Mets midseason Top 20 prospects for 2023 season

The Mets' 2023 season did not go as planned. They will have to make moves in 2024 to be considered a contender, but they largely kept their core in place after the trade deadline.

However, between last month’s MLB Draft and the money they were willing to absorb on contracts in trades, plus some good negotiating, they have overhauled their farm system in a month in a way that generally may take a couple years to do.

Prior to the last few weeks, the Mets system was considered to be around middle of the pack, maybe a touch below, and now they have added multiple top 100 prospects and others that are looked at in the industry as potential future Top 100 prospects. This is a farm system that surely should be ranked inside the Top 10 in the sport, maybe approaching Top 5, and has the arrow pointing up.

If you recall back to Steve Cohen’s initial press conference when he purchased the team, one of his objectives was to have an elite farm system and player development system. While those are works in progress, the financial investments are trickling down to that level now.

The Mets overhauled their player development system last offseason and there have been some early positive player development stories that I will list below. These things just take time. People in baseball that I spoke to lauded the Mets for pivoting and working towards setting themselves up for the sustainable success Cohen has sought.

After some additional evaluation, this is SNY’s updated top 20 prospects in the Mets system:

1. SS/CF Luisangel Acuña

Acquired in the trade for Max Scherzer trade, Acuña immediately jumps into the top 50-70 prospects in baseball. He may not possess the same star quality his older brother Ronald Acuña Jr. has, but he projects as an above average regular with a higher floor than upside. Contact over power approach, but still needs to work on elevating the ball as his groundball rate (49.1 percent) is a tad high. Really good athlete both in the field and on base paths (42 stolen bases this year). Has played shortstop, second base and started to dabble in center field.

MLB ETA: 2024

2. SS/CF Jett Williams

I have long been the high man on Williams, as I am on the record saying he was my favorite player in the 2022 MLB Draft. He was considered one of the best bat-to-ball prospects in the class, as he rarely swung and missed on the showcase circuit. What has stood out in his first pro season is his plate discipline is looking elite (19.9 percent walk rate in Low-A St. Lucie). His season average may not jump off the page, but over the last two months he is hitting .280 with a .438 on-base percentage. As a smaller player, home run power won’t be a huge part of his game, but doubles and triples will be. He is the type that will create havoc on the base paths and has the versatility to play multiple positions on the diamond, with some scouts thinking second base may be his best spot. Projects as a top-of-the-order sparkplug player.

MLB ETA: 2026

3. OF Drew Gilbert

Gilbert was the top prospect acquired in the Justin Verlander deal. He was the Astros' first-round pick in 2022 out of Tennessee. Shows plus plate discipline (you will see this trend here) and potential for 15-20 home runs as he’s improved his ability to put the ball in the air. He is an above average athlete with a strong arm that can play all three outfield spots. Fiery, energetic, plays with his hair on fire, pick your adjective and that describes Gilbert. He is a 100 percent effort player all the time. Gets his jersey dirty, the type of player fans will gravitate towards. There is some split opinions on him in the industry, but most think he looks like an above average regular and will be in most Top 100 lists right now.

MLB ETA: 2024

4. C Kevin Parada

Parada was the Mets' first-pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. He was considered to be a top 5-7 player in the class as a plus bat/power player that needed work defensively behind the plate. Parada has had a good first season in pro ball offensively, but some thought he would dominate High-A Brooklyn from the get-go. Parada told us on The Mets Pod that he had an adjustment period playing in cold weather for the first time. Over the last two months he has a strong .837 OPS with 16 extra-base hits including seven home runs. Defensively he has made good progress as a receiver and a framer, but his throwing still needs work. Dating back to the draft, there was some thought in the industry that if catching didn’t work out he had enough athleticism to potentially transition to left field.

MLB ETA: 2025

5. SS/2B/LF Ronny Mauricio

Mauricio has had a roller coaster of a minor league career. For some time, he was the top prospect in the Mets system, then he fell out of favor. After winning Dominican Winter League MVP and performing as he has in Triple-A, he has regained his prospect stock. He will not draw many walks, but what has impressed scouts is he has trimmed his strikeout rate by nearly 5 percent to a more reasonable 18.7 percent while jumping from Double-A to Triple-A. Mauricio has true plus raw power, routinely registering elite exit velocities, sometimes eclipsing 110 MPH. Defensively, I have long thought he was an outfielder, and he is getting a lot of reps in left field now. There have been growing pains, but also some flashes.

