Mets Top 25-Aussichten für 2023: Weitere bemerkenswerte Spieler

Oct 08, 2023

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Twenty-five prospects not enough for you? There are plenty of other interesting players in the system.

In addition to the 25 prospects that our minor league crew designated as the most impactful in the system, there are a number of other players in the Mets’ minor leagues that deserve a mention. With any luck, a few of these will turn into productive Mets in just a few years.

Daison Acosta, RHP

Daison Acosta was signed as a minor league free agent out of Paraiso, Dominican Republic on July 2, 2016, receiving a $70,000 signing bonus. He made three starts in the Dominican Summer League later in the year, posting a 3.86 ERA in 11.2 innings, allowing 14 hits, walking 6, and striking out 8. He made his stateside debut in 2017, getting assigned to the GCL Mets, and posted a 3.27 ERA in 22.0 innings, allowing 18 hits, walking 7, and striking out 19. He was assigned to the Kingsport Mets for the 2018 season and posted a 4.46 ERA in 42.1 innings, allowing 38 hits, walking 18, and striking out 46. He began the 2019 season with the Brooklyn Cyclones but was quickly promoted to the Columbia Fireflies after allowing just two earned runs in 18.1 innings in Coney Island. He was not as dominant in the South Atlantic League as he was in the New York-Penn League, but still enjoyed a successful season, posting a 3.78 ERA in 52.1 innings, allowing 50 hits, walking 26, and striking out 49.

Acosta missed a great deal of developmental time following the conclusion of the 2019 season. He missed the entirety of the 2020 season when the decision was made to cancel the minor league due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then missed all of 2021 recovering from Tommy John surgery. He resumed throwing at the end of 2021 and was able to finally return to the mound in 2022, assigned once again to the Brooklyn Cyclones, now the Mets’ High-A affiliate. Appearing in 31 games total and starting 10 of those, he posted a 4.84 ERA in 70.2 innings, allowing 53 hits, walking 44, striking out 69, and saving 10 games.

Earlier in his career, Acosta was tall and lanky, suggesting additional growth, but the 24-year-old never filled in much, adding roughly 10-20 pounds to his frame over the years. He throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot with a simple, effortless delivery with a long arm action in the back and a whippy arm. The angle creates deception and gives his fastball some run. Because of the movement on the pitch and on his secondaries, Acosta does not have pinpoint command, resulting in elevated pitch counts and more walks than you would want to see.

The fastball sits in the low-90s, topping out at 94 MPH. The pitch has life up in the zone and to his arm side, flattening out lower in the zone. He complements his fastball with an assortment of pitches, his curveball being the best secondary offering. The pitch sits 77-82 MPH and features big 11-5 and 12-6 vertical drop, occasionally getting slurvy and losing its bite. Occasionally, he also throws a changeup, which sits in the mid-80s, features some fade, especially when thrown down in the zone, but does not use the pitch much.

Eris Albino, RHP

Eris Albino was signed by the Mets in mid-February 2022 out of Yaguate, a municipality located roughly 30 miles from San Cristóbal that is also the birthplace of pitchers Michael Pineda, Jose Ramirez, Arodys Vizcaíno, and Jeurys Familia. Already 18, the right-hander was not considered a premium prospect. He was assigned to the Dominican Summer League, where he was rostered on both Mets DSL squads. In 26.2 innings in 14 total games, he posted a 6.41 ERA, allowing 9 hits, walking 34, and striking out 25.

Albino throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot with a long action through the back, though sometimes his slot raises to virtually overhand. The slot inconsistency along with follow through inconsistencies have resulted in major release point variations, negatively impacting his command. As evidenced by his 11.5 BB/9 and 13.5 BB% walk rate in 2022, the right-hander struggles to throw his pitches in the strike zone at this point in his career, overthrowing and releasing the ball early.

Batters have a hard time squaring up on Albino. His fastball has reportedly touched 99 MPH, though the pitch generally sits in the mid-90s. Albino has trouble maintaining that velocity, and it generally slips in to the low-to-mid-90s by the end of innings, but at 6’6", 230-pounds, the right-hander should eventually be able to maintain the higher end of his velocity band longer. Albino also throws a two-seam variant that features arm-side life and a developing slider with slight break.

