over the years, and lately, we’ve been tweaking it and trying to improve it. We’ve seen some really interesting things with improving the shape.

The slider was something new. I remember in 2023, I felt like I couldn’t throw a strike. I remember walking into our pitching office, and I went, ‘We need something new because I’m frustrated.’ I was at the point in my career where I was just like, This sucks, and pitching is brutal right now. You go from a place of having so much success in high school, and then you’re challenged for the first time. Looking back at it now, it was probably the most influential year I’ve had up until this point, and we stumbled on a few things.

Going back to Tyler Glasnow, he had this short bullet slider that was gross. I was going to try to copy something like that; I kind of mirrored his arsenal. In developing that—it’s here and there—it’s been pretty consistent lately, which I’m happy about. I’m trying to use it as a bridge pitch because of my big curveball and rising fastball.

We tried working on a two-seamer, and it’s been interesting. It’s basically like, if Glasnow throws it, I’m trying it. [Laughs.] I’m trying to work on that. We’re focusing more on my consistency with the slider and changeup, and maybe we’ll bring in the two-seamer.

MMO: I interviewed Christian Scott recently, and he sang the praises of two developmental figures in the organization Kyle Rogers and Eric Jagers. What has been your relationship with the player development staff?

Tong: It wouldn’t be fair of me not to include everyone on our staff. There are honestly too many names, but guys like Dan McKinney, Garrett Baker, A. J. Sager, Luis Alvarado, Miguel Bonilla, Jagers and Rogers. Everybody has built this massive unit, and being able to pick their brains and learn from them put me in a good spot.

Rogers is awesome when it comes to dealing with your body and trying to figure out what you can do mechanically and pitch-wise. All of the other pitching coaches together have helped me out a lot.

The biggest mentor that I’ve had so far has been Garrett Baker; he’s our integration pitching coach. He loves this Bruce Lee saying: Be like water. You know, be adaptable. I’ve kind of taken that as my mantra. I’ve become close with him.

The biggest thing he’s taught me with everything in general is, yeah, things may suck right now, but how are you going to learn to adapt to it? You’re pitching in 115-degree heat in July, and it’s not ideal conditions. You go play in Brooklyn in April, and it’s 25 degrees, and Binghamton and the big leagues are the same. But the difference is there are more people on you, there’s added pressure, and things aren’t always going to go your way. Some things are just out of your control. How are you not going to let it affect you? You have to ride the wave. Just take it, react to it, be able to adjust, and remain the pitcher that you are.

That’s been the thing that I’ve been constantly learning the most, and it’s had the biggest impact on my career thus far. I think that has helped me transition from the ’23 season to the ’24 season, and now moving into ’25. It’s about looking at everything with a different perspective. How am I going to ride this wave? How am I going to continue to develop and not think the world is crashing when things aren’t going well?

MMO: You really seem to be in touch with the mental aspect of the game.

Tong: One hundred percent. It goes back to the Bruce Lee mantra; it’s on the inside of my glove, which is the coolest thing. When I look at it, it’s just where I need to be. We have to recognize that we are in the presence of some of the best players in the world. Being able to go to the field and get to throw with Christian Scott one day, or throw with Calvin Ziegler. Francisco Lindor is playing on the field next to us, or Jett Williams is right there hitting. Everybody together builds this unit, and you kind of take advantage of that.

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

I think being able to mentally understand that you don’t need to be someone bigger is the biggest challenge for me. I always felt like I needed to do something extra because some things weren’t going my way. Our mental performance team through the years has changed, but the people always have the same message: don’t be someone bigger than yourself. Be a good teammate, and things will work out in the way that they’re supposed to. I’m a firm believer in that. I have bad days and good days; it’s still a constant battle. Confidence can be a constant battle throughout my career.

I think for high school guys specifically, that’s the thing that we don’t recognize until it’s happening. To get out of something, and then once you’re out of it, you have a different perspective. It’s almost like you’re enlightened about it. If I could go back and talk to anybody, specifically myself, I’d say, ‘The faster you recognize that things aren’t going to go your way all the time and tackle the mental side of baseball, you can enjoy it so much more.’

MMO: One of the many investments Steve Cohen has made with this team is the pitching lab in Port St. Lucie. Have you had a chance to use it?

Tong: I’ve gotten to throw there a few times; it’s pretty cool. For a guy who knows nothing about what goes on, there are a lot of smart people around who make sure we have access to everything. I’m still learning what’s going on in there, because again, I’ll look in and be like, Oh, that’s new! What does that do? 

It really helps us as pitchers understand stuff that we can’t normally see from a biomechanical standpoint. I do find it interesting. It’ll be interesting to see how it translates over the next few years.

MMO: Is the lab available for pitchers to drop in at any point? Or, are there certain times that it’s available?

Tong: I’m honestly not sure. I know that we’ll throw in there a few times in the year, but everybody’s case is a little bit different. I’m sure if you’re working on something mechanically, that’s going to be your best place to get what you need.

MMO: You mentioned having control issues in 2023. Of course, it was a small sample size (21 innings). However, you went from a 22 percent walk rate to 10 percent over 113 innings in 2024. What adjustments were made?

Tong: Going back to Rogers, he kind of built our prior movement routine, and stuff like that. Baker kind of helped me realize that I have to be adaptable. Over the course of that entire season, we were trying to nail down my mechanics and make sure everything was repeatable. That’s the biggest word I was fed.

Going into the offseason, I took that and used some water bags or Orca bags, which are huge for me. Doing different plyo variations and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, which I think over time helped me be more resilient on the mound. As a result, the mechanics were cleaned up a bit.

