The Mets completely revamped their farm system with their historic selloff ahead of the 2023 MLB trade deadline. They added a ton of top young talent into the organization and among them is outfielder Ryan Clifford.
New York acquired Clifford from the Houston Astros along with fellow outfield prospect Drew Gilbert in the blockbuster deal for future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander.
“It was definitely something we weren’t fully expecting,” Clifford told SNY’s Michelle Margaux. “I didn’t have a lot of words, just kind of sat there and took it all in. Glad things are working out the way that they are, looking to keep things going with the Mets.”
Both outfielders helped make up the top five in Houston’s farm system and immediately slide into the top 10 here in New York. In fact, Clifford was MLB Pipeline’s sixth-ranked prospect in the organization in the latest updated rankings from the outlet.
Clifford, potentially, presents the most upside of any Mets acquisition this deadline. The 20-year-old is already drawing some high praise from those within his new organization.
“He’s a gigantic individual, he’s strong,” Mets farm director Kevin Howard recently told Mike Puma of the NY Post. “That’s the first thing that stuck out to me, a strong and simple approach. It looks repeatable and he’s very comfortable in the box.
“Those combinations of things, he’s really exciting.”
The Mets assigned Clifford to High-A Brooklyn as he began his New York career, and he got off to a flying start. The powerful lefty launched a two-run home run in his first career at-bat with the Cyclones last week.
"It was special," he said. "I had a couple of days off during there transition and whatnot, so I wasn’t quite sure how things were going to go. It was nice to settle in and hit a home run and keep the line moving."
Clifford has shown an extremely advanced approach at the plate at such a young age. Through 90 games this season across two levels (A-ball and High-A), he’s hitting .286 with a .394 on-base percentage, .910 OPS, 18 doubles, 20 homers, and 67 RBI.
For Mets fans still not familiar with him, the outfielder, who emulates his game after Phillies All-Star Bryce Harper, broke down his approach.
“I play aggressive and try to help the team win,” he said. “I feel like a lot of that can be offensive but at the same time I want to make the smart plays on defense. I want to be a complete overall player.”
“I try to keep a level head. I try to never get too high or too low,” Clifford added. “I don’t want people to know if I’m 0-for-4 or 4-for-4 on the day. I bring just kind of that cold-blooded instinct and that mentality.”
After a bit of a slow start aside from the homer, Clifford seems to be settling in with his new organization. He's hitting a combined 4-for-7 with two doubles, a homer, and four RBI over the past two games.