Jostyn Almonte, OF

Signed out of the Dominican Republic during the 2019-2020 international free agent signing period for $80,000, Jostyn Almonte was raw as a ballplayer but has a handful of loud tools. Making his professional debut in 2021, assigned to the DSL Mets, Almonte hit .164/.247/.206 in 25 games with 0 home runs, 4 stolen bases in 6 attempts, and 5 walks to 21 strikeouts. He remained in the Dominican Summer League in 2022 and appeared in 38 games for both Mets DSL squadrons, hitting .263/.436/.347 with 2 home runs, 7 stolen bases in 11 attempts, and 24 walks to 34 strikeouts.

Standing 5’11" and weighing 195 pounds, Almonte is built like a linebacker, with powerful legs and thick, broad shoulders. At the plate, he stands slightly open, holding his hands high, wrapping the bat behind his head, and swinging with a slight toe tap timing mechanism. His hit tool is needs to be refined and is still developing, preventing him from tapping into his above-average power. Almonte is athletic and possesses above-average speed, which helps him on the basepaths and in the outfield. His speed gives him plenty of range, allowing him to play center field, but he is better suited for right field, as his arm is above-average and less pressure will be put on his reaction times, instincts, and outfield routes.

Juan Arnaud, RHP

Juan Arnaud was signed on January 15, the first day of the 2021 international signing period, out of Cotuí, a city in the Dominican Republic that also produced such major leaguers as Duaner Sanchez, Teoscar Hernandez, and Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jose Capellán. Set to begin his professional career later that summer, Arnaud missed the entire season due to an injury. He was finally able to get back on the field in June 2022 and spent the summer pitching for both Mets Dominican Summer League squadrons. In 30.2 innings with the DSL Mets 1 and DSL Mets 2 combined, the right-hander posted a 5.87 ERA with 33 hits allowed, 30 walks, and 34 strikeouts.

The right-hander throws from a three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action through the back. His fastball sits in the high-80s-to-low-90s, generally 88-91, occasionally touching 92, 93 MPH. He complement it with a mid-70s curveball that has solid 12-6 shape, and possibly a mid-70s changeup as well. When Arnaud was signed, he had the reputation as being a strike thrower, but he struggled hitting the zone in his first year on the mound against professional hitters with professional umpiring crews. Arnaud works very quickly and has some jerkiness in his delivery; slowing down and smoothing out his mechanics would certainly help his command.

Zach Ashford, OF

Zach Ashford was a three-year letterman at Buchanan High School in his native Clovis, California. In his senior year, Buchanan went 29-4 and won the Central Section Division I championship and Ashford had an extremely productive year, hitting .378 with 27 stolen bases. After graduating, he honored his commitment to Fresno State. He appeared in 49 games for the Bulldogs in his freshman year and hit a respectable .316/.402/.360 with 0 home runs, 3 stolen bases, and 14 walks to 23 strikeouts. That summer, he played for the Eau Claire Express in the Northwoods League and hit .327/.434/.365 in 57 games.

The gains he made playing there carried over into his sophomore year at Fresno, and the outfielder hit .316/.398/.424 in 57 games with 1 home run, 5 stolen bases, and 20 walks to 26 strikeouts. He went back to the Express that summer as well and hit .301/.424/.393 in 61 games. In 2018, he earned Second-Team All-Mountain West honors with his .352/.406/.489 batting line, clubbing a career-high 2 home runs, stealing a career-high 7 bases, and drawing 15 walks to 24 strikeouts. Having gone undrafted, he played for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the Cape Cod League that summer and hit .314/.405/.350 in 41 games. Returning to Fresno for his senior year, Ashford hit .381/.489/.526 in 56 games with 4 home runs, 10 stolen bases, and 40 walks to 22 strikeouts. He was selected by the Mets in the 6th round of the 2019 MLB Draft and signed for $10,000, well below the MLB-assigned slot value of $277,100, giving the organization roughly $250,000 additional dollars to use to sign Matthew Allan.