I wouldn’t say there’s one specific fix; there were just a lot of things that slowly started to merge and click to kind of where we are right now. There’s still room to grow, but I like where we’re going from that.

Jonah Tong. Photo by @ITSDMPhotos via Binghamton Rumble Ponies

MMO: You talked about your repertoire in a video for MLB Pipeline last year. In it, you mentioned that the curveball is the first pitch you throw in your bullpens before a game. Is that still the case? And how do you adjust if you don’t have a feel for that pitch on a given day?

Tong: I like to either start with it or end with it. Lately, it’s been ending with it because it’s more of a feel thing. For instance, in live BP, it’s always the funniest thing when it’s the last pitch, and even though I just want to throw a fastball to challenge myself, I throw an offspeed. I thought everyone gave me weird looks when I did that because they were expecting a fastball. And I was like, You know what? Let’s just make this a thing. 

Going into the season, that was one of those things I wanted to make sure I had a feel for. That helped me by throwing it as the last pitch. It just made me feel like I had this confidence. The last fastball is generally my best fastball in my sides or bullpens; not always, but mostly. Being able to change that up with my curveball can give me a little more confidence with it.

It’s funny that you asked if it makes me feel like I can throw it in the game. Yes and no. I think when I go into the game trusting it, it’s pretty good, and it does what I need it to do. When I get away from that or feel like I need to do something a little bit extra, that’s when we have different issues.

The big thing for me moving forward is making sure that when I throw it, I trust it. I remember watching a thing about Clayton Kershaw in an on-field interview. He was talking about tucking his curveball, gripping it really hard, and not having many thoughts on it because when he does that, it takes away from everything. And I was like, That’s a great point! I’ve been trying to work on that.

MMO: Throughout our chat, you’ve mentioned several big leaguers you’ve studied and taken bits and pieces from for your own game. Have you always been a student of the game?

Tong: I love telling the story about my dad and I watching videos of Tim Lincecum and my mom yelling downstairs because it was late on a school night. My dad instilled that in me. He’d be like, “Hey, come here,” and I’d be like, ‘Dad, I’m in the middle of an assignment.’ He’d say, “Come here, check this out: Greg Maddux.” He does everything for me. We watch it, understand it, pick his brain, and pick my brain. I think it slowly became something where he started to learn something and I did, which is kind of cool and beautiful now thinking about it.

When I was a kid, I didn’t think of it like that; I thought it was a waste of my time. But I started growing up and realizing the importance of it. I’m not the biggest guy on the field; I never have been and never will be. So being able to educate myself has been one of the biggest things in my career. Coming from Canada, we don’t play enough baseball just because of our climate compared to the American travel scene, so you kind of have to [be educated in the game].

Playing MLB The Show is a great example. It kind of teaches you more about the game and how you would pitch to people. I’ve always been a pretty good academic student, and studying is something I know, and I’m still improving with it. It’s funny; as you go up levels and start seeing different coaches, people, and styles, everything seems like one step, and everybody has their specialties. Getting a chance to be with A.J. [Sager] at the end of the year [with Binghamton] was pretty cool and something I was looking forward to in just learning from him and being more of a student of the game from that aspect.

MMO: You mentioned a few things that you’ve been working on with your slider and adding a two-seamer. Is there anything else you’re focusing on heading into 2025?

Tong: Just being present. I think that’s the thing I’ve been trying to focus on the most. It’s like, I’m here, soak it all up, be thankful every day, and thank God for the opportunities. That’s what I’m trying to focus on the most: realizing what we’re doing and how cool it is, and that’s what makes baseball fun. When we start thinking about it too much and putting more pressure on ourselves, that’s when we run into issues, and I did that all the time in ’23.

I’m going to continue the trend and focus on situation-based things. If we have a live BP, for instance, and my focus is working on early count curveballs. Yeah, it’s February. Did I do it all the time? No. But I got one of the six I tried, and that’s success. That’s a win. Everything is brick-by-brick, day-by-day because we’re not trying to be perfect in February.

The post MMO Exclusive: Pitching Prospect Jonah Tong appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Stuart is having a remarkable season, split between High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton. After posting a 4-0 record with a 1.55 ERA in 75 2/3 innings for Brooklyn, the 23-year-old is 3-2 with a 3.60 ERA through seven starts in Binghamton. Stuart leads all qualified starting pitchers in MiLB with a 2.20 ERA this season.

Tyler Stuart – 2023 ERA at 2.32 after 20 starts.

He is not the only one who had an impressive week, as outfielder Agustin Ruiz was named the Eastern League Player of the Week. The 23-year-old had three home runs and 1.761 OPS to dramatically raise his individual numbers for the season. Ruiz has spent all of 2023 in Double-A, slashing .202/.301/.410 with 17 home runs and 55 runs batted in.

The Rumble Ponies, who have won seven of their last 10 games, sit second in the Eastern League Northeast at 61-57. Binghamton begins a three-game series with the Harrisburg Senators (Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals) on Tuesday night.

The post Tyler Stuart, Agustin Ruiz Win Weekly Awards in Binghamton appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

• LF Carlos Cortes 5-for-5, HR (8th), 2 RBI, 2 R, .802 OPS
• C Tomás Nido 1-for-4, HR (4th), 2 RBI, .798 OPS
• 1B José Peraza 3-for-5, HR (2nd), RBI, 2 R, 2B, .703 OPS
• CF Brandon McIlwain 2-for-5, HR (8th overall), 2 R
• LF Joe Suozzi 2-for-3, HR (4th overall), 3 RBI, BB

The Mets had 17 hits, including seven extra-base hits, but still lost the game. Nido has three home runs in his last seven games. McIlwain and Suozzi both hit their first Triple-A home run in their second game with the team.

