Mets' midseason Top 20 prospects for 2022 season

At the trade deadline, the Mets made improvements in the lineup at designated hitter, fourth outfielder, and the bullpen while largely keeping their top prospects intact. 

The only prospect moved at the deadline who would have made this list was Nick Zwack, who was traded to the San Francisco Giants in the Darin Ruf deal. He would have snuck in at the bottom.

Overall, this is a system that is improved and still somewhat top-heavy, but there are exciting prospects beyond the Top 10 now.

Building up the farm system is clearly a focus of this ownership and management regime, and that is a big factor to the sustained success model being sought. Whether that means you have high-level talents eventually joining the big league team or just more of a talent pool to trade from, it isn’t a bad thing to keep building it up. 

Here is my midseason Top 20 prospect update:

1. C Francisco Álvarez

At this point, Álvarez is in the conversation for the best prospect in all of minor league baseball. He has made strides defensively this year, grading out as the best pitch-framer in the Double-A Eastern League. He still needs to work on his game-calling and preparation, but he is very advanced for 20 years old and has a chance to be a franchise-type player.

2. 3B Brett Baty

Baty may be one of the most under-talked about Top 20-ish prospects in the sport. He just goes about his business and hits. In July, Baty put together a .365/.435/.688 (1.123 OPS) slash line, with eight home runs and 27 RBI for Double-A Binghamton. He has made strides defensively and should have no issue being a third baseman at the next level.

3. C Kevin Parada

And a 2022 draft pick joins the list! Parada was ranked inside the Top 5 of my board, and in talking to scouts in the game as to why he fell, most responses were a shrug emoji. Most believe he will be an instant member of Top 100 lists, with ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel saying in his pre-draft rankings that Parada would rank No. 77 on his Top 100. He is a pure hitter who should hit for average as well as 25-home run potential. There have been some rumblings that he could potentially profile as a left fielder down the road if catching doesn’t work out, but the reality is the Mets now own two of the top catching prospects in the sport -- and that isn’t a bad thing.

4. OF Alex Ramirez

Ramirez has shown great growth this season repeating Low-A St. Lucie and earning a promotion to High-A Brooklyn, where he’s younger than the average age of the league by two years. He has been on fire for Brooklyn and his tools are jumping off the page. He has routinely had exit velocities exceeding 100 mph and his athleticism has been shown off in center field, as well on the base paths. A big development for him has been his working counts and being willing to draw some walks.

5. 1B Mark Vientos

Vientos will always be my gut feel guy. I just think he is going to hit at the next level. Early on in the season, he was hitting the ball on the ground more than the organization would like to see. And he will strike out, which is common for power hitters. But Vientos hits the ball nearly as hard consistently as anyone in this system, and that includes Álvarez. He has pretty much moved off third base and has been playing first base, which has his future pegged as a first baseman/designated hitter. That puts an even bigger emphasis on hitting, which I think he will do.

6. SS Ronny Mauricio

I have long been a bit of the low man on Mauricio, but there is no denying he is a Top 100-type prospect with plenty of upside. His raw power has translated into game action in a big way and his athleticism has ticked up, but I still have not seen the growth I have wanted to with his pitch recognition and selectivity at the plate. His defensive home long-term is a bit of a question mark, with some scouts thinking he is better off as an outfielder than an infielder.

7. RHP Matt Allan

Allan is still the top pitching prospect in the system, but that is largely based on reputation and work ethic. He has only thrown 10.1 professional innings since being drafted in 2019, due to the canceled 2020 season and then undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2021. He is not expected to pitch in game action this year, but should be back on a mound in instructs this fall and ready for a full spring training in 2023. The Mets are no less bullish on his potential than they were two years ago.

8. SS Jett Williams

I will continue to say this: Williams was my personal favorite player in the 2022 draft. He was the shortest player in the draft at 5-foot-8, but he is thickly built and had some of the best swing speed and bat-to-ball skills among the high school class this year. He is a plus athlete who should have zero issue transitioning to second base or center field long-term. One scout told me "If Williams was 6-foot-1, he would have been in the Top 5 pick conversation."

9. RHP Blade Tidwell

This spring, Tidwell was trending toward being a Top 15 pick after his growth with the Collegiate U.S. National team saw an uptick in his metrics, while maintaining his stuff. He had shoulder tendinitis this spring, causing him to miss two months, but he made it back in time for Tennessee’s end-of-season push -- and his stuff looked pretty much normal. He has a starter build at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, and a four-pitch mix headlined by a plus fastball that sits 94-97 and touches 99 mph. His best secondary offerings are his mid-to-upper 80s slider and a changeup that gets swings-and-misses. The curve lags behind now, but with some growth, Tidwell has the potential to be a mid-rotation starter.

