Ryan Clifford. Photo Credit: James Farrance

The 2026 Syracuse Mets finished with an 81-68 record, good for a tie with Charlotte for second in the International League East overall and fourth in the International League as a whole.

It was a tale of two halves for the Syracuse Mets. In the first half of the season, they went 38-37, but improved in the second half, going 43-31. Syracuse would go on to barely miss out on the playoffs, coming down to the last day of the season where they were eventually eliminated by the Rochester Red Wings.

Part of the reason that Syracuse excelled in the second half was a large influx of talent, both internally and externally. Between the promotion of pitching prospect Jonathan Santucci, and deadline trades that brought in other prospects like Billy Amick, Émilien Pitre, and Zach Franklin, the team looked very different in the second half of the year.

The 2026 Syracuse Mets were a very interesting roster to look at. For the most part, many of the large contributors were a core of more veteran players with major-league experience. Specifically, players like MJ Melendez, Cristian Pache, and Vidal Bruján. These players are necessary to fill roster spots, potentially fill in for major league injuries (like we saw with Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto), and ultimately help win games. However, the most important aspect is the continued development and final test for prospects before they play for the New York Mets.

For the latter point, we saw Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns be very aggressive with prospects in 2026, in regards to the Syracuse Mets. Carson Benge, Mets rookie phenom, played 24 games at Syracuse in 2025, and bypassed continued time in 2026 to jump directly to the Majors. His counterpart, A.J. Ewing, played only 12 games this year in Syracuse before getting called up to the Mets. Zac Thornton put himself on the Mets radar by pitching well at Binghamton (Double-A), then was called up in the latter half of the year after throwing well enough at Syracuse. These types of development stories are critical for sustained success at the major league level.

On the mound, it was a weird year for some of the Mets’ top prospect arms. Jonah Tong took a big step back from his dominant 2025 and did not pitch well for most of 2026, however he finished strong and eventually got called up to the majors. Jack Wenninger experienced a very similar story, he was not able to follow up on a great 2025 in Binghamton. However, Syracuse also saw successful development from Santucci and a potential bullpen arm in Nate Lavender. As a team, Syracuse ranked 10th in ERA, ninth in strikeouts, and 10th in WHIP out of 20 International League teams.

At the plate, much of the Mets offense was carried by Melendez, Ronny Mauricio, and outfield prospect Nick Morabito. Fellow prospect Ryan Clifford experienced a very rough 2026, posting career lows in batting average, on base percentage, slugging, and OPS before eventually being put on the development list. He did play much better after coming back. Syracuse also got brief introductions to Amick, Pitre, and No. 1 prospect Jefferson Rojas at the end of the season, providing a well needed boost to the offense.

As a team, Syracuse ranked 14th in batting average, 15th in on-base percentage, eighth in slugging, 10th in OPS, and seventh in home runs out of 20 International League teams.

Jefferson Rojas. Photo Credit: Syracuse Mets

Coaching Staff

• Manager – Dick Scott
• Pitching Coach – A.J. Sager
• Assistant Pitching Coach – Troy Miller
• Hitting Coach – Nate Irving
• Bench Coach/Assistant Hitting Coach – John Nogowski
• Head Athletic Trainer – Austin Dayton
• Assistant Athletic Trainer – Joshua Jackson
• Strength and Conditioning Coach – Drew Skrocki
• Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach – Max Aronwold
• Baseball Technology and Video Associate – Pedro John

MMO Top Prospects (Min. 30 GP/30 IP)

• 3 – RHP Jonah Tong
• 5 – LHP Jonathan Santucci
• 7 – LHP Zac Thornton
• 8 – RHP Jack Wenninger
• 13 – 1B/COF Ryan Clifford
• 14 – OF Nick Morabito
• 21 – LHP Nate Lavender
• 32 – RHP Jonathan Pintaro
• 33 – RHP Dylan Ross
• 50 – RHP Ben Simon

Team Batting Leaders

• Games: Ryan Clifford – 115
• AB: Nick Morabito – 425
• Runs: Nick Morabito – 73
• Hits: Nick Morabito – 108
• 2B: MJ Melendez – 20
• 3B:  Cristian Pache – 4
• HR: MJ Melendez – 20
• RBI:  Ronny Mauricio – 57
• BB: Nick Morabito – 27
• SO: Ryan Clifford – 174
• SB: Nick Morabito – 42
• CS: Jihwan Bae/MJ Melendez – 6
• BA (Qualified): Nick Morabito – .254
• OBP (Qualified): Nick Morabito – .355
• SLG (Qualified): Nick Morabito – .388
• OPS (Qualified): Nick Morabito – .743

Note: Syracuse had two qualified hitters: Ryan Clifford and Nick Morabito.

Team Pitching Leaders

• W: Brian Metoyer/Ben Simon/Jonah Tong/Jack Wenninger – 5
• L: Jack Wenninger – 8
• ERA (min. 60 IP): Xzavion Curry – 3.36
• G: Dylan Ross – 45
• GS: Jonah Tong – 23
• SV: Dylan Ross/Anderson Severino – 5
• IP: Jack Wenninger – 115
• HR (allowed): Jonah Tong – 22
• BB: Jack Wenninger – 68
• SO: Jonah Tong – 126
• WHIP (min. 60 IP): Xzavion Curry – 1.19
• AVG (min. 30 IP): Tobias Myers – .180

2027 should be a very exciting year for Syracuse. Several of the Mets top prospects like Jefferson Rojas, Mitch Voit, Jonathan Santucci, Jack Wenninger, and Émilien Pitre will all likely begin with the team. Other prospects like Nick Morabito and Jonah Tong will be competing for a majoraleague roster spot. These players all can play roles in the near future for the New York Mets, and hope to turn it around from the disappointing year of 2026.