• RHP Jimmy Yacabonis 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 3.97 ERA
• RHP Sean Reid-Foley 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 3.18 ERA

Reid-Foley pitched two perfect with three strikeouts in a game that featured 12 home runs. His fastball was up to 97 mph in the outing.

Double-A: Binghamton 6, New Hampshire, Box Score

• SS Luisangel Acuña 1-for-4
• LF JT Schwartz 3-for-4, RBI, R, 2B, SB, .815 OPS
• 2B Jeremiah Jackson 0-for-3, HBP, R

Acuña was playing his third game since coming over in the Max Scherzer trade and Jackson was making his Mets system debut after being traded for Dominic Leone. Schwartz is 10-for-12 with three doubles to begin August.

• RHP Tyler Stuart 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 1.70 ERA (overall)
• LHP Tyler Thomas 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 0.56 ERA

Stuart needed only 87 pitches to get through seven innings and lower his Minor League Baseball best ERA to 1.70 for the season. Stuart was second on the night in Double-A with 18 whiffs.

Thomas, signed out of Indy ball in June, has a ridiculous 0.50 WHIP and 21 strikeouts in 16 innings with Binghamton.

Ryan Clifford (left), Jett Williams (right) –Photo by James Villani of Metsmerized

High-A: Brooklyn 6, Jersey Shore 3, Box Score 

• SS Jett Williams 1-for-3, 2 BB, R, SB (34th), .837 OPS (overall)
• LF Alex Ramírez 1-for-4, RBI, R, 2B, BB, SB (17th), .703 OPS
• 1B Ryan Clifford 2-for-3, HR (19th overall), 2 BB, 2 RBI, 2 R, .935 OPS (overall)

Williams now has 75 walks in 82 games this season and his OBP is up to .428. What a Mets system debut for Ryan Clifford, half of the return for Justin Verlander. Clifford clobbered a home run to right field through the wind in his first at-bat in the organization. The left-handed power hitter just turned 20 years old last month.

Ryan Clifford (Justin Verlander trade) had a huge debut in the Mets system with the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones:

2-for-3, HR, 2 BB, 2 RBI, 2 R

The 20-year-old has 19 home runs on the season.

pic.twitter.com/fKxfzz5m4h

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) August 4, 2023

Stanley Consuegra hit his 12th home run of the season for Brooklyn and Jacob Reimer reached base twice.

• RHP Jawilme Ramirez 8 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 3.38 ERA

The 21-year-old Ramirez was making his Brooklyn debut and he entered the ninth inning have allowed only one run in the game.

Low-A: St. Lucie 4, Daytona 3, Box Score

• SS Kevin Villavicencio 2-for-3, RBI, BB, .578 OPS

Center fielder Nick Morabito went 1-for-5 in the game. Second baseman Jefrey De Los Santos and catcher Jose Hernandez both reached base three times in the game for St. Lucie.

• LHP Felipe De La Cruz 5.2 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 5.11 ERA

Relievers Jimmy Loper (2 1/3 innings) and Elliot Johnstone (1 inning) combined to close out the St. Lucie win with scoreless relief.

Dominican Summer League: Mets Blue 4, Mets Orange 1, Box Score

• SS Jeremy Rodriguez 1-for-3, RBI, 2B, .746 OPS
• DH Anthony Baptist 1-for-2, BB, SB, .931 OPS

Rainer Reyes and Reniel Diaz homered in the game for the Mets. Rodriguez was making his Mets debut after coming over from the Diamondbacks for Tommy Pham

• RHP Franyel Diaz 5.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 2.43 ERA

The 6’7” Diaz has 48 strikeouts in 37 innings this season.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Ryan Clifford Homers in System Debut appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Instead of letting that define him, Williams, who’s listed at five-foot-eight, used that as motivation to prove them wrong.

Selected by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2022 Draft (14th overall) out of Rockwall-Heath High School in Heath, Texas, Williams has gotten off to a fast start in his professional career.

Getting his feet wet after signing with the Mets for a $3.9 million signing bonus, Williams played in 10 games in the Florida Complex League in ’22, posting an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .803, while going six-for-six in stolen base opportunities.

Williams was assigned to Low-A St. Lucie to start the 2023 campaign, getting his first taste of full-season ball. The 19-year-old’s first 36 games of the season showcased his advanced plate discipline, as he posted a .390 on-base percentage with a walk rate of over 18 percent. However, Williams wasn’t hitting for much power, evidenced by his .282 slugging percentage.

At the behest of a former Mets coach in their minor league system, Williams altered his leg kick last year and felt comfortable enough with it this past offseason. When the power results weren’t materializing in games, Williams converted back to his former approach and saw drastic improvements.

From the second game of a doubleheader on June 2 through August 2 (45 games in total), Williams has posted a slugging percentage of .510 with a .454 on-base percentage. In that span, Williams has drawn more walks (44) than strikeouts (40).

After St. Lucie’s game on Sunday, Tim Healey of Newsday reported that Williams had been promoted to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones. He went 1-for-2 with a double, three walks and a stolen base in his Cyclones debut on Tuesday.

There’s a lot to like about Williams. Along with his superior on-base skills, Williams is a stolen base threat, swiping 39 bags while getting caught just seven times in his professional career (a success rate of 84.8 percent).