The outfielder made his debut with the Brooklyn Cyclones and played there for 16 games before being sent down to the GCL Mets because of poor numbers. Ashford remained in the complex for 37 games and was dominant, receiving a late season promotion to the St. Lucie Mets. All in all, the 22-year-old appeared in 58 games for the three teams and hit .254/.357/.390 with 3 home runs, 5 stolen bases, and 29 walks to 47 strikeouts. After missing 2020 due to the cancellation of the season because of COVID-19, Ashford began the 2021 season with the St. Lucie Mets but was promoted to the Brooklyn Cyclones after roughly a month, remaining there for the rest of the season. All in all, he appeared in 86 games combined and hit .255/.351/.327 with 1 home run, 6 stolen bases, and 29 walks to 61 strikeouts. He was promoted to Double-A Binghamton in 2022 and spent the entire season with the Rumble Ponies, hitting .250/.319/.363 in 94 games with 5 home runs, 10 stolen bases, and 30 walks to 79 strikeouts.

At the plate, Ashford has his hands high and has a balanced stance. He swings with a toe tap and lacks a stride with a short, quick stroke. His swing path is direct, leading to groundballs and line drives to all fields. His above-average speed is his best tool and it works well in conjunction with his ability to hit for average, allowing him to beat out groundballs for hits. He gets aggressive at times, trying to do too much, but he has a good eye and understanding of the strike zone, taking walks. He sees fastballs and changeups best, struggling against curveballs and sliders.

Ashford takes advantage of that speed in the outfield as well. His above-average speed lets him cover plenty of grass in center. He is extremely good with the glove, committing a single error in his entire four-year career at Fresno State and just six in three years in the outfield as a professional ball player.

Javier Atencio, LHP

Javier Atencio was signed by the Mets on July 2, 2018, the first day of the 2018-2019 international signing period, out of Ocumare del Tuy, Venezuela for a $75,000 signing bonus. He made his professional debut the following summer, assigned to the DSL Mets. The 17-year-old appeared in 12 games for them and posted a 4.75 ERA, allowing 42 hits, walking 16, and striking out 25. After missing the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Atencio remained in the Dominican Summer League in 2021 due to many of the travel restrictions in place at the time. He appeared in 15 games for the DSL Mets and posted a 2.44 ERA in 48.0 innings, allowing 28 hits, walking 19, and striking out 76.

The Mets brought him stateside in 2022, assigning him to the St. Lucie Mets after impressing in extended spring training, a somewhat aggressive assignment for a 20-year-old whose only professional experience was in the DSL. Atencio more than held his own, posting a 2.27 ERA in 39.2 innings sandwiched between an injury that cost him a few weeks at the end of July and beginning of August, allowing 30 hits, walking 23, and striking out 48.

The southpaw throws from a slingy high-three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action through the back. He hides the ball well with a big leg kick and incorporates an exaggerated glove tap mid-windup to further deceive hitters. He has simple, repeatable mechanics, though he sometimes rushes in the stretch. He works better throwing north-south than east-west, as he is still learning to command his secondary pitches.

Atencio throws a four-seam fastball and a two-seam fastball, both of which have similar characteristics. Both sit in the same velocity bands, sitting in the high-80s-to-mid-90s, ranging 88-95 MPH, averaging 92 MPH. He throws the two-seamer a bit more than the four-seam fastball, with the two-seamer primarily thrown down and away and the four-seamer primarily thrown up.

He pairs his fastball with a slider and a changeup, the former an above-average pitch. It sits in the high-70s-to-low-80s, sitting 77-83 MPH, averaging 79 MPH. The pitch has sweepy break, featuring between 49-59 inches of vertical drop and 8-14 inches of horizontal movement. His changeup sits in the mid-80s, sitting 81-99 MPH, averaging 84 MPH. The pitch has an extremely low spin rate, giving it a lot of fade and tumble. Though his slider is a better pitch than the change, he throws the changeup more, using it and his fastball to set up his slider as a strikeout pitch.

Anthony Baptist, CF

A native of Barahona, Dominican Republic, a coastal city on the island's southwestern that was also the birthplace of former professionals Julio Lugo, Ruddy Lugo, and Edinson Volquez, the Mets officially signed outfielder Anthony Baptist on January 15, 2023, the first day of the 2023 international free agent signing period. Signed for a $1.1 million signing bonus, representing roughly 20% of their $5.2 million budget.