The post Syracuse Mets Season Recap: Postseason Push Falls Short appeared first on Metsmerized.

Jefferson Rojas. Photo Credit: Syracuse Mets

Triple-A

The Mets finished 43-31 in the second half and 81-68 overall.

Jefferson Rojas finished his season with one week at Triple-A, his first taste of the level just beneath the majors. Rojas shined, recording three home runs in his first three games. He finished 8-for-26 with the three homers, a walk and a stolen base. He also drove in seven runs. Rojas finished the season with an .843 OPS, and 12 home runs in his 35 games in the Mets organization.

Ryan Clifford finished strong in what was a lost season overall. In the final week, he went 3-for-12 with a home run, a double and two walks. He ends the season with a .640 OPS, but a .978 OPS in his last 11 games after coming back from the Developmental List.

Vidal Bruján went 7-for-18 with two doubles, a home run, and a team-leading eight RBIs. He also walked twice and stole a base. Bruján finished his season with an .806 OPS in Syracuse.

Billy Amick struggled in the final week, going just 2-for-19 with two doubles, two walks and 10 strikeouts. In 24 games with Syracuse, Amick finished with a .769 OPS.

Jonathan Santucci ended his season on a solid note, allowing three earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed three hits, three walks and struck out six. Santucci ends with a 5.24 Triple-A ERA and a 4.03 ERA overall.

Saul Garcia made three total appearances, including one start. He allowed two runs in five innings, giving up three hits, a walk and three strikeouts. Garcia finished the season with a 3.56 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A.

Ben Simon made two appearances out of the bullpen, allowing no runs in four innings. He didn’t record a strikeout, but he allowed just two hits and a walk. Simon had a 4.02 ERA with Syracuse this year.

Organizational Leaders

Batting

• AVG – Yonny Hernández (SYR) – .305
• OPS – MJ Melendez (SYR) – .964
• HR – Billy Amick (BNG/SYR) – 38
• SB – Mitch Voit (BRK/BNG) – 45

Pitching (min. 10 innings)

• ERA – Justin Armbruester (STL/BRK/BNG) – .108
• SO – Jonathan Santucci (BNG/SYR) – 163
• WHIP – Justin Armbruester (STL/BRK/BNG) – 0.880

Players of the Week

Offense – Jefferson Rojas, INF Syracuse

Jefferson Rojas is the Mets’ no. 1 prospect, and it’s clear to see why. He’s been exceptional since joining the organization, and his success with Binghamton easily transferred to the week he spent with Syracuse. With second base and potentially third base being question marks for the Mets next season, the 21-year-old Rojas has a chance to be the next young, exciting prospect to join the Mets.

Pitching – Ben Simon, P Syracuse

Ben Simon is not a household name, but he had a pretty solid season between Double-A and Triple-A. The 24-year-old had a 3.56 ERA in 47 games across the two levels and was one of only a few Syracuse pitchers to not allow a run in the season’s final week.

The post Minors Weekly Report: No Mets Affiliates Make Postseason appeared first on Metsmerized.

Entering Sunday, Syracuse is a half-game back of a playoff spot. To clinch a berth, they will need to win their game and see Rochester lose their contest. Memphis, who has struggled in the second half, won the league’s first half and has already clinched a playoff berth.

Like most minor league structures, the International League is split up into two halves. Of the 20 International League teams, only two make the playoffs. The first-half winner and second-half winner; this is unrelated to divisional standings. For example, two teams from the same division (East or West) can make the playoffs.

Entering Sunday, Rochester (Washington Nationals affiliate) own a 44-30 record while Syracuse has a 43-30 record. As previously mentioned, the only way for the Mets to clinch the second-half International League title is if they win and Rochester losses.

Rochester is set to take on Buffalo at 12:05 pm ET. Buffalo is 68-78 overall and 33-38 in the second-half. The projected pitching matchup in that game is Connelly Early for Rochester and Josh Winckowski for Buffalo.

Syracuse’s game is set for a 1:05 pm ET first pitch. Xzavion Curry is set to start the game for Syracuse. Lehigh Valley’s starting pitcher is to be announced. The IronPigs are 32-41 in the second-half and are 3-7 over their last 10 games.

It has been a magical second half for Syracuse to say the least. The team has won five in a row and is 8-2 in their last 10 games. Their victory Saturday night may have been the most dramatic of the bunch as D’Andre Smith hit a walk-off two-run homer to give Syracuse life entering the last day of the regular season.

The post Syracuse Has Chance To Clinch Playoff Berth On Season’s Final Day appeared first on Metsmerized.

D’Andre Smith. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

D’Andre Smith made sure that Triple-A Syracuse would have at least one more meaningful game to play in September.

The Mets were two outs from missing the playoffs when Smith hit a walk-off, two-run home run for a 5-4 win over Lehigh Valley Saturday that kept them a half-game back of Rochester in the International League second-half standings with one game to play. See the homer here.

Syracuse, which has won five in a row, needs to win Sunday and have Rochester lose to make the playoffs.