Rated as a plus runner, Williams gives the Mets options defensively going forward. Drafted as a shortstop, Williams has already seen some time in center this season, a position he’s played during his high school career. Because of his athleticism and speed, Williams profiles as an up-the-middle player and expressed a willingness to play wherever the Mets want him to and at a position that gets him the majors the quickest.

Getting drafted in the first round and making an immediate impact only strengthens Williams’ resolve, while also helping to silence those early critics who questioned his potential.

“I like to prove people wrong because I’m not the typical height for a shortstop,” said Williams over the phone. “I feel like that’s kind of who I am in just the way I play. I feel that’s definitely helped me become who I am.”

I had the privilege of speaking with Williams after a St. Lucie Mets game in July, where we discussed his early development, proving critics wrong, and advanced plate discipline.

Jett Williams, Photos by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Williams: The people I looked up to the most were my brothers and sister; they helped get me to where I’m at.

Baseball-wise, Mookie Betts and Alex Bregman just because they were more of the smaller guys and were dominating the league. I’m a pretty small guy so I was like, I can definitely do that if they’re doing it.

MMO: You brought up your brothers. In a YouTube video called “4: The Jett Williams Story,” which Rockwall County Gameday put out last year, a theme that came across was how close you are to them. What did they mean to you athletically?

Williams: We are all so close, so it was easy for us to push each other. I was around my brothers since I could walk, and we were always on the baseball field. I was always trying to be in the dugout and be my oldest brother’s batboy and around him 24/7. I still learn a lot from him and talk with him a lot about certain aspects of the game.

My middle brother helped a lot too. My middle brother played lacrosse, so it was a bit different since he didn’t play baseball. Even though he didn’t play baseball, he still helps me out.

We all work out together and are close to each other, especially since we’re boys and everything we did was always a competition. They definitely helped me get to where I am today, and without them, I don’t think I would be here.

MMO: Your first name is so unique. Is there a story behind how your parents landed on the name Jett?

Williams: My dad was the one that came up with it. All of our names start with “J,” except my oldest brother, who’s named after my dad (Richard).

My dad was like, “I think Jett would sound good over the loudspeaker playing baseball.” I guess he kind of predicted it. [Laughs.]

MMO: I read that you worked on your hitting at 7AR Clubhouse Academy in Texas. Can you talk about how you initially came to work with them? And what are some of the skills you developed?

Williams: Aldrey Rincones is my hitting coach. I talk with him every day about anything and everything, even non-baseball related. I was about ten-years-old when we started working together.

In the seventh grade, I went out to the Texas Rangers’ ballpark because he’s best friends with Robinson Chirinos, Rougned Odor and Elvis Andrus. He’s from Venezuela, so he had that connection [with them]. Being around those guys helped me a lot, especially Chirinos and Odor over these few years just learning about the grind of playing professional baseball.

I pick their brains, and it helps me because they’ve been through it. I always ask them questions and have them look over my swing. They’ve been through it, so they know all these hitting techniques and drills that work and what doesn’t work.

Me and my hitting coach are very, very close. I feel like being around them almost every offseason for the last six years really, really helped. For the most part, it wasn’t too much swing change; my swing is pretty simple. It was more of continuing to develop each and every year throughout my high school career. It was about having the barrel control and hitting to all parts of the field.

MMO: How often would you train at 7AR?

Williams: I went there every single day. Since the Covid year, everything got canceled and we had to do school online. After I did school online, I would go there and literally be there all day hitting, working out, doing everything.

In my 2021 year, we had the option to go to school or do it online, and I did it online. Those two years it was wake up, do my school online and go over to the Academy.

I hit every single day, sometimes two times a day. I’d go there and then go to the field at our high school and do some fielding and hitting a bit more. I was pretty much focused on hitting every single day.

MMO:  I saw in an interview you gave during this past spring training that you have a goal board. When did you start to use a goal board, and how has that aided in keeping your focus?

Williams: My dad came to me in eighth grade and was like, “I think you should write down some of your goals on a piece of paper, or even on a goal board and read them every day.”

He told me they don’t have to be crazy goals, but goals that I think I can achieve and some that are going to be very hard. If you shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land in the stars, and you’re going to be there.

My first goal ever since I started the goal board was to get drafted in the first round. My number one goal never changed, and I would always add on to the goal board.

In my freshman year, I made ten goals since it was very new and I was still learning how to write things down of what I wanted to achieve. I checked off all ten goals after my freshman year, and I was like, Wow, I think this works! My dad said, “You’re probably not going to be able to check off all ten of these every single time because you’re going to fail and succeed. There are going to be failures in there, but that will help you succeed in the long run.”

I kept adding to that each year, and I still live by that today. Ever since I got out of high school I changed it up; I have a new number one goal, and then I have about 15 goals until 2025. And I have in-season and long-term goals.

Jett Williams. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

MMO: Do you have the goal board with you?

Williams: Yes. I have one in my house in St. Lucie and when I go to the field I have one in my notebook; those are in-season goals.

MMO: You mentioned having a notebook for the ballpark. Besides goals, do you write anything else in there pertaining to the game? Similar to how Carlos Delgado kept a notebook and tracked pitch sequencing.

Williams: No, not really. I’m big into looking at video. I like to look at video of my swings, even if I’m going really good. I’ll look at my swing on one screen, and then if I’m doing bad I’ll put them side-by-side just because I know my swing so well; I’ve kind of done it my whole life.

