Top 25 prospects

Offseason edition

One of the things I do while tracking the Mets farm system is track the minor league depth charts and the rise and fall of players on my personal Top 50. It’s generally easy to cover a team’s Top 10 and even the Top 25 but the Top 50 can be hard because you begin to get into a level of player who are less than likely to reach the majors at all unless things break very right for them.

As I work to fill out the Top 50, I’m sharing the Top 25 below with miniature headlines for each of the players listed. Beginning in reverse order:

#25 - Nick Morabito, OF: Unlikely to make an impact

Based on minor league success, Morabito could be seen as a higher ranked higher but the unfortunate trend for him is that he just doesn’t do enough to be a major league regular. If you look only at his Port St. Lucie numbers, he hit so often that it overshadowed his lack of power but as soon as you look at his decline into Brooklyn you truly see he’s got a ceiling as a 4th or 5th outfielder.

#24 - Christopher Suero, C: Christopher who?

In this Top 25 list I have 5 catchers listed. This is unusual considering that teams carry so many outfielders and pitchers that a fifth of this list is catchers and there are only as many natural outfielders and right-handed pitchers. At the age of 20, Suero emerged from obscurity to become an asset in both Port St. Lucie and later in Brooklyn. He doesn’t appear to be a future mega-star, but his power and eye are solid enough to pair with solid defense at a skill position. He’s sadly trapped between two bigger names and is almost certain to lose playing time he otherwise deserves.

#23 - Willy Fanas, OF: Falling behind age appropriateness

Fanas was once a higher profile international signee, but he wasn’t much of a wow player on the stat line. He began his Age 20 season down in the Rookie FCL where he suddenly seemed to come alive but, before we get ahead of ourselves, the FCL is mostly for players under 20 years of age. The Mets promoted him to Low-A Port St. Lucie where his numbers took a dive. There is enough physical promise here to hold Fanas into this position in the rankings but he’s basically got to earn an advancement each year to stay on track. Hopefully his second round in Low-A goes as well as his second stint in Rookie.

#22 - Edward Lantigua, OF: Better in blue

The Mets had a big international year and Lantigua was one of the names in that batch that might have been a bit lost in the shuffle. At age 17 he was assigned, as would be expected, to the DSL. As always, take stats from this level with a Vicente Lupo sized grain of salt, but Lantigua shone brighter than many recent Mets prospects at this level. He finished the season with a slash line of .263/.397/.395 playing on both the Orange and Blue squads but his numbers with Blue (where he played 28 games) were far better than Orange (where he played 17). Additionally, it was a torrid month of July that powered his overall season. He has the ability to rocket up this list with a strong FCL performance in 2025.

#21 - Luisangel Acuna, Util: Maybe… just maybe though

When you cover the minor leagues you often find yourself flip flopping on your opinions. I was not red hot excited about Acuna when the Mets traded for him but I was cautiously optimistic on value. That value rapidly cooled in 2024 to the point that Acuna wound off outside of the Top 25 looking in. At this point, Acuna’s career has two trajectories. The more likely trajectory is that he’s a bench player who can cover multiple positions and the other is that he’s the player he looked like in the majors and in the Venezuelan Winter Leagues. That is a near .300 OPS points of difference and odds are against the latter.

#20 - Corey Collins, 1B: Slugging sleeper

Honestly, ignore his stats in his 9-game intro to the minors. Collins did well (mostly taking walks) but he was 23 playing against relative kids. He’s almost guaranteed to start the year in Brooklyn, where he is still too old but should be fast-tracked to escape into Binghamton on the heels of Ryan Clifford. He has an advanced eye, thanks to being a collegiate player, and solid home run power. He was a superstar for the Georgia team last year and was expected to be drafted ahead of where the Mets snagged him in the 6th round. Again, there is a bias argument here that his value is being inflated because he’s perceived as a bit of a bargain, but he really seems like one. Expect his power numbers to be curtailed by being a lefty slugger in Brooklyn.

#19 - Yovanny Rodriguez, C: Should we believe the hype?