Triple-A

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (67-81) 4, Syracuse Mets (81-67) 5

Box Score

• CF D’Andre Smith, 1-for-5, HR (6), 2 RBI (.929 OPS)
• 3B Jefferson Rojas, 0-for-4, 2 K (1.335 OPS)
• 1B Billy Amick, 1-for-4, 2B, R, 3 K (.778 OPS)
• RF MJ Melendez, 1-for-4, K (.965 OPS)
• DH Ryan Clifford, 0-for-2, R, BB (.640 OPS)
• 2B Vidal Bruján, 1-for-3, 2B, SAC (.806 OPS)
• SS Zack Short, 2-for-3, 2B, 3 RBI, BB (.703 OPS)
• C Hayden Senger, 1-for-3, R, K (.753 OPS)

Smith also made a diving catch in center field with the bases loaded. The 25-year-old was a fifth-round pick in 2022 out of USC. He is not a top prospect, but has played well in 30 games at Syracuse with six homers, five doubles and 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts. He posted a .651 OPS in 31 games at Double-A Binghamton this year.

• RHP Dan Hammer (4.07 ERA) 2 IP, H, 2 K
• RHP Matt Seelinger (4.28 ERA) IP, H, 3 K
• LHP Matt Turner (4.91 ERA) 2 IP, H, BB, 2 K
• RHP Zach Franklin (3.69 ERA) IP, BB, 2 K
• RHP Chayce McDermott (3.60 ERA) IP, ER, 3 H, K, W

The post Mets Minors Recap: D’Andre Smith’s Walk-Off Homer Keeps Syracuse Alive appeared first on Metsmerized.

Find the latest stats and news across the Mets minor leagues in the Minors Weekly Report below.

Jefferson Rojas. Photo Credit: Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Triple-A

The Syracuse Mets went 4-2 against the St. Paul Saints in their penultimate series of the International League regular season. The Mets are now 38-30 in the second half of the season and 76-67 overall.

To make the playoffs and finish second in the International League in the second half, Syracuse would need to gain a game on Scranton/Wilkes-Barre across the final six games. They’re currently a half-game behind the RailRiders. (Rochester finished first in the first half, so no need to catch them.) They’ll have top prospect Jefferson Rojas joining them for the final series of the year.

MJ Melendez continued his scorching Triple-A success, going 8-for-21 this week with a double, four home runs, 10 RBIs and six walks. Melendez now has a .979 OPS in 70 games with Syracuse.

Billy Amick also displayed his power, going 7-for-27 with two doubles and three home runs. Amick now has eight home runs and an .866 OPS in Syracuse, and an .867 OPS overall.

Ryan Clifford has not had a good season, but he had a good week, going 4-for-11 with two doubles, a triple and a home run. Clifford also added a walk and improved his OPS to .630.

Jonathan Santucci tossed five solid innings, allowing a run on five hits and no walks with six strikeouts. Santucci lowered his Triple-A ERA to 5.28. He was recently named the Mets’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Jack Wenninger allowed two runs in five innings, doing so on six hits, two walks and seven strikeouts. Wenninger now has a 4.21 ERA this season.

Gabe Davis. (Photo Credits: Binghamton Rumble Ponies)

Double-A

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies went 1-4 in their final series of the season against the Portland Sea Dogs, cancelling the final game due to weather. The Rumble Ponies finished 34-34 in the second half of the season, going 61-76 overall.

Corey Collins only went 3-for-15, but he recorded a double and two home runs. Collins also added three RBIs, raising his Double-A OPS to .902.

Marco Vargas led the team with seven hits in 18 at-bats, recording two doubles, a triple and three stolen bases. Vargas finished the season strong, ending with a .770 OPS in 53 Double-A games.

Gabe Davis allowed just one run in his start of 4 1/3 innings. He gave up four hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Davis now has a 2.53 ERA in six appearances with Double-A Binghamton.

Bryce Conley pitched twice out of the bullpen, combining to throw 4 2/3 scoreless innings. He allowed just a hit and two walks with seven strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 5.81.

Organizational Leaders

Batting

• AVG – Yonny Hernández (SYR) – .305
• OPS – MJ Melendez (SYR) – .979
• HR – Billy Amick (BNG/SYR) – 38
• SB – Mitch Voit (BRK/BNG) – 45

Pitching (min. 10 innings)

• ERA – Justin Armbruester (STL/BRK/BNG) – .108
• SO – Jonathan Santucci (BNG/SYR) – 157
• WHIP – Justin Armbruester (STL/BRK/BNG) – 0.880

Players of the Week

Offense – MJ Melendez, OF Syracuse

MJ Melendez has done nothing but rake in Triple-A, now up to 22 home runs and an OPS near 1.000 in 70 games. He showed flashes of his offensive ability with the major league squad earlier in the year, but not enough to stick around. At the very least, he’s solid depth and a veteran presence in the Syracuse lineup.

Pitching – Jonathan Santucci, P Syracuse

Jonathan Santucci has struggled in seven total starts since his promotion to Triple-A, but he’s had a good season overall with a 3.99 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A. The 23-year-old is one of the Mets’ top pitching prospects and could be a factor on the major league squad as soon as next season.

Upcoming Schedule – September 15-20

• Triple-A Syracuse: vs. Lehigh Valley

The post Minors Weekly Report: Rumble Ponies Come Up Short of Playoffs appeared first on Metsmerized.