10. RHP Calvin Ziegler

Ziegler has looked as advertised since he was drafted in the second round last year. He has big-time stuff with command development needed. His fastball has plus spin rates and vertical break, and tops out at 97 mph. With those metrics, that 97 can look more like 100. His hammer curve has induced a lot of swings and misses, and he scrapped a changeup for a splitter that shows promise. His walks have been a bit high this year (5.3 walks per nine), but he hasn’t allowed hard contact or really many hits at all (15 allowed in 35.1 innings). He has dealt with some mild arm soreness and the Mets have been cautious, but Ziegler's raw stuff is as good as anyone in this system.

11. RHP Dom Hamel

Hamel was the Mets' third-round pick in 2021 and has really performed upon his promotion to High-A Brooklyn. He currently has a 2.25 ERA and is striking out 12.6 batters per nine. He still needs some work on his command, but it has made some strides. He is a big spin-rate guy who is an analytically based staff’s dream project. He projects as a No. 4 type starter with a backup plan of being a multi-inning reliever.

12. RHP José Butto

Butto really turned it on in the month of July, posting a 2.86 ERA in 28.1 innings, striking out 33 batters while only walking eight. He likely projects more as a back-end starter with a fastball that will touch 95 mph and the best changeup in the system. Given his status on the 40-man roster, I think he will be looked at as a key piece of starting pitching depth in 2023.

13. OF Nick Morabito

Morabito was the No. 75 overall selection in the 2022 MLB Draft and the Mets were excited to land him there. He was a pop-up prospect this spring who wasn’t on the Top 100 radar as he didn’t participate in the summer showcase circuit last year. But scouts flocked to the Washington, D.C. area to get eyes on him. He is a plus runner and athlete with some power potential. He has some defensive versatility, and one scout told me that he reminded him a bit of Whit Merrifield at the same age.

14. RHP Joel Diaz

Diaz snuck into my Top 20 last year based on some good reports from the Dominican Summer League, where he put up video game numbers. He was aggressively put in Low-A St. Lucie this year, and that has led to some inconsistent results. But his fastball is up to 96 mph and he shows the ability to control a curve and changeup. He still needs to improve his command within the strike zone, but as an 18-year-old he is a pretty exciting pitching prospect.

15. RHP Mike Vasil

Vasil is an arm the Mets believe they stole in the eighth round in the 2021 MLB Draft. I heard he was a targeted name by some teams at this year's trade deadline. Coming out of high school he was a Top 25 prospect in that draft class but chose to fulfill his commitment to Virginia, where they turned him into a sinker-baller -- and that led to inconsistent results. The Mets have brought back his four-seam fastball approach and he has been up to 97 mph. He has a four-pitch-mix and looks the part of a back-end starter with some upside for more if they continue to tap into his secondary stuff.

16. OF Simón Juan

The Mets top international signing in this year’s class, who signed for $1.9 million, is someone the Mets think of in the same light that they did Alex Ramirez at 16 years old. Juan has a projectable build and potential to show some of all the five tools. He is just getting started in pro ball and is off to a slow start in the Dominican Summer League, but the Mets have been happy with his approach at the plate, which is showing advanced for his age. When I do this list this time next year, Juan would be my bet to make the biggest jump.

17. RHP Junior Santos

The 6-foot-7, 20-year-old Santos was a prospect I had high hopes for going into the season with High-A Brooklyn. He had a tough April and has been mostly solid since posting ERAs below 4.00 in the three subsequent months. He has a fastball that sits 92 to 94 and will touch 96 with a breaking ball that flashes and a developing changeup. I think his likely long-term profile is in relief, where his stuff can maybe tick up in shorter spurts.

18. OF Jake Mangum

Mangum has missed some time due to a back issue but he should return to Triple-A Syracuse before the minor league season ends. He has some of the best pure bat-to-ball skills in the system. Power won’t be a big part of his game, and he likely translates as mostly a fourth outfielder who could end up a factor for the big club in 2023. He brings defense and speed and the non-stop hustle mindset. He was hitting .333 in 11 games with Syracuse before the injury.

19. OF Omar De Los Santos

De Los Santos is a plus athlete who is having a strong season as a 22-year-old in Low-A St. Lucie. He is a little under talked about, but he has 35 extra base hits, including 12 home runs, to go with 53 steals. You often see players with a lot of steals at the lower levels, but don’t truly have the plus speed that De Los Santos possesses. His swing can get a little long and that will be something to watch as he progresses into the upper minors.

20. SS Jesus Baez

Last year I put Joel Diaz in this spot as a projection, and he moved up the list. I think Baez can be the same deal. He was signed for $275,000 this past international signing period, and the Mets have been very impressed with his advanced feel to hit and hit for power, as he has 13 extra-base hits including six home runs in 40 games in the Dominican Summer League. His likely long-term home defensively is at third base, but if he continues this trajectory and development, Baez can continue to climb this list.