The name we were focused on back when we were snoozing on Lantigua was Rodriguez. He was the big name international signee and he was billed as an everything style player. The year began and we were unimpressed. We wouldn’t completely forget and relegate a high pedigree international prospect but we didn’t see what the fuss was. Then August arrived and Rodriguez went on a tear. His OPS for that month was .968 and he had 7 extra base hits in only 11 games. There are some funky splits in his 2024 season. Notably he was far better on the road than at home and he didn’t prove much better against lefty pitching but… stats in the DSL can’t be fully trusted, good or bad. He’s only going to be 18 so it’s possible with all the other catchers, that he begins in the DSL again.

#18 - Boston Baro, IF: Mind the low ceiling

If there is one clear complaint about the Mets farm system, it’s the number of players on this list who have ceilings as bench players. Baro has the tools to play second, third or shortstop and he has solid contact tools to go along with a good eye, but his power isn’t viable enough for him to become a full-time starter at the major league level. He did see a dip in production after his promotion to Advanced A and will likely return to Brooklyn in 2025, but his defensive versatility makes him slightly more valuable than a similar player, Morabito.

#17 - Simon Juan, OF: How about a lottery ticket?

In 2024 the Mets had Juan repeat a trip to the FCL in his age 18 season. He was a highly scouted international signee who had pretty high expectations but, joining the Mets at the age of 16 he didn’t do much to stand out until last year. One note of caution on Juan is that he seemed to fatigue as the season went on with his outstanding numbers in May and June flagging in July. The outfielder has more power than speed to his makeup but doesn’t come with the typical warning label of high strikeouts. He could stand to walk more often but it will be good to see him take the field in Low A in 2025 and see if he can build on a strong year.

#16 - Kevin Parada, C: The clog in the system

Some people have soured more on Parada than I have but I truly liked the hitter I saw multiple times in Brooklyn and still believe that he can rebuild his value. Unfortunately, the clock is ticking and Parada is now holding up the promotion carousel by failing to earn his way out of AA. Right now, he is blocking a promotion to Christian Suero, who is forced to split time with Ronald Hernandez as he’s followed by Daiverson Gutierrez and Yovanny Rodriguez. If I were in charge, I’d have Parada in AAA to keep steady at bats for Suero but his numbers in AA were less than stellar. This is likely Parada’s last chance to reclaim his value before he changes category to “reclamation project”.

#15 - Jonathan Santucci, LHSP: Top lefty

The Mets didn’t have Santucci pitch for them in 2024, but he did pitch for Duke where he managed 90 Ks in 58 IP. That K/9 is shiny and attractive, but his WHIP leaves a lot to be desired and he’s got to do more to keep batters from reaching if he’s going to stick as a starter. He was a solid draft pick in 2024, and the Mets are likely to assign him to Brooklyn since he played in college. The biggest concern I have is that this is the 11th player listed on the Top 25 and Santucci is the first pitcher.

#14 - Calvin Ziegler, RHSP: A broken arm can’t pitch

The Mets had been waiting for Ziegler to return to the mound in 2024 and he sadly went down once again requiring Tommy John surgery. He’s only pitched 18 games in three years because of frequent arm injuries and it’s never clear when a pitcher will come back from this kind of injury. Ziegler has promise and potential but has lost two full years to injury that he cannot get back.

#13 - Ronald Hernandez, C: Steady and a little boring

There is nothing about Hernandez that stands out as a star item but he’s a good fielding catcher and he is a fairly consistent hitter, so he doesn’t need any major skills. He walks a reasonable amount and has at least a little power to go with good defense making him valuable in an era where teams need two viable catchers on their starting roster to get by. He struggled in his 10-game audition in Brooklyn but he should be back there in 2025 with a surprisingly gifted Brooklyn team.