Rojas and the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies saw their season come to an end Sunday after their season finale was cancelled due to weather. Rojas now joins a Syracuse team right in the middle of a playoff race. Entering Sunday, the Triple-A Mets were 1.5 games back of first place in the International League.

Rojas was acquired from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Tyrone Taylor and Clay Holmes at the MLB trade deadline. Rojas has dominated with Binghamton since the deal, slashing .280/.336/.593 (.929 OPS). Across the 29 games following the trade he posted 18 extra-base hits and 29 RBIs.

Overall, on the season, Rojas posted a 20-20 year in Double-A. He tallied 24 homers and 20 stolen bases. It has been a massive season for the 21-year-old infielder thus far.

Rojas will now get a shot to build on these Double-A successes with the Mets’ Triple-A team in the thick of a playoff race.

The post Report: Jefferson Rojas Promoted To Triple-A appeared first on Metsmerized.

Acquired at the trade deadline for A.J. Minter, Amick’s had a loud start to his Mets career. He hit seven homers in 12 games for Double-A Binghamton before his promotion, and has hit five homers in 12 games for Triple-A Syracuse since.

But Amick also strikes out a lot. Yes, a lot of power hitters do, but he strikes out at a rate that even eclipses most of them. Let’s dive into the numbers to find out how concerning the contact issues are, and whether the hype is warranted or if the brakes should be pumped a little bit.

(All stats are of Sept. 8)

Strikeout Rate

Let’s start with basic strikeout rate. At Double-A this season, Amick struck out 127 times in 433 plate appearances, a 29.33% clip.

Since 2021, there have been 105 players to strike out at least 29% of the time in at least 400 plate appearances at Double-A. Only seven have gone on to have any moment of sustained offensive success at the big-league level: Christopher Morel, Michael Toglia, Brenton Doyle, Dillon Dingler, Griffin Conine, Owen Caissie and Spencer Jones.

There are some good players here. Dingler rode a red-hot first half into his first career All-Star selection, but it’s worth noting he has an OPS in the mid-.600s in about 200 plate appearances since the break. Caissie also had a hot start, but has been well below average ever since the third week of the season. Toglia hit 25 home runs in 2024 with the Colorado Rockies, but has since all but fallen out of the league because of his struggles to make contact. Doyle too hit 23 home runs that same year for Colorado, but has seen his offensive production fall off a cliff the last two years. He sticks around because he is an excellent center field defender. Morel is a New York Met right now and showed some promise early in his career with the Chicago Cubs, but has struggled to make rosters over the last three seasons.

The best two of the bunch have been Conine and Jones. Conine showed flashes in his first two abbreviated looks in 2024 and 2025, and has taken his game to the next level in 2026. It’s the largest run of big-league playing time he’s received, and he’s producing. Jones made his MLB debut this year, and while he’s not wowing anyone, he’s staying afloat, producing at a slightly above-average rate through his first 70-plus games.

I am very hesitant to truly declare that either of them will keep this up, though, and it’s for a very simple reason. Look at the other players on the list with them. We’ve seen this before. Conine is a little under 450 plate appearances into his big-league career, and Jones a little under 250 into his. Through his first two years, Morel had a 113 OPS+ through his first two seasons and 854 plate appearances. He also struck out 28.1% of the time, and things eventually unraveled. I think Conine has the best chance to sustain, as his strikeout rate is sitting a hair under 30%, but Jones is over 35%. He’s due for some serious regression.

There have been a handful of others who have big-league service time but never came close to even league-average offensive production: Kahlil Watson, Denzel Clarke, Robert Hassell III, Kyren Paris, Gage Workman, Kameron Misner, Shay Whitcomb and Bryce Teodosio.

There are players at the MLB level who do strike out a lot and produce, though. Kyle Schwarber is the most famous example of this, who is striking out 32.4% of the time and produces more than almost anyone in the league. Oneil Cruz, Nick Kurtz and James Wood all strike out a lot and produce among the best hitters in the league.

But these guys, for the most part, did not strike out that much in the minor leagues. In Schwarber’s 243 plate appearances in Double-A, he struck out 20.2% of the time. Cruz struck out 24.2% of the time. Kurtz flew through the minors but struck out 25.7% of the time in his 101 career MiLB plate appearances in 2025. Wood, who struck out 33.7% of the time at Double-A, is the exception. What he did, though, is cut that number significantly at the next level. His strikeout rate dropped down to 18.2% at Triple-A, and he subsequently gained 49 points in wRC+.

It’s natural to expect a player’s strikeout rate to jump when facing MLB pitching. MLB pitchers are better than Double-A pitchers. If the jump is from the low-to-mid 20s to the high 20s or low 30s—while it will be difficult—some elite power hitters can do it and still produce. But if the starting point is in the high 20s or low 30s and then it jumps even higher, it’s proven to be almost impossible to be productive over an extended stretch.

Amick, right now, is in the latter group.

Billy Amick. Photo Credit: Syracuse Mets

In-Zone Contact Rate

Alright, now for in-zone contact rate, which measures exactly what you think it would: how often a player makes contact on pitches in the zone that they swing at. This arguably paints a better picture than strikeout rate. A poor in-zone contact rate is generally under 80%. For reference, among Mets players with at least 200 plate appearances, Francisco Alvarez (77.1%) and Mark Vientos (79.8%) sit at the bottom, with Bo Bichette (90.3%) and Tyrone Taylor (88.2%) at the top. Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing all sit right about in the 84-86% range.