If I’m not going good, it’s most likely something to do with my hands being too high or too low. I’ll look at videos side-by-side of my swings, and it’s like, Oh, there it is. Here’s a little fix. I’ll tweak it, and it’s back to normal.

I watch videos of the pitchers, too. I’m constantly going through who the starter is and looking at videos to see their tendencies to see if they tip pitches and what not.

MMO: You’ve talked about how in the past people questioned your abilities because of your height. How were you able to tune out those detractors and push forward with your ultimate goal of playing professional baseball?

Williams: Growing up, I’ve always been the smallest kid around, so it’s not anything new to me. I would go to showcases and always did really well, but I was a smaller guy. It’s definitely helped me because I play with a little chip on my shoulder.

MMO: What are your memories from the 2022 Draft?

Williams: It all went by so fast. The lead-up to that day is still pretty awesome. On Draft day, there were a lot of emotions just because I had no idea who I would be going to.

I went to a pre-draft workout, but I couldn’t work out because we (high school team) were still in the playoffs. I really didn’t do anything except drive about an hour away and went to talk to the guys and left. I was there for like 15 minutes and felt bad that I couldn’t work out. But that was the only time I talked with them (the Mets) all year.

Jett Williams

My agent was like, “Once the 8th pick hits, you have a chance to go. Be ready.” My agent and dad were the ones communicating of where I was going to go because they wanted me to be surprised.

Once I heard my name called, it was awesome; it’s a moment I will never forget. It was weird because you watch the Draft in years past and you hear these guys’ names and see them in the pros, and it’s like, Wow, I’m doing this now, this is my job. I can be someone that somebody looks up to. I thought that was pretty awesome.

MMO: Speed is a big part of your game. Has that always been a tool for you? And what are some things you do to hone that skill?

Williams: I feel like I’ve always been fast. My dad jokes around with me saying, “Thank God you’re fast, because then we’d have to change your name.”

I would say going into the seventh grade is when I started really working out and using that speed and agility to get faster and quicker. I work out with my brothers; they’re pretty fast too. I always wanted to beat them in races because I’d have to hear it. I’m the youngest one, so they were definitely not going to let me beat them.

I feel like I’ve always been fast, and I’ve always worked on my jumps. Baseball is a little bit different because you’re not really running in a straight line and have to take turns.

It’s a pretty crazy goal, but my goal coming into this season was seventy bags. Even from the start, I’ve learned that stealing is about getting good jumps and knowing when to go and when not to. People don’t realize [the situations] when it’s like, I want to go right here but it’s a fastball count, or, the guy behind you has been hitting curveballs. It’s just watching the game. Like, there are power hitters behind me, this is the count, okay, a curveball’s going to be coming. I might have gotten out the first time, and now I’m on base, he threw this pitch, he threw it again. Okay, now I know.

For me, it’s getting good jumps down in good counts.

MMO: Have the limited disengagements by pitchers helped your running game as well?

Williams: Yeah, I feel that’s definitely been a big part. People don’t really want to pick over that much, especially if they pick over one time because then they have just two more. You really only have one more because the third one they usually never pick, and you have to go or it’s a balk.

If I’m not going I’ll try to get a pretty big lead just to see if I can get a pick. A big part too is — it’s a little different in high school because there you can go if they slide-step or not — is just knowing when to shut it down or not to.

MMO: You have terrific plate recognition, and your walk rate is over 20 percent as a 19-year-old this season. Can you talk a bit about your approach at the plate, and how you’ve learned to be such a disciplined hitter?

Williams: I feel like my approach is pretty simple: I try not to think at all in the box. I just try to see the ball, hit the ball. I try to hit gaps and attack the fastball, but my hands are good enough that if they throw the offspeed, I can recognize it and just sit back and flick my hands out there.

I’ve always had a pretty good eye at the plate, I do a lot of hand-eye coordination stuff, especially at 7AR Academy. At the end of our hitting sessions, he’ll throw live to me, and we’ll have the box and everything, and it’s pitch recognition, too.

I think sometimes it’s God-given just being able to recognize pitches really well out of the hand and just spitting on them. I probably noticed it once I got into high school when you started seeing better pitching.

Overall, I see the ball really well, and I kind of know my strike zone and know what pitches I want to hit that I can do damage with. If they throw a couple of pitches around the corner, you just tip your cap. For the most part, I try to battle, and if it’s not my pitch, I’ll spit on it.

I always want to be aggressive and be able to rope a double or a triple or hit a home run every game. For me, it’s just good, hard contact and take what they give you. I learned that in high school last year. I had a ton of walks and a ton of intentional walks just because they didn’t want me to beat them. My coaches would say, “If they really want to put you on or if you walk, then steal second and steal third, and there’s your triple right there.”

If they’re not going to throw me my pitch or what I’m sitting on in that at-bat, I’ll just take what I get and steal a couple of bags and get in scoring position for the person behind me.

MMO: Over your first 36 games of the 2023 season, you struggled a bit in the power department, posting a sub-.300 slugging. You’ve raised your season slugging percentage by over 120 points since that time. Were there any adjustments you made to see such results?

Williams: I tweaked a little bit. Leading up to the Rookie League last year, there was a coach in the Mets organization that tried to tweak a little bit with my leg kick. I think it was a good tweak, and once I did it, and did it all offseason, it was really good in the cage.

I used it in the first 36 games and the leg kick just wasn’t working for me, I was kind of late on everything. I was just like, I’m going to how I was hitting in high school of just being simple.