#12 - Daiverson Gutierrez, C: Better late than never

The Mets have twice, in recent history, obtained the top international catcher available. This doesn’t even count Francisco Alvarez who was once that player himself. The year before they obtained Yovanny Rodriguez, the Mets obtained Daiverson Gutierrez, and he was supposed to be a gangbusters star right away. At age 17 he failed to impress (even in the DSL) but in 2024 things were different. He got off to a strong start with the DSL Blue team and the Mets promoted him to the FCL where he just continued to hit. His cup of coffee with Port St. Lucie was less good but there is a lot of reason to feel positive about this prospect’s trajectory.

#11 - Nolan McLean, RHSP: Now only pitching

For a second, in 2024, I thought the Mets might have Shohei Ohtani light. McLean is an older prospect and when he began the year in Port St. Lucie, he was already a little old for it. That being said, he had a .552 SLG in a bad hitting ballpark and he was pitching well. Well enough that the Mets promoted him to AA but once there, the wheels fell off. His pitching was awful, and he was no longer looking like a star hitter. The Mets pulled him from being a DH and suddenly those pitching stats came back to looking solid. He still walks too many batters for me to be over the moon, but he seems like he could be a useful pitcher given another year of development.

#10 - Blade Tidwell, RHSP: Is you is or is you ain't a top prospect?

The Mets had a bunch of promising pitchers in AAA and saw a few of them (Mike Vasil and Dominic Hamel) completely burn out. Tidwell didn’t begin his year in AAA and that’s good because he was able to impress with his early starts in AA and earn a promotion to AAA which saved a good deal of his prospect stock. The numbers in Syracuse were bad with walks becoming a major pitfall but Syracuse pitching was so bad across the board there is a little hope that it was more of a systemic issue than anything else. He has a lot to prove in 2025.

#9 - Jeremy Rodriguez, SS: Promising future shortstop

The Mets obtained Rodriguez for almost nothing so any production from him is great. In 2025 Rodriguez got off to a red-hot May, cooled off in June and returned to form in July. He’s on track to begin the year as the shortstop in Port St. Lucie but could quickly begin to chase another shortstop up through the minors if he manages to hit at this new level.

#8 - Jesus Baez, SS: That other shortstop

In case you were wondering who Jeremy Rodriguez might be chasing, his name is Jesus Baez. While Baez appeared on most Top 50 ranking lists to begin 2024, he wasn’t a key name a lot of people were focused on. They sure should be focused now because, had he not gotten hurt, he might have begun 2025 in AA. As things stand, he should be set to be featured in the heart of a surprisingly solid Brooklyn offense, but the hope here is that it won’t delay him long from a promotion to AA. Because of Francisco Lindor blocking the job at the majors, there aren’t any shortstops directly in his path so he should be able to freely advance as far as his bat and glove allow him. Though, that also means the Mets will need to make decisions on his future as well.

#7 - Drew Gilbert, OF: To start or not to start

I’m not going to claim that Gilbert isn’t a good baseball player. He is one. I just don’t know if he’s better than Tyrone Taylor or Jose Siri. Defensively he’s capable of playing centerfield but isn’t going to be a top defender in the role and offensively, there are question marks. His numbers in the minors and college suggest he should be a 15-25 HR hitter at the major league level, but his injury shortened season brought his contact tools into question. A centerfielder who hits .275 with 15 HRs would be a great asset and an everyday player. One who hits .220 is likely no more than a bench player. He is significantly better against righty pitching making him a good candidate to platoon with a right-handed player, but the Mets have no reason to rush him with similar players on their current roster.

#6 - Ryan Clifford, 1B/OF: Zippity Duda

Brian Joura and I recently posted an article where a comparison for Clifford was given as Lucas Duda and part of me was disappointed. Because of how badly the Mets mis-managed Duda’s defensive role, my memories of his time in Queens are tainted. The player, and his bat, were actually pretty darn good and should give the Mets pause as they consider a long-term contract for Pete Alonso. Ultimately, Ryan Clifford looks to be a 30+ HR hitter who could manage a batting average between .230 and .250 at the major league levels. He is a feast or famine player (so is Alonso) so there will be weeks where he hits below the Mendoza line and others where he hits over .500 but all of that seems pretty good. He should be ready to test the majors by the end of the year.