At Triple-A, Amick’s in-zone contact rate is 70.8%. It’s a very small sample size, but it’s the only level Amick has played at this season that has Statcast data available. His overall contact rate is available at both levels, and it’s pretty consistent across both, so it’s reasonable to figure that his in-zone contact rate is also likely consistent.

There are some familiar names near him on the list. Current Los Angeles Angels outfielder Josh Lowe is there at 68.6%, and he’s been slightly better but still bad in the bigs at 73.6%. Spencer Jones is also here at 69.1%, and he has also improved slightly, up to 74% with the big club. Other recognizable names include Jose Siri, Ryan Noda, Nolan Gorman, Chris Taylor, Blake Perkins, Jacob Melton, Paul DeJong and Tomás Nido. Generally, it’s either young players who haven’t been able to stick due to contact issues or guys trying to hang on at the end of their careers. There are a ton of guys who never made it, too.

One of the more notable names on this list for Mets fans is Ryan Clifford, who has a 73.1% in-zone contact rate. Clifford’s struggles this year have been well documented, and they stem from the amount of swing-and-miss in his game. Amick swings and misses almost exactly as much as Clifford.

Perhaps the best comp, though, is former Mets minor leaguer Luke Ritter. The former Syracuse Mets slugger played 22 games at Triple-A this year for the Phillies before he was released. In those games, his in-zone contact rate was 68.7%. That’s down from where he was with the Mets, but not by a ton. In parts of three Triple-A seasons in the Mets organization, Ritter generally ran an in-zone contact rate between 74-78%. He hit a lot of home runs, and his 26 jacks in 2024 paired with a .849 OPS started some to call for him to be promoted. He never got the call, though, and saw his OPS drop under .700 in 2025 before the Mets moved on.

Ritter was a utility player who saw most of his time at the two corner infield spots but also played some second base and corner outfield. Amick offers less defensive versatility, only playing first and third base, while also making less contact.

When we go back over the last few years to see who else ran similar in-zone contact rates, we see a lot of players who got MLB looks because of their power but could never hang around. Eric Haase. Stone Garrett. Parker Meadows. Bobby Dalbec. These are the players who make contact similar to Amick. They produce in the minors. Dalbec had an .874 OPS with 24 homers in 105 Triple-A games last season. He also had a 73.1% in-zone contact rate. He is playing in Japan this season.

Every once in a while, a name like Zack Gelof pops up, but even then, he actually only reinforces this point. Gelof is having a positive 2026 season, posting an OPS in the high .700s with close to 20 homers. He’s been an above-average hitter this year, no doubt. He’s also raised his in-zone contact rate almost a full 10%, from 68.1% last season to 77.9% this season. It’s still not good, but it’s much better. It’s been good enough for him to produce, even if his home ballpark in Sacramento has helped (he has an OPS close to .900 at home and under .700 on the road). He was unplayable last season with a .502 OPS in 101 plate appearances. Now, his contact improves, and it’s a completely different story.

A player doesn’t need elite contact to produce. Schwarber, Kurtz and those like them are proof of that. But it also can’t be as low as Amick’s currently is. Kurtz’s in-zone contact is at 73% and Schwarber’s is at 76.4% this year versus big-league pitching. In his 97 Triple-A plate appearances last season, Kurtz’s in-zone contact 2as 79.5%. Data doesn’t extend far enough back for Schwarber.

Amick’s 70.8% in-zone contact rate versus Triple-A pitching is unsustainable. His power is real, and he’s only 23 years old. There’s plenty of time for him to make some contact gains. But there’s a reason he was not ranked inside the Minnesota Twins’ top 30 prospects on MLB Pipeline or Baseball America when he was acquired, nor is he ranked for the Mets now. Until those contact gains come, he should not be viewed as a legitimate option for the big-league roster.

The post Diving Into the Contact Numbers of Billy Amick appeared first on Metsmerized.

Find the latest stats and news across the Mets minor leagues in the Minors Weekly Report below.

Elian Peña by Ed Delany / MMO

Triple-A

The Syracuse Mets earned a series win, going 4-2 in their series against the Rochester Red Wings. The Mets are now 34-28 in the second half of the season and 72-65 overall.

Hayden Senger had a really strong series, going 7-for-13 with a double, a home run, a walk and a stolen base. The catcher has a .749 OPS on the season in Syracuse.

MJ Melendez continued his success at the Triple-A level, going 8-for-20 with three doubles, a home run and a walk. Melendez has been excellent all season in the minors, owning a .927 OPS in 64 games.

D’Andre Smith went 8-for-23, recording a double, a home run, three walks and three stolen bases. The speedster has a 1.003 OPS at the Triple-A level and a .756 OPS.

Gary Gill Hill put together a strong Triple-A debut, allowing two runs (one earned) in five innings on six hits, a walk and four strikeouts. Gill Hill has a 3.44 ERA since joining the Mets organization and a 4.25 ERA overall.

Jonathan Santucci also tossed five productive innings, allowing two runs on five hits, a walk and six strikeouts. Santucci has a 6.00 ERA in six starts since his promotion.

Chayce McDermott threw three scoreless innings across two relief appearances, doing so on three hits, a walk and six strikeouts. McDermott has not allowed a run in his first three appearances with Syracuse.

Jefferson Rojas. Photo Credit: Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Double-A

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies also won their series 4-2, defeating the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. The Rumble Ponies are 33-30 in the second half of the season and 60-72 overall. They unfortunately would need a bit of a miracle to have the best record in the Eastern League in the second half and make the playoffs.