The left-hander stands open at the plate, holding his hands high and wrapping his bat behind his head. He swings with a slight toe tap mechanism, but will almost certainly have his swing reworked as he spends more time within the organization, as his swing is virtually all upper body, barely utilizing his lower half. His small frame limits his physical power projection, but his contact-over-power profile allows him to make the most of his carrying tool, his speed- the infielder has been clocked multiple times at 6.1 seconds in the 60-yard dash, meaning he has plus-plus speed. His offensive game is centered around spraying line drives around the field, putting the ball in play, and wreaking havoc on the base path.

Defensively, Baptist profiles well in center field thanks to the range he has afforded by his foot speed. At this stage in his professional development, he needs to improve his read of the ball off the bat and his routes, refinements that come with repetition and experience. He has an above-average arm, so in the unlikely situation that he just does not take to center or loses the necessary speed and range to remain there, right field remains a potential future home. While Baptist has plenty of room to add muscle mass to his frame, as he is listed at 5’10", 155-pounds, it is unlikely that he grows to the point where he is forced off of the position as his frame is slim and lithe.

Jack Beck, RHP

The son of Lynn Beck, a standout receiver at Oklahoma State, Jace Beck did not inherit his father's football skills, but he did inherit his genetics and propensity for athletics. After first learning to pitch in the seventh grade, Jace continued playing through high school, excelling on the diamond instead of the gridiron. He was particularly impressive in his junior year, when he went 9-2 for the Tuttle Tigers, posting a 1.47 ERA in 70 innings with 20 walks and 90 strikeouts. In the middle of his senior year, he moved, and transferred schools, going from Tuttle High School to their rival, Blanchard High School. Though he wore a different uniform, going from the Tuttle Tigers to the Blanchard Lions, Beck continued to be dominant on the mound. The entire team was, in fact, going 39-0 for the year. Beck himself went a perfect 13-0, posting a 0.99 ERA in 70.2 innings, striking out 134. The Mets selected the right-hander in the 22nd round of the 2019 MLB Draft, the 658th player selected overall. He forwent his commitment to Cowley County Community College and signed with the Mets for a $125,000 bonus. The 19-year-old appeared in 6 games in 2019, posting a 3.38 ERA in 8.0 innings for the GCL Mets, allowing 7 hits, walking 1, and striking out 10.

After missing the 2020 season, he returned to the St. Lucie complex, now the FCL Mets. Appearing in 10 games and starting 6, he posted a 6.65 ERA in 21.2 innings, allowing18 hits, walking 19, and striking out 31. He earned a promotion to the St. Lucie Mets at the end of the year, pitching exactly one inning for them, and pitched the majority of the 2022 season with them. Appearing in 17 games in 2022, the right-hander posted a 2.37 ERA in 19.0 innings, with 11 hits allowed, 17 walks, and 22 strikeouts.

Beck is filled-in and physically mature. At 6’9", Jace Beck is extremely tall, even for a professional athlete. Being tall comes with certain advantages and disadvantages as a pitcher, and the right-hander exhibits both. He pushes off the mound well and has great extension due to his long wingspan, but often has trouble commanding his pitches, even though he generally groups his release points together fairly well.

The big right-hander throws from a high three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action though the back incorporating a wrist wrap. His fastball sits in the low-to-mid-90s, averaging 93 MPH and topping out at 97 MPH. The pitch has an average spin rate, and has a bit of sink to it, resulting in a groundball rate that has hovered around 50% for his young professional career.

Back when Beck was a prep pitcher, he almost exclusively relied on his fastball to dominate his competition and as such, his curveball and changeup were even further behind in their development than other high school pitchers on draft day and remain very rough offerings. He is still almost exclusively a fastball pitcher, relying on it about 75% of the time in 2022. Given that the majority of his outings in 2022 were single-inning or even single-out relief appearances, the amount of breaking balls thrown in many of his outings can literally be counted on one hand. In his arsenal are changeups, sliders, cutters, and curveballs, all of varying degrees of development and effectiveness. To date, his slider has been his most effective breaking ball, eliciting more swings-and-misses and resulting in fewer balls put in play with hard contact. Sitting in the low-80s, averaging 83 MPH, the pitch does not have much bite to it and has curveball characteristics.