I was looking back at my swings from high school and comparing them like I was talking about earlier. For me, it wasn’t struggling, it was more of not being in a groove. Just that little tweak with the leg kick and my hand positioning was all it was, and that’s what really helped, I believe. I feel like ever since I made that tweak I’ve gotten into a groove and it’s kind of shown.

MMO: You’ve mainly played shortstop, but you have seen some time in center this season. How has that adjustment been, and what are your thoughts on switching positions at some point?

Williams: I played center a bit in high school; I played it all my junior year. We had a really good infield, and the person who was going to play short was moving to second, and the guy at second was going to the outfield. I told my coach, ‘I’ll go out there and it’ll make our outfield better since our infield will be good.’ It was all to do whatever it takes to help make the team better.

For me, as long as I’m on the field, it doesn’t really matter. I obviously love shortstop, and that’s kind of all I’ve played my whole life, but I enjoy center as well. I think it’s fun getting to track down balls and throw people out, get to the balls in the gap and make diving catches. Obviously, when I’m hitting, I don’t want the centerfielder to do that to me. [Laughs.]

It’s fun to play out there, and as long as I’m on the field, I’ll do whatever it takes to help the team and help me get to the big leagues as fast as possible.

MMO: Being drafted out of high school, how has the transition been for you in terms of playing more games?

Williams: I think the transition is a bit different just because of how many games there are. For the most part, my body feels great. There are days I’ve been tired, but that’s what they call the grind of just you playing every single day.

You’re playing Tuesday through Sunday, and as a 19-year-old, I used to play Tuesday and Friday and could do whatever; obviously, I was still hitting and working out. It’s learning to play every day, showing up to the field even if you’re not in the mood to play that day. You just tell yourself you have to show up to the field and be ready to play because somebody else really wants to play or someone wants to be in your shoes, and you just can’t take it for granted.

Playing every single day is a lot different from high school, but I’ve really enjoyed it, and I think it’s awesome. I still think it’s pretty cool saying my job is baseball.

Follow Jett Williams on Twitter, @jettwilliams04

The post MMO Exclusive: One-On-One With Jett Williams appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

AAA: Lehigh Valley IronPigs (52-47) 3, Syracuse Mets (42-58) 2  Box Score

• Ronny Mauricio LF: 1-for-5, 3 K, .293/.343/.492
• Carlos Cortes DH: 1-for-2, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, .257/.347/.438
• Rafael Ortega CF: 2-for-4, BB, .230/.379/.398

The Mets struggled to get much going on offense in Sunday’s game, as they pushed across just two runs on seven hits. Cortes’ RBI double to tie the game in the sixth inning was the team’s only extra hit. This was Mauricio’s first game with three strikeouts since June 1. He has cooled off a bit in recent weeks but is still hitting a respectable .256/.322/.451 for the month.

• RHP Denyi Reyes (1-2, 6.32 ERA) 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, K
• RHP Nolan Clenney (L, 0-1, 5.40 ERA) 1.0 IP, H, ER, BB, 2 K
• RHP Sam Coonrod (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 1.0 IP, H, BB, K

Reyes had one of his better starts of the season, tying his season high with six innings pitched and giving up two runs or less for the first time since June 14. Clenney has given up a four runs in his 6 2/3 innings pitched since his promotion to Syracuse but has a 13:2 K:BB ratio over that span. Coonrod was making his Syracuse debut after completing a four-game rehab stint in St. Lucie.

AA: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (47-48) 4, Reading Fightin Phils (39-55) 3  Box Score

• Rowdey Jordan 2B: 2-for-3, 2 R, HR, RBI, BB, K, SB, .252/.371/.429
• JT Schwartz 1B: 3-for-4, R, 2B, RBI, .259/.317/.388
• Jose Peroza 3B: 1-for-4, R, 2B, RBI, 2 K, .263/.357/.450

The Rumble Ponies had a pretty good game offensively, scoring four runs on eleven hits, but they also struck out 15 times. Jordan got Binghamton on the board right away by homering with one out in the top of the first inning. With 11 home runs this season, Jordan has nearly tripled his home run total from last season (4) in thirteen fewer games. Peroza got off to a very hot start to the season but has been in a major slump for the last month: he is hitting .173/.273/.253 in July.

• RHP Jose Chacin (W, 3-5, 4.88 ERA) 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 6 K
• RHP Junior Santos (3-8, 6.69 ERA) 1.1 IP, H, BB
• RHP Wilkin Ramos (1-0, 0.00 ERA) 1.0 IP, BB, K

Chacin’s three-run outing snaps a stretch of two straight scoreless starts from him; he finishes the month with a 4.05 ERA, his second-best month in what has been a rocky season for him. Santos has a 9.82 ERA with a 1:3 K:BB ratio since being moved to the bullpen earlier this month. Ramos has tossed three scoreless innings since his promotion to Binghamton.

A+: Brooklyn Cyclones (48-47) 11, Wilmington Blue Rocks (40-54) 7  Box Score

• Mateo Gil DH: 2-for-4, 3 R, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, .208/.282/.443
• William Lugo 3B: 1-for-5, R, HR, RBI, K, .215/.288/.389
• D’Andre Smith 2B: 2-for-3, 2 R, BB, .219/.310/.316

The Cyclones had a huge game on offense, pushing across 11 runs on 12 hits and going 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position. They took great advantage of their opportunities to score, leaving just four runners on base. Also, every hitter in the lineup had at least one hit in this game. Gil has not had a ton of hits this season, but a significant majority of his hits (27 of 44) have gone for extra bases, including his two hits on Sunday.