Jefferson Rojas continues to shine as he went 6-for-19 with a double, two home runs, three walks and a stolen base. Rojas has been excellent with Binghamton, owning a .961 OPS in 26 games with the team and an .837 OPS overall.

Jamari Baylor only went 4-for-15, but he recorded a double, a triple and a home run. Baylor also walked, and he has a .770 OPS in 12 games with Binghamton.

Marco Vargas went 5-for-13, recording only singles but walking four times and stealing two bases. Vargas owns a .748 OPS in 49 games at the Double-A level.

Luke Gabrysh looked great, tossing five scoreless innings in his start. He allowed two hits and hit two batters but didn’t allow a walk. He also struck out five. Gabrysh has a 5.93 ERA with Binghamton and a 5.10 ERA overall.

Noah Hall also put together five scoreless innings, doing so on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts. Hall has a 5.68 ERA in six starts.

R.J. Gordon shined, allowing one run in six innings. He allowed three hits and two walks while striking out five. Gordon now has a 4.52 ERA on the year.

Ronald Hernandez. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

High-A

The Brooklyn Cyclones went 1-6 in against the Frederick Keys, with the extra game accounting for the continuation of a suspended game from earlier in the season. This was Brooklyn’s final series of the season as they finished 32-34 in the second half of the season and 57-74 overall.

Colin Houck looked good in the final week of the season, going 5-for-14, with a double and two home runs. He also walked once, improving his OPS to .634.

Ronald Hernandez also launched two home runs, doing so while batting 5-for-18. He added two walks and a stolen base, and he now owns a .669 OPS.

Aiden Robbins finished his first stint of pro ball strong, going 6-for-18 with a home run and three walks. The Mets’ third-round pick recorded an .837 OPS in 26 games across Low-A and High-A.

Daviel Hurtado allowed three runs in five innings in his start, but only one of the runs was earned. Hurtado allowed four hits and two walks with four strikeouts, lowering his High-A ERA to 2.69.

Emilio Obispo also allowed one earned run in five innings, allowing two hits, two walks, and three strikeouts. Obispo owns a 3.67 ERA in six starts at the High-A level.

Low-A

The St. Lucie Mets went 4-1 against the Jupiter Hammerheads, playing just five games in their final series of the season. The Mets finished the second half at 25-39 and went 58-72 overall.

Ryan Tayman mashed in this series, going 5-for-10 with three home runs and a double. He also walked three times and recorded six RBIs. Tayman recorded a 1.011 OPS in his first 21 games of pro ball.

Yovanny Rodriguez went 4-for-14, but he recorded two homers, five walks and a stolen base. Rodriguez owns a .765 OPS in 25 games with the Mets.

Branny De Oleo went just 3-for-10, but he recorded two doubles, a home run and six walks while also stealing two bases. De Oleo had a 731 OPS in 89 games with St. Lucie this season.

Zack Mack was solid out of the bullpen, allowing no runs in 2 2/3 innings across two appearances. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out four. Mack had a 2.89 ERA in 34 games with St. Lucie.

Owen Woodward also recorded no runs allowed on 2 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. Woodward gave up two hits and a walk while striking out three, lowering his Low-A ERA to 5.56.

Organizational Leaders

Batting

• AVG – Yonny Hernández (SYR) – .305
• OPS – MJ Melendez (SYR) – .927
• HR – Billy Amick (BNG/SYR) – 35
• SB – Mitch Voit (BRK/BNG) – 43

Pitching (min. 10 innings)

• ERA – Justin Armbruester (STL/BRK/BNG) – .108
• SO – Jonathan Santucci (BNG/SYR) – 151
• WHIP – Justin Armbruester (STL/BRK/BNG) – 0.880

Players of the Week

Offense – Jefferson Rojas, INF Binghamton

Jefferson Rojas joined the Mets at the trade deadline and immediately became the team’s best prospect. He’s only added to that with a great stretch of games since joining the team, as he has nine home runs and 29 RBIs in 26 games with the team. The 21-year-old is set to be a big part of the Mets’ future in the infield.

Pitching – Luke Gabrysh, P Binghamton

It wasn’t a great week for pitching in the Mets’ minor leagues, but Gabrysh didn’t allow a hit and put together his best start at the Double-A level. Gabrysh was part of the return in the trade that sent Brooks Raley to Philadelphia, and while he hasn’t had the best season, he’s shown enough flashes of effectiveness to be hopeful for the future.

Upcoming Schedule – September 8-13

• Triple-A Syracuse: @ St. Paul
• Double-A Binghamton: @ Portland

The post Minors Weekly Report: Brooklyn, St. Lucie Finish Disappointing Seasons appeared first on Metsmerized.

Find the latest stats and news across the Mets minor leagues in the Minors Weekly Report below.

Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Triple-A

The Syracuse Mets defeated the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs 4-2 in their six-game set. The Mets are now 30-26 in the second half of the season and 68-63 overall.

Mark Vientos looked confident and strong as he rehabs his way back to the major league squad. Vientos launched five home runs, including a three-homer game, finishing 9-for-18 in five games. He led the Mets with eight RBIs and also added a walk. Once activated from the injured list, he hit a homer in Monday night’s win over the Rays.

