Mets' 2025 top 50 prospects

This is the fourth year where this top prospect list of mine has been done with a tiered approach, rather than an ordered list. It’s my opinion that a tiered list is more valuable than trying to guess which older reliever is better than the others and should rank higher, only for the best one to make a very minimal contribution in the majors. Regardless, this is the preferred age by level:

23 – Triple-A Syracuse (SYR)
22 – Double-A Binghamton (BNG)
21 – Hi-A Brooklyn (BRK)
20 – Lo-A St. Lucie (SLU)
19 – Florida Complex League (FCL)

Keith Olbermann said that the Super Bowl was a brand name, not an adjective. And that applies to this top 50 list, which has 69 players on it. Within tiers, all players are listed in alphabetical order. And it’s very possible that a fourth-tier player is a better prospect than a second-tier guy. While most players make the majors by their age-24 season, there are always exceptions.

This list does not consider anyone older than 25 during the 2024 season. Max Kranick is still technically a rookie and eligible for most top prospect lists. But he won’t be listed below, as he’s now 27 years old. It’s my view that missing out on Kranick isn’t a big deal. My opinion is that it’s more valuable to list guys from the lower level of the minors that have a chance to be good, over listing a guy who everyone already knows about, one who maintains rookie eligibility due to a technicality.

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Our first group is the Tylor Megill level. These are guys who played within two years of the preferred age level last season, like Megill did when he pitched at Hi-A in 2019 at age 23. Odds aren’t stacked against these guys but they can’t really afford any more setbacks, either.

Corey Collins – Corner infielder played four years at Georgia and had a monster senior season. Will go as far as his bat will take him.
Joshua Cornielly – In 55.1 IP, had 71 Ks. Pitched better in Double-A
Ethan Lanthier – Sat at 96, hit 99. Also throws a slider and cutter
Justin Lawson – In 63 IP, had a 2.43 ERA and a 1.095 WHIP
Nick Lorusso – Posted an .834 OPS in 310 PA in pitcher-friendly Brooklyn
Trey McLoughlin – Had a 1.89 ERA with 39 Ks in 33.1 IP at Binghamton
Luis Moreno – Notched 114 Ks in 109.1 IP over the top two levels of the system
Douglas Orellana – Injuries have slowed his rise but he has a slider and a curve
Nick Roselli – Recorded a .309/.433/.436 line in Lo-A after being an 11^th-round pick
Eli Serrano – Selected as a draft-eligible sophomore, seven of Serrano’s 15 hits in pro ball went for extra-bases
Ben Simon – Posted a 3.18 K/BB ratio at Hi-A Brooklyn
Joander Suarez – In 128.1 IP, had a 2.1 BB/9 rate
Austin Troesser – Notched an 11.4 K/9 and allowed just 3 HR in 48 IP
Will Watson – A three-pitch pitcher – fastball, slider and change – Watson can miss bats
Tanner Witt – A top-100 player coming out of high school, Witt went to college where he had TJ surgery. Recovery has been slow but he’s someone to watch. Son of former MLB player Kevin Witt.
Jack Wenninger – Recorded 140 Ks in 115 IP split between two A-ball teams

Our next group is the Luis Guillorme level, guys on the correct age path (or better) who show some promising signs without having a great pedigree.

Luisangel Acuna – FanGraphs has minor league data going back to 2006. In that time span, 1,186 players amassed enough playing time for the leaderboards in the International League. And there are 1.064 players with a higher OPS than Acuna’s .654 mark last year. Anthony Gose had a .652 OPS in 2013. If that name sounds familiar to you, he’s trying to make the majors with the Mets here in 2025. As a pitcher
Bohan Adderley – Drew 28 BB in 188 PA at age 17 in the DSL
Boston Baro – Strong defensive infielder with good strike zone judgment
Jesus Baez – More likely a 3B than a SS but has the power for the hot corner
Joel Diaz – Had 71 Ks in 74.1 IP in his first year back from TJ surgery
A.J. Ewing – 2B/CF prospect has good speed and pop but needs to get strikeouts under control
Saul Garcia – So-so results but Mets sent him to AFL after the season
Franklin Gomez – Fanned 83 batters in 82 IP as 19 year old in Lo-A
Raimon Gomez – Has thrown just seven innings the past two years due to TJ surgery. But has been clocked at 103.
Yonatan Henriquez – Notched an .841 OPS in the FCL at age 19. Excellent eye at the plate
Roybert Herrera – Slashed .329/.407/.443 in DSL at age 17
Ryan Lambert – Very few pro innings but 100 mph fastball makes him worth watching
Joel Lara – Posted a 4.13 K/BB ratio in the DSL at age 17
Gregori Louis – Recorded a 1.33 ERA with a 1.160 WHIP in 54.1 IP among three levels
Layonnel Ovalles – Allowed just 39 H in 50 IP with 55 Ks among three levels
Jacob Reimer – Hamstring injuries ruined his 2024 but he’s an intriguing hitter with good strike zone judgment
Christian Rodriguez – Did better after promotion to Lo-A. Walks are a concern
Trey Snyder – Missouri high school player of the year, Snyder received a big overslot deal
Christopher Suero – Multi-position prospect had .730 OPS split between two A-ball clubs. With all of the catchers in the Mets’ system, future is probably in the OF
Marcos Terrero – C/2B posted a .777 OPS split between two DSL clubs
Marco Vargas = Wrist problems ruined his 2024 campaign. Good strike zone judgment
Julio Zayas – C/1B successfully made the jump from DSL to FCL
Jake Zitella – In repeat season at FCL, Zitella raised his OPS 214 points

Our next group is the young guys with a pedigree - players drafted among the first 100 picks or IFAs with a signing bonus of at least $500,000 - who haven’t quite shown enough to be in the top group yet. Sort of like 2009-era cement boots. It’s the Wilmer Flores level. The hope is that a few of these players graduate to the top level but the majority will likely fall backwards on this list.