• RHP Joshua Cornielly (2-3, 3.86 ERA) 2.0 IP, 3 K
• RHP Jace Beck (W, 5-4, 3.28 ERA) 1.0 IP, 3 BB
• RHP Paul Gervase (1-2, 1.51 ERA) 1.0 IP, H, 2 K

As was the case with Brooklyn’s offense, Brooklyn’s pitching performance was distributed across many contributors, as nine pitchers appeared in this game. Cornielly pitched two perfect innings, which is actually his first perfect outing since April 11. Beck had no control in this outing as he walked three batters and threw just 11 of his 28 pitches for strikes but still managed to get out of the inning unscathed. He now has five straight scoreless outings since the beginning of July.

Jett Williams. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

A: Bradenton Marauders (56-39) 7, St. Lucie Mets (33-62) 1  Box Score

• Jett Williams SS: 1-for-3, R, HR, RBI, BB, .249/.422/.410
• Wilfredo Lara RF: 1-for-3, BB, .260/.349/.441
• Vincent Perozo C: 1-for-4, K, .230/.327/.387

The Mets were held without a single run for the first seven innings of this game until Williams got them on the board with a home run that left his bat at just 91.7 MPH. At that point, however, it was too late for a comeback. Williams has been making his case to be the Mets’ top prospect all month, as he will finish the month with an impressive .274/.442/.521 slash line, along with 12 steals without being caught once.

Williams and third baseman Jacob Reimer have been promoted to Brooklyn.

• RHP Saul Garcia (L, 3-7, 5.08 ERA) 3.0 IP, H, ER, 4 BB, 5 K
• RHP Elliot Johnstone (3-2, 6.47 ERA) 2.0 IP, 3 BB, K
• RHP Jimmy Loper (1-3, 4.35 ERA) 2.2 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, BB, 3 K

Outside of the four walks, Garcia had a very solid outing: he had a 45% whiff rate on all of his pitches (75% on his slider) and a 36% CSW%. His fastball averaged 92.7 MPH and topped out at 93.8 MPH. He has a 13.15 K/9 and 6.5 BB/9 this season. Loper had a rough outing, but some of that may have been bad luck as his average exit velocity against was just 82.6 MPH.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Jett Williams Homers appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

As shared by SNY Mets, Ronny Mauricio on Saturday drove in his 28th and 29th runs of the year for Triple-A Syracuse. Mike Mayer of Metsmerized added that he’s the first hitter in the major or minor leagues to hit 20 doubles this season.

Latest Mets News

Per Will Sammon of The Athletic, Saturday’s game between the Mets and Guardians was postponed due to rain. It will be made up on Sunday as a split-admission doubleheader. Game one is scheduled for 1:40 p.m., with game two to follow later this evening at 7:10 p.m.

Latest MLB News

Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the New York Yankees designated outfielder Aaron Hicks for assignment. Hicks still had 2 1/2 years left on a seven-year, $70 million contract.

According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, the Philadelphia Phillies claimed Dylan Covey off waivers.

Per Jon Heyman of MLB Network, Ken Giles and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement on a minor league deal.

The Los Angeles Dodgers also announced on Saturday that they recalled right-handed pitcher Wander Suero and placed left-handed pitcher Julio Urias on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain, retroactive to May 19.

According to Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union Tribune, the San Diego Padres signed catcher Kevin Plawecki to a minor league deal and assigned him to the El Paso Chihuahuas.

Latest on MMO

Andrew Steele-Davis recapped the Mets’ minor league affiliate games from Friday, May 19, which included Ronny Mauricio collecting his league-leading 62nd hit.

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki talks about Carlos Carrasco’s struggles in his first start back from the injured list on Friday.

Andrew Steele-Davis discusses Saturday’s rain-out, the Mets’ unfortunate amount of rain-outs, and touches on what the Mets’ rotation could look like moving forward.

Christian De Block took a look at the ‘baby’ rookie Mets players making names for themselves in the big leagues.

On This Date in Mets History

1969: Tom Seaver threw a three-hit shutout in Atlanta.

Birthdays: Tom Martin (53), Hank Webb (73)

The post Morning Briefing: Ronny Mauricio Continuing to Stay Hot in Triple-A appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Happy Opening Day, Mets fans!

Jeff Passan of ESPN reports is in place between the minor league players in the MLBPA and Major League Baseball on the historic first collective bargaining agreement for minor leaguers. The deal is five years long and includes at least double the current pay at all levels of the minors.

The pay increases are as follows: complex league from $4,800 per year to $19,800, Low-A from $11,000 to $26,200, High-A from $11,000 to $27,300,  AA from $13,800 to $30,250, and  AAA from $17,500 to $35,800. Ross Bentley has more on the story.

Meanwhile, the Mets play a real baseball game today! They’ll take on the Marlins at 4:10 p.m. ET with Max Scherzer on the mound. Buckle up for the first of 162 today!

Now it is time for the morning briefing.

Latest Mets News

Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post reports Rob Manfred commented on Steve Cohen’s offseason spending on “The Show” podcast Tuesday night: “What Steve spent in the offseason was completely consistent with all of our rules. He perfectly had every right to spend those dollars. There are actually real benefits for the game associated with that spending. It does energize the Mets’ fan base.”

Andrew Tredinnick of the Record Sports reports that Elieser Hernandez will begin the season on the IL with a right shoulder strain, according to Billy Eppler.

Mets PA announcer Colin Cosell announced that he welcomed his first child, Eloise.