Billy Amick found his groove in Triple-A, going 6-for-21 with three home runs and six RBIs. He also added a walk. Amick now has a .762 OPS in 11 games in Syracuse and an .856 OPS overall.

MJ Melendez continued his Triple-A success, going 8-for-24 with five doubles, two home runs and six RBIs. He also had a walk and now has a .908 OPS with Syracuse.

The Syracuse Mets had six pitchers combine for a no-hitter, the team’s first since 1971. Tobias Myers got the bulk of the work, tossing three perfect innings. Myers finished the week with one run allowed in 5 1/3 innings on one hit, no walks and seven strikeouts. Myers has a 3.97 ERA in Triple-A.

Jonah Tong also came one out away from tossing a seven-inning no-hitter in a doubleheader, allowing just one hit across seven shutout innings. He walked just two and struck out eight. Tong has been pitching well lately, lowering his season ERA to 4.54.

Jonathan Santucci also had an effective start, allowing two runs in five innings. Santucci struck out seven and now has a 6.63 ERA in five Triple-A starts.

Jefferson Rojas. Photo Credit: Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Double-A

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies came back down to earth with a 4-2 series loss against the Reading Fightin’ Phils. Binghamton had won each of their three full series in the month of August before this series loss. They are now 29-28 in the second half of the season and 56-70 overall.

Jefferson Rojas had a strong week, going 6-for-22 with one double, three home runs and six RBIs. He also walked once. Rojas now has a .931 OPS in 21 games with the Rumble Ponies and an .826 OPS overall.

Kevin Parada led the team with eight hits, going 8-for-16. Despite batting .500 in the series, he didn’t record an extra-base hit or a walk. Parada now has a .651 OPS with the Rumble Ponies.

Chris Suero only went 4-for-18, but he recorded two home runs, seven RBIs and six walks. Suero also stole a base. He now owns a .779 OPS in 104 games at the Double-A level this season.

R.J. Gordon looked strong again, allowing three runs in six innings. Gordon allowed seven hits and two walks with six strikeouts. He now owns a 4.73 ERA this season, including a 2.50 ERA in his last six starts.

Noah Hall matched Gordon with three runs allowed in six innings. Like Gordon, Hall also allowed seven hits but didn’t allow any walks. He also struck out six, and has a 6.75 ERA in ERA in five starts with Binghamton.

Gary Gill Hill allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings in his start. Gill Hill allowed seven hits and no walks while striking out seven. Gill Hill now has a 3.63 ERA in four starts in the Mets organization and a 4.34 ERA overall.

Yonatan Henriquez Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

High-A

The Brooklyn Cyclones earned a series split against the Hudson Valley Renegades. Brooklyn slightly outscored Hudson Valley 27-25 in what was a very even series. The Cyclones are now 31-28 in the second half of the season and 56-68 overall.

Sammy Stafura finally heated up as a member of the Mets organization, going 4-for-17 with two doubles and two home runs. Stafura also recorded three walks and a stolen base. He has a .771 OPS with Brooklyn and a .912 OPS overall.

Yonatan Henriquez had an excellent week at the plate and on the basepaths, going 9-for-24 with three doubles and a home run. He also walked three times and recorded six stolen bases without being caught. Henriquez has just a .663 OPS this year, but a .964 OPS in his last 26 games.

Nicolas Carreno had a solid start, allowing three runs in 5 2/3 innings. Carreno allowed four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. He now owns a 4.13 ERA with Brooklyn.

Ryan Dollar looked strong in three relief appearances, combining to allow no runs in five innings. Dollar allowed just three hits and no walks with seven strikeouts. Dollar now owns a 2.50 ERA in 29 games out of the Cyclones bullpen.

Joel Díaz had a strong, but brief, start with 3 2/3 shutout innings. He allowed three baserunners and struck out four. Díaz has a 6.29 ERA in 12 games with Brooklyn.

Aiden Robbins. Photo credit: University of Texas

Low-A

The St. Lucie Mets also split their series against the Daytona Tortugas. The Mets are now 21-38 in the second half of the season and 54-71 overall.

Branny De Oleo had a phenomenal week, going 6-for-13 with a double, two home runs and four RBIs. De Oleo also walked twice, and now has a .706 OPS this season.

Aiden Robbins went 6-for-21, recording a double, two home runs and eight RBIs. Robbins also walked four times. The third-round pick now has an .826 OPS in his first 20 professional games. He was promoted to High-A to end the year.

Yovanny Rodriguez went 6-for-19 with two doubles and two home runs, driving in six runs. Rodriguez improved his OPS to .678 with his strong week.

Christian Rodriguez was dominant on the mound in two appearances, combining to allow two runs in seven innings. Rodriguez gave up seven hits and four walks but also struck out six. He owns a 4.11 ERA this year.

Brett Banks had a good week out of the bullpen, allowing one run in four innings across three appearances. Banks allowed four baserunners and struck out six, lowering his ERA with St. Lucie to 11.37 in six games.

Organizational Leaders

Batting

• AVG – Yonny Hernández (SYR) – .305
• OPS – Sammy Stafura (BRK) – .912
• HR – Billy Amick (BNG/SYR) – 34
• SB – Nick Morabito (SYR)/Mitch Voit (BRK/BNG) – 42

Pitching (min. 10 innings)

• ERA – Justin Armbruester (STL/BRK/BNG) – 1.08
• SO – Jonathan Santucci (BNG/SYR) – 145
• WHIP – Justin Armbruester (STL/BRK/BNG) – 1.08

Players of the Week

Offense – Mark Vientos, 1B/3B Syracuse

Mark Vientos needs to do everything he can as he works his way back from injury to earn playing time once he returns to the Mets. His role is uncertain because of his poor play before his injury and the emergence of Jared Young, but Vientos showed this week the kind of player he can be when he gets hot. Five home runs in five games is no small feat, and Vientos will need to keep hitting if he wants regular playing time once he gets activated.