#5 - Carson Benge, OF: A first pick success feels good

The Mets have had mixed success with their top picks recently. Colin Houck (currently ranked 45th) looked awful in Low A, Kevin Parada (currently ranked 16th) has stalled in AA, Kumar Rocker (no comment), Pete Crow-Armstrong (traded foolishly), Jarred Kelenic (traded and failed at the major league level), and David Peterson (middle of the major league rotation). Benge was a talent pick rather than a need pick but the good part of drafting an outfielder is that your team needs three of them, so chances are, if he’s good, you’ll have a use for them. His taste of the minors went well, and he looks likely to be headed to a fairly star-studded Brooklyn lineup which should feature five or six players in the Mets Top 25 and a few more from the Top 50. Benge doesn’t strike me as a center fielder but he’s capable of playing there for now.

#4 - Jonah Tong, RHP: The Canadian Sensation

At 21 years of age, Jonah Tong was too old to be playing for Port St. Lucie and it showed. He didn’t give up an earned run in 18.2 innings and he struck out 2 per inning. He was promoted to Brooklyn where he was the correct age and, after a brief hiccup, began to look like the top pitcher at that level too. Brooklyn is notoriously pitcher friendly so perhaps we shouldn’t get too excited, though. Then, the Mets sent him for a cup of coffee in AA where he looked even better in his two starts so maybe, just maybe, the Mets have a true top pitching prospect on their hands. I won’t say that until he breaks the curse of Syracuse.

#3 - Brandon Sproat, RHP: The curse of Syracuse

Some folks might have Sproat still as the Mets top prospect and others may have Williams, but I have Sproat here. If you look at his system it resembles that of Icarus, the Ancient Greek hero who flew too close to the sun. Sproat began the year about 2 years too old for his level in Brooklyn. Thankfully, 6 games at this level were enough to prove he was more than ready to show his dominance. In Binghamton he had 11 starts and was good enough to be at the top of every single Mets Top Prospect list. In Syracuse, he had a 7.53 ERA in 7 dismal starts. His control seemed to betray him and his star dimmed significantly but… we have to remember he began his season two levels beneath where he ended. He still has every chance to repair his wings and fly to Queens before he crashes to the foot of Mount Olympus.

#2 - Jett Williams, SS/OF: Another Jose Altuve?

Some of you are already angry at seeing Williams here when you want him as your #1 but we’ll get to that soon. The diminutive Mets prospect has been compared to Astro’s future hall of famer Jose Altuve and could very well be that good for the Mets but 2024 was not the year he proved that. Instead, it was a year where injury kept us from seeing enough of him. Surprisingly powerful for being only 5’7” he’s got speed and hits bullet line drives for extra bases. It remains to be seen if this will come with a low batting average or a better one and that detail will determine if he is a capable centerfielder or a star. In 2026 or by the end of 2025 it could well be a tandem of Williams and Gilbert playing center for the Mets.

#1 - Ronny Mauricio, 3B/OF/DH: Mauricio #1? What year is this?

Ronny Mauricio isn’t really a prospect anymore. He played in the majors in 2023 and is in the camp of Brett Baty, right? Wrong. Because of his ill-timed injury, he didn’t have enough major league time to lose his qualification and because he was an international player (who joined the Mets in 2018 at the age of 17) he’s only going to be 24 this coming season. For these reasons, he’s still a prospect and for others I rank him as #1. What are those reasons? Impact. I don’t think that Williams, Gilbert, Sproat, Tong or Clifford will have an impact on the 2025 Mets, but I think that Mauricio will. I have him being sent to AAA where he will be assigned to third base/right field and look to get back to the form he was showing in the 2023-24 winter leagues. Is he better defensively than Vientos? Maybe. The .292/.346/.506 line from his last AAA season and the .441/.472/.706 one from that winter league where he was hurt give me enough hope to float Mauricio to the very top of my offseason rankings.