Latest MLB News

Jason Mackey of Pittsburgh Sports Now reports that plenty of conversation took place between Bryan Reynolds and the Pirates.  Both sides have moved from their original offers and seem genuinely interested in getting something done.

Rob Manfred said that the automated ball-strike system is “the next big one that’s on the agenda.” He continued by saying, “I do think that improved application of technology in the calling of balls and strikes over the long haul is a really good thing.” However, Manfred has a couple reservations about it that Evan Drellich of The Athletic covers in his article.

Sportico reports that the Miami Marlins have signed a jersey patch deal with home security firm ADT for at least three years. The multi-year deal with an option to extend is estimated to be worth roughly $5 million annually.

Yeimel Mendez reports that Franchy Cordero signed a deal with the New York Yankees.

Sam Blum of The Athletic reports that Angels radio broadcasts will once again call games remotely this season. Arte Moreno said airing in-person doesn’t justify the cost.

Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported news on the minor leaguers’ Senne lawsuit: a federal judge on Wednesday approved the $185 million settlement, finding objections to it lacked merit. The question now is whether an appeal is filed within 30 days. If there is no appeal, players could begin receiving money relatively soon.

Melissa Lockard of the Athletic reports that the Athletics have traded Cristian Pache to the Phillies for RHP Billy Sullivan.

Latest on MMO

Rich Sparago covers loopholes in the MLB’s new anti-shift rules.

Michelle Ioannou has MMO staff predictions on the Mets’ 2023 record and MLB division winners.

Rivka Boord has five bold predictions for the Mets in 2023.

Ricky Keeler covers the 2023 Binghamton Rumble Ponies Opening Day roster.

John Sheridan wrote part two of five prospects that missed MMO’s top 30 list.

Brian Wright covers some of the greatest Mets opening day moments.

On This Date in Mets History

2000: The Mets faced off against the Cubs in Tokyo for the second game of a two-game series. Rick Reed helped the Mets avenge the 5-3 loss from the prior day by giving up only one run in eight innings pitched. In the 11th inning, Benny Agbayani hit a walk-off grand slam to tie the series.

Birthdays: Jake Marisnick (32), Terry Bross (57)

The post Morning Briefing: Happy Opening Day! appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning, Mets fans!

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that minor league players officially joined the MLB Players Association on Wednesday after Major League Baseball voluntarily recognized the union as the players’ bargaining representatives.

The MLBPA intends to form a separate bargaining unit for the minor leaguers, including its own dues, player representatives and executive board. Negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement are expected to take place this offseason.

The MLB previously had taken steps to improve the working conditions of minor league players. Last year, MLB raised the minimum salaries for Minor League players, while the league began requiring teams to provide housing for most minor leaguers in 2022.

The Mets lost their third game in a row to the Cubs Wednesday, as they couldn’t overcome a six-run first inning. The Braves lost as well, so the Mets’ division lead remains 0.5 games for now.

Now, it is time for the morning briefing.

Latest Mets News

Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated has video of Brett Baty fielding ground balls at Citi Field.

Here’s Mets 3B Brett Baty (thumb surgery) fielding grounders at Citi Field pic.twitter.com/QAbzGlRU5s

— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) September 14, 2022

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports that Drew Smith is scheduled to pitch back-to-back outings on Friday and Saturday, after which the Mets may consider activating him. Smith (strained right lat) has been on the IL for the last seven weeks.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com also reports that Max Scherzer (left oblique tightness) struck out seven batters and allowed one run over 3 2/3 innings for Syracuse Wednesday night. Following his rehab start, Max Scherzer told reporters in Syracuse that he felt “excellent.” And when asked if he’ll be activated when eligible Monday in Milwaukee, Scherzer replied: “Yeah, I’m ready.”

Jacob Resnick of MLB Pipeline reports that nine Mets prospects were selected in Wednesday’s Dominican Winter League rookie draft: William Lugo, Luis Moreno, and Jeffrey Colón to the Estrellas, Franklin Sánchez and Joel Díaz to the Toros Michel Otañez to Licey, Junior Tilien to the Águilas, Omar De Los Santos to the Leones, and José Mena to the Gigantes.

ESPN claims that the Mets are the only team in the divisional era to get swept at home while 35+ games over .500 against a team 20-plus games under .500. Last team to suffer such a sweep: Detroit Tigers in the final three games of the 1968 regular season.

Latest MLB News

Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright made history tonight by making their 325th start together and becoming the duo with the most starts as a battery in MLB history.

MLB.com reports that MLB Network will exclusively air the entire 2022 American League Division Series and American League Championship Series in Spanish-language this Postseason.

Latest on MMO

Dan Quiñones has a recap of Wednesday’s 6-3 loss against the Cubs.

Michael J. Famulari has an article about the case for Tomás Nido winning the gold glove award.

Chris Bello discusses DH struggles for the Mets.

Michael Mayer reports on Jeff McNeil‘s chase for the batting title.

On This Date in Mets History

1969: In a season filled with miracles, the contest they played on September 15, 1969 is unexplainable. Facing Steve Carlton of the Cardinals, the Mets struck out 19 times which was then the record for the most strikeouts in a nine inning game. Despite the high number of batters fanned, the team stuck Carlton with a 4-3 loss thanks to a pair of two-run homers from Ron Swoboda.

Birthdays: Jason Hardtke (51), Doug Simons (56), Satoru Komiyama (57), John Christensen (62), John Pacella (66), Charley Smith (would’ve been 85 today)

The post Morning Briefing: Minor League Players Now Represented By MLBPA appeared first on Metsmerized Online.