Pitching – Jonah Tong, P Syracuse

Jonah Tong is a prime candidate to be called up to the Mets when rosters expand Tuesday. His 2026 season has been rough, but he’s been great lately and turned in his best outing of the year in his last start. It’s been encouraging to see Tong turn the corner, and it’ll be interesting to see how he can contribute to the major league team down the stretch. He won’t be called up on September 1, but he could over the final weeks.

Upcoming Schedule – September 1-6

• Triple-A Syracuse: vs. Rochester
• Double-A Binghamton: vs. New Hampshire
• High-A Brooklyn: @ Frederick
• Low-A St. Lucie: vs. Jupiter

The post Minors Weekly Report: Syracuse Receives Pair of Dominant Pitching Efforts appeared first on Metsmerized.

Obviously, if everything was going well Clifford would not have been put on this list. On the season Clifford is slashing .175/.267/.344 (.611 OPS). Both his 72.9% zone-contact rate and 37.9% strikeout rate are the worst in Triple-A while his 34.6% whiff rate is in the bottom five percent in Triple-A. He has been put on this list because there is something he needs to fix.

But what is the development list and what players have come off it to have success?

So What is the Development List?

Created in 2021 the development list allows minor league organizations to monitor prospect’s usage and development, while allowing the player to stay with the team to continue learning. It has been used for anything from helping to limit a pitcher’s pitch count to making large swing overhauls. It is for healthy players the team want to get more hands on instruction outside of game play.

Utilizing this list removes the player from that minor league team roster, also opening up a spot for another player to get playing time. In the case of Ryan Clifford, that player was Billy Amick. Instead of putting the player on the injured list with a “phantom injury” they can be put on the development list. Players also get to keep the salary for the level they are at while on the list.

Ryan Clifford. Photo Credit: James Farrance

What Players Have Had Success After Being on This List?

The biggest success story of a player put on the development list for performance is probably Geraldo Perdomo who was put on the list July 8, 2021. At the time Perdomo was slashing .151/.305/.204 (.509 OPS) in Double-A. When he returned from the list between Double-A and Triple-A across the remainder of the season he slashed .329/.414/.521 (.935 OPS) and even got the call to the majors at the end of the season slashing .258/.378/.419 (.797 OPS) across 11 games.

Perdomo has gone on to be a .253/.350/.374 (.724 OPS) hitter across 690 games which includes an all star appearance in 2023 and a fourth-place MVP finish and Silver Slugger Award in 2025. His major league success helped him earn a four-year $45 million contract.

A recent debut who was put on the list for offensive struggles was Joshua Baez. He was placed on the development list on July 30, 2024 and there were questions at the time about whether or not he would be protected in the rule five draft. At the time he was slashing .225/.306/.388 (.694 OPS) and was coming off a month where he hit .171 with only three extra bases. In his fifteen games after going on the list he slashed .340/.459/.500 (.959 OPS) and by the time he debuted in the majors he was considered one of the best prospects in the game. He started off his major league career with four home runs and while he has not done a ton in the few games since, he has the tools to have a strong major league career.

Evan Carter is a bit more of a mixed bag. He was put on development list on June 2, 2023 after struggling through May slashing .226/.321/.269 (.590 OPS). By the end of that season he debuted in the majors slashing .306/.413/.645 (1.058 OPS) across 23 games, playing a huge part in the Texas Rangers 2023 World Series win. He struggled in 2024 and has battled injuries across the last few seasons, but had a decent 2025 slashing .247/.336/.392 (.728 OPS).

A player who has not debuted but has drastically improved his stock is Arjun Nimmala who was placed on the development list May 14, 2024 while slashing .167/.280/.306 (.586 OPS). He returned in June and for the remainder of the season slashed. .263/.346/.565 (.911 OPS). MLB Pipeline currently has him ranked the 38th-best prospect in baseball and he was the centerpiece in the Jose Soriano trade at the most recent trade deadline.

Some players are moved for load management reasons like Jackson Merrill who performed well in 2023 with a .782 OPS before going on the list or Braxton Ashcraft in 2023 who at the time had thrown a career high innings pitched but had a 1.35 ERA in Double-A.

What Does This Mean for Ryan Clifford?

Going on the development list is not a death sentence. What it means is that he has legitimate issues that need to be addressed that the team felt could not be addressed through playing Triple-A games. We have seen him struggle and bounce back before. With the Mets in 2023 he slashed .188/.307/.376 (.683 OPS). He followed that up with seasons where he put up a .793 and then .826 OPS.

Clifford needs to figure out why he is struggling so heavily to make contact and see the ball. He still has incredible power but he is not walking in the minors at near a high enough rate (10.9%) to be a three true outcomes player. He also does not have the defensive profile that some of the players noted above have to fall back on. If he is unable to correct these issues it is possible he may not even be protected in the rule five draft. But it is still possible the Mets find the issue and are able to address it with time for Clifford to end 2026 on a high note.

The post What Is The Development List? appeared first on Metsmerized.