Connor Brandon, RHP

A three-sport athlete at Watkins Memorial High School in Etna Township, Ohio, Connor Brandon lettered in baseball, football, and wrestling. After graduating in 2019 and going undrafted, he attended the University of Toledo, following in the footsteps of his father, who attended Toledo and was an outfielder for the Rockets in the late-1980s. Brandon did not pitch much in his freshman season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. His collegiate career began in earnest in 2021, when he threw 42.1 innings over 13 starts and 2 relief appearances. The right-hander posted an unsightly 9.35 ERA, allowing 50 hits, walking 47, striking out 35, hitting 11 batters and uncorking 9 wild pitches. He played for the Amsterdam Mohawks of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League that summer and performed quite a bit better, pitching exclusively out of the bullpen. Throwing 15.1 innings in 15 games, Brandon posted a 2.35 ERA, allowing 11 hits, walking 16, striking out 26, hitting 5 batters and uncorking 5 wild pitches.

Returning to Toledo for his junior season, the right-hander earned Second-Team All-MAC honors, posting a 4.76 ERA in 75.2 innings with 73 hits allowed, 42 walks, 88 strikeouts, 17 hit batsmen, and 5 wild pitches. Following the season, he pitched for the State College Spikes of the MLB Draft League and posted an 8.62 ERA in 15.2 innings, allowing 21 hits, walking 15, striking out 15, hitting 6 batters and unloosing 2 wild pitches. The Mets selected the right-hander in the 17th round of the 2022 MLB Draft and went over slot to sign the pitcher, giving him a $200,000 signing bonus, the second-highest dollar amount a 17th rounder received in 2022, behind Carter Young and the $1,325,000 the Baltimore Orioles gave him. The 21-year-old was assigned to the FCL Mets and appeared in a pair of games in one inning relief stints, allowing one hit, walking a batter, and striking out a batter.

The 6’3", 220-pound right-hander has a durable build suited for logging innings. He throws sidearm and maintains an upright posture pushing off the mound, resulting in an awkward release point for batters to pick up on. The mechanics and his quick, whippy arm are also something of a liability, as Connor has exhibited major command and control problems his entire collegiate career. The right-hander has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and touches as high as 97, 98 MPH. He complements his fastball with an average-to-above-average slider. The pitch sits in the low-to-mid-80s and features late two-plane depth. He occasionally mixes in a low-to-mid-80s changeup, but the pitch is firm and a get-me-over pitch at best. Mainly a two-pitch pitcher, Brandon's future is likely in the bullpen unless he can refine his change and/or develop another effective secondary pitch.

Quinn Brodey, OF

A student at Loyola High School in Los Angeles, California, Quinn Brodey excelled in the classroom, on the diamond, at the plate, and in the outfield. A two-way follow, he was selected by the Washington Nationals with their 37th round selection in the 2014 MLB Draft, but did not sign with them, instead electing to honor his commitment to Stanford University. In his first year there, Brodey continued performing as a two-way player. He appeared in ten games out of the Cardinal bullpen, posting a 3.48 ERA in 10.1 innings pitched with 15 hits allowed, 10 walks, and 4 strikeouts. It became quickly apparent that his future would be on the field rather than on the mound, as the freshman hit .262/.345/.340 in 47 games. He had a stronger season in 2016, as coach Mark Marquess had Brodey focus completely on hitting. No longer a two-way player, Brodey started all 54 Stanford games and hit an improved .280/.302/.445. His 61 hits led Stanford, as did his 7 home runs, 41 RBI, and 97 total bases. That summer, he went to play at the Cape Cod League and played 37 games for the Cotuit Kettleers, hitting .326/.359/.486 with 3 home runs, 3 stolen bases in 4 attempts, and 7 walks to 18 strikeouts. Brodey returned to Stanford in 2017 for his junior season and started all 58 games, hitting .314/.371/.556 with 11 home runs, 3 stolen bases in 6 attempts, and 22 walks to 33 strikeouts. He led the Cardinals in batting average, slugging percentage, home runs, RBI, and total bases and found his name among the league leaders in the Pac-12 Conference in slugging percentage, RBI, total bases, doubles, triples, and home runs.