MLB ETA: 2023

6. SS Colin Houck

Amidst all the trade action, it almost feels like folks have forgotten about the Mets' first pick in the 2023 MLB Draft in Houck. Pre-draft, MLB Pipeline had him as the No. 12 prospect in the class that fell to the Mets spot at No. 32. He is a former two-sport athlete who was getting recruited by SEC schools as a quarterback. He showed much more polish as a hitter than you’d think given baseball wasn’t getting his full attention. He has a clean right-handed swing that scouts believe will develop into plus power and could be a middle-of-the-order bat. As he physically matures, there is thought he will likely end up as a third baseman where he has plenty of arm for the position.

MLB ETA: 2027

7. OF Ryan Clifford

Clifford was the second prospect acquired in the Verlander trade, and there are some people in the game who think he was the better prospect acquired. Clifford was an 11th-round pick but was considered a Top 3-round talent and the Astros gave him a $1,256,530 signing bonus, which is the equivalent of a late second-round pick to lure him away from Vanderbilt. The Mets and Astros haggled over his involvement, but the Mets held firm and landed him. He is a power-over-hit approach, with potential for 25-30 home runs. He shows a good knowledge of the strike zone for his young age and has had a big first pro season with 19 home runs and a .935 OPS in 84 games. Defensively he can play some corner outfield with a solid arm, but there is some first base risk here. He should have enough bat for either position.

MLB ETA: 2025

8. OF Alex Ramirez

Ramirez is a prospect I pegged to have a big 2023 and jump up prospect lists given he was repeating High-A Brooklyn. It has not gone that direction, though he is showing signs of improvement with an .814 OPS since July 1. He shows average to above average tools across the board. He is still a raw player but when he is right, he looks like he could be a Top 50-type prospect in the sport. The problem is he has not consistently been able to show that. He can play all three outfield spots, maybe looking best in left field so far. If he can finish this year strong, he could rebound his stock and make his way back up this list.

MLB ETA: 2026

9. RHP Blade Tidwell

Tidwell to me is the best pitching prospect in the system. He would have been a first-round pick in 2022 had he not had shoulder tendinitis at Tennessee. The Mets landed him in the second round and after a bit of a tough start, Tidwell has been one of the better pitchers in minor league baseball. In June and July he posted a 1.65 ERA for High-A Brooklyn with 66 strikeouts in 49.2 innings. He has a mid-90’s fastball that will touch 97 or 98 with a wipeout slider and developing changeup. If his control and command are on, he has the potential be a No. 3 type of starter and was recently promoted to Double-A Binghamton.

MLB ETA: 2025

10. 2B Marco Vargas

The top piece in the David Robertson deal. The Mets were very excited to land Vargas. Playing in the Florida Complex League, the Mets have had eyes on Vargas from scouts as well as player development staff as he routinely played games in the St. Lucie back fields. He has plus bat-to-ball skills and borderline elite plate discipline for his age. Over the last decade he is in the Top 5 in minor league strikeout/walk ratio. His power will likely be more doubles based and he projects as a second baseman. He is a possible everyday player but is just a long way from it.

MLB ETA: 2027

11. RHP Mike Vasil

Vasil has struggled early on in Triple-A. But there is an adjustment as the baseball is slightly different at that level than in Double-A. With that said, Vasil is a good player development story as he went from an eighth-round pick to a member of the Futures Game this year. His fastball will touch 97 mph with a plus gyro slider. He also throws a curve and changeup that look to be average. He can command his arsenal and looks like a No. 4 type of starter that is not far from the big leagues.

MLB ETA: 2024

12. RHP Brandon Sproat

The Mets liked Sproat so much, they drafted him twice. He went unsigned as a third-round pick in 2022 and the Mets re-drafted him as their second-rounder in 2023. He could use some work on his fastball shape, but you cannot teach 96-98 mph and touching 101. His changeup emerged as a plus secondary offering this year while his above average slider took a bit of a step back. He also needs some work on his control and command. If the Mets can work on that slider and fastball shape and help him throw more strikes he could be mid-rotation type starter. He looks to have a floor of a late-inning reliever.

