1. OF Jett Williams | 20 | AAA | 2025
A wrist injury that required surgery cost the 5’7” 175 lb Williams most of this season, but he returned in time for six games in Triple-A and posted a .533 on base percentage. Prospect development is not linear, and Williams has lost some key development time, but he’s in the Corbin Carroll bucket as a top tier athlete with elite hands who can cheat the norms. He’s played just 36 games in the upper minors but could look like an opening day roster option next season, and even if he’s sent down for seasoning (the likeliest outcome), he could force his way into the lineup by May.
2. RHP Brandon Sproat | 24 | AAA | 2025
At 6’3” 215 lbs, Sproat is strong and balanced throughout his delivery, which has helped him to develop command of his impressive arsenal, highlighted by a mid-90’s fastball that plays well up in the zone and pairs well with his cutter, slider and changeup, all solid pitches in their own right. The curveball would allow him to play in four velocity bands with five trajectories, but three and four are probably enough for him to thrive if his command keeps coming along. Might be best to just shelve the curve for now.
3. SS Luisangel Acuña | 23 | MLB | 2024
Here’s what I wrote the other day in Prospect News: She Says She Talks To Luisangel:
“Mets SS Luisangel Acuña (22) got the big call on Saturday to provide some versatility off the bench. To say he’s had a tough season would be underselling the reality of his 69 wRC+ and .299 on base percentage across 131 Triple-A games. He has struck out just 16.4 percent of the time, but that has brought with it a career low walk rate of 5.5 percent. If he can put some kind of approach back together, he probably has the hands to hang around as a utility bat. He’s stolen 40 bases (54 attempts) in those 131 games and can play a little all over the field, but he’ll likely open next season back in the minors to get the everyday at bats he needs.”
It’s only been 14 games as a big leaguer, but Acuña has all but erased the taste of a treacherous season in Triple-A, slashing .308/.325/.641 with three home runs and just six strikeouts. He’s part of the playoff roster now with a unique chance to write his own future. I’m not sure he can lock in a roster spot for next season out of spring training, but he’s only helping his chances every time he contributes.
4. OF Carson Benge | 22 | A | 2026
The 19th overall pick in this year’s draft, Benge played both ways at Oklahoma State and could still try his hand on the mound at some point with the Mets. A left-handed hitter (and right-handed pitcher), the 6’1” 184 lb Benge employs a quick left-handed swing that generates plus power and contact to all fields. He slashed .273/.420/.436 in 15 Low-A games and probably belongs in High-A to open 2025.
5. SS Ronny Mauricio | 23 | MLB | 2023
A torn ACL cost Mauricio the 2024 season, but that surgery happened in January, so he should be back on the beam for 2025 with a chance to claim a spot somewhere. He slashed .248/.296/.347 with two home runs and seven steals in his 26 MLB games last year and went 23/24 in 116 games at Triple-A that year. That’s 25 homers and 33 steals across the full season. He’s likely to be a better fantasy player than a baseball player for a while yet, but if he can get himself into the lineup, he’ll be useful for our game.
6. SS Jeremy Rodriguez | 18 | CPX | 2028
Rodriguez signed for 1.25 million with Arizona and came over in the Tommy Pham trade. He made an impact right away with the Mets and continued to impress this season in the complex league, slashing .282/.355/.400 with three homers and 17 steals in 50 games. In the field, he’s a smooth defender at shortstop. In the box, the 6’0” 170 lb Rodriguez generates positive contact rates and controls the zone from the left side. I’m hesitant to call him a high-floor player because I don’t mean to demean his ceiling, but he’s kind of the definition of a high-foor player.
7. RHP Jonah Tong | 21 | AA | 2025
Here’s a quote from what I wrote the other day in Prospect News: Tong In The Fire or The Thing Is, Dominguez . . . :
“Mets RHP Jonah Tong (21, AA) is on his third level this season after graduating both A levels in impressive fashion, recording 146 strikeouts in 103.2 innings while allowing just two home runs. His Double-A debut was his best as a professional: six perfect innings with nine strikeouts against the Yankees AA squad. Generally speaking, this feels like the time of the year when pop-up pitchers become Top 100 mainstays.”
The club is doing well drafting and developing fastballs, and Tong’s ate all season long. He’s probably got room for another tick or two on his 6’1” 180 lb frame.
8. OF Ryan Clifford | 21 | AA | 2025
Part of the return from Houston for Justin Verlander in 2023, Clifford has struggled to make contact with the Mets, slashing .231/.359/.456 with 18 home runs and three steals in 98 Double-A games. At 6’2” 200 lbs from the left side, he still produced a 133 wRC+ at the level because Clifford’s power and patience are real. Better OBP prospect than a standard roto guy.
9. OF Drew Gilbert | 24 | AAA | 2025
Speaking of floor-first players, Drew Gilbert came over from Houston in the Justin Verlander trade and might struggle to find playing time on this roster. At 5’9” 195 from the left side, he’s got some prototype traits of a leadoff hitting center fielder, but with Brandon Nimmo in New York, that gig is spoken for, and Gilbert might not hit enough to hold down a corner spot. In 56 Triple-A games this year, Gilbert slashed .215/.313/.393 with ten homers and three steals. Eep.
10. SS Jesus Baez | 20 | A+ | 2026
This spot could go to RHP Blade Tidwell (23, AAA) or OF Nick Morabito (20, A), but I’ll give the edge to Baez here for his combination of age-to-level track record, contact skills and power. In 72 games across the A levels, Baez slashed .262/.335/.447 with 11 homers and nine steals in ten attempts along with just 51 strikeouts.
Thanks for reading!
