Mets Top 20 prospects update for the 2022-23 offseason

At the trade deadline, the Mets held on to the bulk of their farm system. The only prospects dealt who would have been considered to crack this list were Nick Zwack and Carson Seymour, who went to the San Francisco Giants in the Darin Ruf trade.

The Mets' plan is built around sustainability, and in order to do that the farm system will have to continue to grow. I believe the Mets have the right scouting department in place both domestically and internationally, and you are already seeing them start to make investments into player development with the hire of Eric Jagers as the new director of pitching development.

Right now, the Mets' system has to be considered among the top 10-12 in the sport, largely carried by the high-end prospects at the top. But it is slowly starting to become a deeper system. 

Unfortunately, that is something that takes time and patience, and I believe the Mets are committed to keeping a contending big league team while also continuing to grow at the minor league level. 

This is my updated top 20 list...

1. C Francisco Álvarez

Arguably the top prospect in baseball. He got a small taste of the big leagues at the end of the season, and I would expect the Mets would like to have him in a meaningful role on the Opening Day roster. He's a potential middle-of-the-order impact All-Star type of bat.

MLB ETA: Already debuted

2. 3B Brett Baty

Roughly a top 20 or so prospect in the sport who also got some big league time last season, including a home run in his first at-bat. He has 20-plus home run type of power with well above average pitch recognition skills.

ETA: Already debuted

3. C Kevin Parada

The Mets' first of two first round picks in the 2022 MLB Draft. I thought he was a top five player in the class who fell to No. 11. He briefly played for Low-A St. Lucie, where he hit .276/.463/.414 in 10 games and was also a big factor in their pursuit of a Florida State League championship. Some believe he could have versatility to play elsewhere on the diamond.

ETA: 2024

4. OF Alex Ramirez

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

ETA: 2025

5. SS Jett Williams

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." The Mets also came away very impressed with Williams on and off the field in his short stint with the rookie level FCL Mets.

ETA: 2026

6. 3B/1B Mark Vientos

Things were pretty confusing surrounding Vientos during the 2022 season. After a slow start he dominated at Triple-A, and I thought he’d get an opportunity to try to be the right-handed half of the DH platoon before the Mets went to the trade market. That did not occur and they acquired Ruf -- and we know the rest. I believe Vientos will hit at the next level. Defensively, he’s likely mostly restricted to first base or just DH. I think he has enough bat for that, but given how he was handled in 2022, you cannot help but wonder how the Mets feel about his long-term future here.

ETA: Already debuted

7. SS Ronny Mauricio

I have long been a bit of the low man on Mauricio, but there is no denying he has the potential of 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. Could his long-term offensive profile be a Javier Baez-lite? His defensive home long-term is a question mark.

ETA: 2023

8. RHP Blade Tidwell

This past 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 last 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 mph and touches 98. 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.

ETA: 2024

9. RHP Dominic Hamel

Hamel was the Mets' organizational pitcher of the year after posting a 3.25 ERA across 119 innings pitched, including a 2.59 ERA for High-A Brooklyn this year. 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.

ETA: 2024

10. RHP Matt Allan

Allan 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 underwent nerve transposition surgery in January that wiped out his 2022 season. The current expectation is for him to be ready for a full spring training in 2023. The Mets are no less bullish on his potential than they were two years ago. I just personally want to see him pitch, and he can potentially jump back up this list.

ETA: 2025

11. RHP Calvin Ziegler

Ziegler has looked as advertised since he was drafted in the second round in 2021. 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 walk rate was high this year (6.8 walks per nine), but he didn’t allow hard contact or really many hits at all (26 allowed in 46.2 innings). He dealt with some bicep tendinitis and arm soreness that limited his innings this year. There is a wide variance of potential long-term outcomes and a lot of that depends on the improvement of his command and control.

ETA: 2025

12. RHP José Butto

Butto had a one-outing cameo in Philadelphia, where he was called up pretty much out of necessity and he was not ready. He went back to Triple-A Syracuse and in the month of September posted a 1.01 ERA in 26.2 innings pitched. His upside is likely capped as a back-end starter, but given his 40-man roster status as well as the big league rotation being in flux, he should be a key piece of pitching depth in 2023.

ETA: Already debuted

13. RHP Mike Vasil

Vasil is an arm the Mets believe they stole in the eighth round in the 2021 draft. I heard he was a targeted name by some teams at this year's trade deadline as the Mets looked for upgrades for the stretch run. 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. He was sent to the Arizona Fall League, where he has posted a 2.93 ERA with a 10.6 strikeouts per nine and made the Rising Stars Game.

ETA: 2024

14. OF Nick Morabito

Morabito was the No. 75 overall selection in the 2022 draft. 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.

ETA: 2026

15. RHP Joel Díaz

Diaz was aggressively put in Low-A St. Lucie this year, and that 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.

ETA: 2025

16. OF Simón Juan

The Mets' top signing in the 2022 international free agent 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 struggled in his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League with a .633 OPS, but there is still sky-high upside here.

ETA: 2027

17. OF Jake Mangum

I would say Mangum is the most likely prospect in the system to be added to the 40-man roster to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft. If the Mets leave him unprotected, I am hearing he’d likely go high in the draft. He may not have the prototypical tools that people who cover prospects look for, but I value the likelihood of being a big leaguer as part of the evaluation. He missed time this year with a stress reaction in his back, but came back and hit .333 in in 33 games for Triple-A Syracuse while routinely providing web gems in all three outfield spots. He may best profile as a fourth outfielder and it is possible he is competing for that job for the Mets as soon as this spring.

ETA: 2023

18. 3B Jacob Reimer

Reimer was the Mets' fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft, where he signed for an over-slot bonus of $775,000 coming out of the same high school that produced Taijuan Walker. Reimer played shortstop in high school, but is now a third baseman -- and he has the tools to fit there. He is a bat-first player showing above average raw power and impressive pitch recognition skills. Defensively, he will need work on his lateral quickness, but he has the arm for the position.

ETA: 2026

19. SS Jesus Baez

Baez 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 had 16 extra-base hits including seven home runs in 54 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.

ETA: 2027

20. LHP Keyshawn Askew

Askew was the Mets' 10^th round pick in the 2021 draft and since turning pro his velocity has ticked up from 88-91 mph at Clemson to more 91-93 in pro ball, touching 94. He is a sidearmer who gets a lot of swings and misses on his above average slider. He is currently a starter, but his long-term home is likely in the bullpen, where he should be a nightmare on left-handed hitters.

ETA: 2024