Matt Allan – Odds are stacked against the oft-injured Allan ever making it to the bigs. But he’s supposed to pitch this year and as the 89^th pick back in 2019, he slots here
Yohairo Cuevas – Raked in the FCL two years ago but found it tougher sledding last year in Lo-A
Nate Dohm – An elbow/forearm strain limited his innings last year in college but he was great when healthy. Huge upside if he can stay off the IL
Willy Fanas – Hit great in a short stint in the FCL but struggled when he got to the age-appropriate level at Lo-A
Drew Gilbert – He’s still not completely recovered from last year’s hamstring injury. This time last year he looked like a future starter in the majors. Now it’s safe to wonder if he’s anything more than a fourth outfielder
Daiverson Gutierrez – After an underwhelming debut in 2023 in the DSL, Gutierrez hit his way to the FCL last year. He was even better in the U.S., earning a late promotion to Lo-A, where he hit three doubles in eight games. He was at the age-appropriate level in the DSL
Ronald Hernandez – Made the leap to full-season ball and hit well. A switch-hitter, he played mostly as a catcher but also saw time at first base but it’s contact over power at this point
Colin Houck – It was an extremely disappointing season for the Mets’ 2023 first-round pick
Daviel Hurtado – Cuban native struck out 23 batters in 15.2 IP but everything else was lousy
Simon Juan – Had a strong season in the FCL, with an OPS 200-points higher in his second time in the loop. Looks a bit on the pudgy side – doubtful he remains in CF
Edward Lantigua – Had the best season of the high-dollar IFAs from 2024, posting a .797 OPS in the DSL
Leandy Mella – The 2B/OF from the 2024 IFA class struggled mightily in the DSL
Nick Morabito – Slashed .312/.403/.398 in 526 PA between two Class-A clubs. Also had 59 SB
Kevin Parada – Didn’t hit for either AVG or power at Double-A. But catchers don’t always have linear growth patterns
Elian Pena – Considered one of the top IFA in the 2025 class, Pena received a $5,000,000 signing bonus, the largest one ever for a Met
Alex Ramirez – Busted down a level after a disappointing season. In jeopardy of falling off this list completely
Yensi Rivas – Middle infielder drew 20 BB in 185 PA in his age-17 season
Jeremy Rodriguez – Got off to a great start in his U.S. debut but faded down the stretch. Still, he put up a .755 OPS while being two years younger than the preferred age for his league
Yovanny Rodriguez – Received the biggest bonus in the Mets’ 2024 IFA class and held his own as a 17 year old in the DSL, drawing 30 BB in 181 PA
Jonathan Santucci – A LHP with good stuff, but command issues and durability concerns
Dangelo Sarmiento – A top defensive shortstop, his 2024 season was cut short due to a non-disclosed injury
Jonah Tong – A three-pitch hurler, who moves up and down in the strike zone, Tong dominated at Lo-A and was much-more average at the age-appropriate level at Hi-A, where he had a 3.71 ERA in 85 IP
Calvin Ziegler – Injuries have limited Ziegler to three games combined over the past two seasons. But if Allan makes it back to the mound this year, why not Ziegler, too? But if he returns, it won’t be until late in the year, as he had TJ surgery late last April

Our final group is the Pete Alonso level, the ones who seem on track for a productive MLB career. Although no one should expect the equivalent of 53 homers, injuries aside, it would be a disappointment if these players didn’t make it in New York or serve as valuable trade chits at some point in the future.

Carson Benge – It’s easy to dream on Benge, wondering what his numbers will look like now that he’s no longer pitching and gets the benefit of superior training, especially in regards to hitting more balls in the air. He could be a 30-HR hitter. But can he make it in center field?
Ryan Clifford – He hit better once he escaped Brooklyn but there’s always going to be a lot of whiffs in his game. He has both the power and the bat speed to hit 30 homers in the majors. But does he have the discipline?
Ronny Mauricio – It’s tough to lose a year of development when you’re on the cusp of making the majors. Serious boom or bust potential here
Nolan McLean – He’s now a full-time pitcher and hopefully he improves with more innings under his belt. He has the repertoire to be a starter but does he have the command?
Brandon Sproat – He cruised thru the system before hitting a road block in Triple-A. Will he conquer Syracuse in his second go-round? If so, he’ll make his MLB debut in 2025
Blade Tidwell – Like Sproat, Tidwell was great in Double-A and not so hot in Triple-A. Does he have the command to be an MLB starter?
Jett Williams – Appears to be back from last year’s wrist injury. Now to get back to the player he was in 2023, when he had an .876 OPS over three levels. Hopefully the Mets figure out his future position this year, whether that’s at 2B or CF