Thoughts on 20 of the Mets' top prospects

Keith Law released his top 20 Mets prospects earlier today. Making no judgment – ok, maybe a little judgment - on where he rated the prospects, here are some of my thoughts on the players that made Law’s cut. The overall thought is hoping the Mets have a better year with their prospects than they did in 2024. There was an alarming number of injuries and under-performance from the Mets’ top prospects a year ago. May we sing a different tune in 2025.

1. Brandon Sproat – He was terrible in Syracuse last year in seven starts. People are talking about him making an impact in the majors this year. Can he post team-average numbers in Triple-A, first?

2. Jett Williams – My hope is for a healthy year and one where the team decides on his future home. He’s not going to be an MLB shortstop. They can give him starts both at 2B and CF. My hope is by the end of July they can settle on one position.

3. Ronny Mauricio – He needs to start the year in the minors, getting more at-bats under his belt. It’s probably too much to ask that he improve his plate discipline in that span, too. But that sure would be nice.

4. Nolan McLean – It was good news that they made him give up hitting. Still not convinced he’s a future starter but Law was bullish, calling his stuff the best of any starter in the system.

5. Carson Benge – Like McLean, he should benefit from no longer being a two-way player. My hope is he proves to be capable of playing CF in the majors, while recognizing the odds are against it. My belief is that the bat will easily play in a corner.

6. Boston Baro – Pleasantly surprised that Law is this bullish on him. It would be nice to see better than a .114 ISO, even if power will never be his calling card.

7. Jesus Baez – He’s a couple of years away and definitely not a SS. But we can dream that he replaces Mark Vientos at 3B, with Vientos either moving to 1B or DH.

8. Jonah Tong – Law sees a future reliever. That’s not terrible for your eighth-best prospect if the majority of those ahead of him make it at their spots.

9. Ryan Clifford – Did much better once he escaped Brooklyn. Now, to prove he can make enough contact so that the power can play in Triple-A and the majors.

10. Luisangel Acuna – Many people are encouraged by his small sample in the majors last year, combined with what he’s done in Winter Ball. Now he needs to have that success at Syracuse to prove he’s more than a utility player.

11. Drew Gilbert – There are a bunch of questions after the injury-marred season in 2024. He needs to get his hitting back on track this year. If he does that, we can worry about his position later.

12. Daiverson Gutierrez – All of these high-dollar IFAs are lottery tickets. Last year, Gutierrez gave us hope that this one might pay off. We should get a better idea on that this year, with the caveat than catchers don’t follow the same linear development that most other top prospects do.

13. Nick Morabito – My take is to lump Morabito in with Acuna and Vargas – guys who need an ultra-high BABIP to be successful. Morabito has the edge, as he’s already in CF, while Acuna and Vargas both need to find their ultimate defensive homes.

14. Blade Tidwell – Another starter that Law vies as a reliever in the majors. And another pitcher who needs to prove he can survive Syracuse before we think of him as an asset – regardless of the role – in Queens.

15. Jonathan Santucci – It’s easy to see the upside here, as he’s a lefty with two solid pitches. But he needs to prove he can stay healthy, as well as displaying better command. Stranger things have happened.

16. Marco Vargas – He was considered the better prospect of the two guys the Mets received from the Marlins in the David Robertson trade, even if Hernandez seemed like a better bet to make it from my point of view. Hopefully one of the three BABIP guys can make an impact in the majors.

17. Nate Dohm – Law calls it starter stuff and a starter’s delivery, with no history of durability. It will be interesting to see how many innings he can throw this year and if he can stay off the IL.

18. Edward Lantigua – Another lottery ticket off to a good start in pro ball. I like his chances better than some others above him on this list.

19. Eli Serrano – Selected last year as a draft-eligible sophomore, Serrano had a strong debut at Low-A St. Lucie last year. Next up is the big challenge for lefties – Brooklyn.

20. Ronald Hernandez – Will he be a good enough defender to catch in the majors? With all of the talent the Mets have at the position, it won’t be easy for Hernandez. Many years ago, teams used to carry three catchers. As more of an offensive player for the position, he would have fit in well as one of three backstops on the roster. But his best chance now may be as a hybrid C-1B reserve.

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In an earlier article, Law ranked the organization as the 15^th-best in the majors or middle of the pack. Given how poorly the top prospects performed a year ago, that’s a pretty encouraging rank. Here’s hoping the Killer B’s – Baez, Baro and Benge – all put up good years. And if you want to make Sproat and Tidwell honorary members of this group due to their first name, that certainly works for me.