MLB ETA: 2025

13. RHP Dom Hamel

Hamel is a bit of an enigma. Nobody in the Mets organization can spin a baseball like he can. Sometimes that leads to some inconsistent command, but when he is on, he has dominated Double-A hitters. He has a fastball that will touch 96 mph with good run on it. He has developed a sweeper that will at times flash north of 3,000 rpm. He also has an average cutter and curveball. He projects as a back-end starter or a multi-inning reliever.

MLB ETA: 2024

14. RHP Christian Scott

Scott emerged as a legitimate pitching prospect this year. A former fifth-round pick out of Florida who was a reliever in college has transitioned to a starter with the Mets. They scrapped his sinker in favor of a four-seam fastball that touches 97 mph and he shows the ability to elevate and get swings and misses on. His slider is his best secondary offering with a lagging behind changeup and curveball. If he can continue his strike throwing and develop that third pitch, he could be a No. 4 type of starter. If not, he can be a two-pitch high leverage reliever.

MLB ETA: 2024

15. RHP Justin Jarvis

Jarvis was acquired for Mark Canha and 2023 has been a year where things have taken a step forward for him. He was a bit of a non-prospect ending 2022, now he was a target for the Mets. His fastball will sit 93-94 mph and touch 96. He has an above average slider and he is working hard on a splitter. He projects as a back-end type of starter that will soon be making his Mets organizational debut for Triple-A Syracuse. He needs to be added to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft this offseason and can be considered starting pitching depth in 2024.

MLB ETA: 2024

16. RHP Calvin Ziegler

I am a Ziegler fan, but unfortunately injuries wiped away his 2023. He had surgery to remove bone spurs and as he was working his way back to pitching in July he tore his quad and will miss the remainder of 2023. There is a serious wide range of outcomes, but when he is healthy and right he is up to 97 mph with plus ride and a curveball that shows elite spin rates and efficiency. He was working on a splitter which was showing promise when throwing on the trackman and somewhat in games. He should be healthy for 2024 and he is not a pitcher we should forget about.

MLB ETA: 2027

17. SS Jesus Baez

Baez was not the Mets' top international signing in 2022’s class, but he has shown more than the others have early in their careers. He has plus raw power that showed in the Dominican Summer League last year and hasn’t quite as much yet stateside. Though in July he posted a .302/.383/.509 slash line. He has improved defensively, but most still consider him a long-term bat first third baseman.

MLB ETA: 2027

18. RHP Tyler Stuart

Stuart has been as good as anyone in minor league baseball this year. He is another positive player development story, going from a sixth-round pick in 2022 as a reliever at Southern Miss to the minor league leader in ERA (1.70) in 2023 as a starter. He has quickly made his way up to Double-A. He throws strikes and will touch 95 mph with a plus slider. There are some questions about getting swings-and-misses at the upper levels. He will need to develop another solid-average pitch to profile as a starter, but there is no reason to think he can’t be a big-league reliever if he just needs to remain a two-pitch pitcher.

MLB ETA: 2024

19. 3B Jacob Reimer

Reimer was the Mets' fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft from a California high school. Already maturely built 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, he has shown plus pitch recognition skills and is starting to tap into his above average raw power. If he physically matures more and puts on strength, there is potential for more power in the bat. Defensively he is either a third baseman or first baseman long-term.

MLB ETA: 2026

20. TWP Nolan McLean

McLean was the Mets' third-round pick out of Oklahoma State. He is a two-way player who will get the chance with the Mets to be a designated hitter and reliever. Offensively it might be the most raw power in the system, as he was hitting baseballs 450+ feet at Oklahoma State. However, that comes with a strikeout rate north of 30 percent, close to 40 percent, which is not sustainable. Long-term scouts believe his future is on the mound where is up to 98 mph with two pitches that flash plus with spin rates around 3,000 rpm in his slider and curveball. I am not sure if Mets will try to make him into a starter like they have done with Scott and Stuart, but if he remains a reliever this is legit closer upside.

MLB ETA: 2026