With their 3rd round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, the Mets selected Brodey and signed him for $500,000, just under the MLB-assigned slot value of $553,200. He spent the majority of the summer with the Brooklyn Cyclones and then finished the season with the Columbia Fireflies, hitting a combined .253/.302/.355 in 63 games. He split the 2018 season with the Columbia Fireflies and St. Lucie Mets, hitting a combined .224/.294/.387 in 115 games, and then split the 2019 season with the St. Lucie Mets and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, hitting a combined .266/.323/.403 in 130 games. The outfielder missed the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and then lost large amounts of playing time in 2021 and 2022 due to injuries and ineffectiveness. In 2021, Brodey appeared in 70 games and hit .174/.256/.285; in 2022, he appeared in 54 and hit .193/.237/.375

Brodey stands tall at the plate with his hands held high. He swings with a toe tap timing mechanism or small leg kick with a smooth, linear swing. His ability to hit for contact more advanced than his ability to hit for power, as he has consistently demonstrated the ability to barrel the ball and put it in play, but has not shown consistent power. To his pull side, he can hit the ball hard but generally hits ground balls and liners with topspin rather than fly balls and elevated balls with backspin. To the opposite field, he generally gets more carry, with balls having more lift and more backspin. Brodye has fair pitch recognition skills and the ability to work the count but is aggressive and generally looks to jump on balls early in the count.

Defensively, Brodey has shown solid outfield actions. His speed is generally fringe-to-average, but he gets good reads on the ball and he takes efficient routes in center field. His arm is average-to-above-average, allowing him to fit at any of the three outfield positions.

Samuel Camacaro, INF

Samuel Camacaro was signed on January 15, the first day of the 2021 international signing period, out of Barquisimeto, the hometown of former Mets players Carlos Carrasco and Andres Gimenez as well as catcher Manny Piña and Yankees coach Carlos Mendoza. The 17-year-old infielder appeared in 33 games for the DSL Mets 2, one of the organizations’ two Dominican Summer League teams, and hit .187/.286/.220 with 0 home runs, 5 stolen bases in as many attempts, and 12 walks to 22 strikeouts. In 2022, he combined to play 45 games with both DSL teams and hit .200/.333/.255 with 1 home runs, 6 stolen bases in 8 attempts, and 22 walks to 26 strikeouts.

A switch hitter, Camacaro did not show any major platoon splits in either 2021 or 2022- unfortunately, he was not a particularly great hitter from either side of the plate. He is currently much more polished as a defender than he is at the plate at this point in his career. At the plate, he stands tall and open, holding his hands high. He swings with a slight leg kick using a quick, level swing, making him most effective against pitches up at the letters.

An infielder, he just about split his time evenly between second base, shortstop, and third base this season. His leggy 6’, 180-pound athletic frame suggests future growth, but optimally he stays athletic, and he remains at shortstop, where his above-average range, above-average arm, and good instincts all play up.

Jose Chacin, RHP

Jose Chacin was on the older side when he was signed by the Dodgers in September 2015, suiting up in his first professional games with the DSL Dodgers as a 19-year-old in 2016. He was sent stateside in 2017, spending the season with the AZL Dodgers and then promoted to full-season ball in 2018 with the Great Lakes Loons. After struggling in a handful of starts, it became very apparent that he was not up to the task and sent down to the Ogden Raptors, the Dodgers’ Rookie-level affiliate. He pitched much better for them, posting a 2.85 ERA in 66.1 innings with 77 hits allowed, 14 walks and 51 strikeouts, winning Pioneer League Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star honors.

The 22-year-old began the season with the Loons once again and had a strong beginning to the season, winning Midwest League Mid-Season All-Star Honors but had a very rough second half and ended up a 4.68 ERA in 127.0 swingman innings with 147 hits allowed, 26 walks, and 95 strikeouts. Like every other minor leaguer, he missed the 2020 season due to COVID-19, and was then released by the Dodgers in April 2021, just prior to the start of the delayed season. The Mets signed him roughly a month later and assigned him to the FCL Mets. The 24-year-old pitched there for roughly a month, was promoted to the St. Lucie Mets where he pitched for roughly a month, and ended the season in Brooklyn, where he pitched for roughly a month. At all three levels combined, he posted a 3.26 ERA in 60.2 innings, allowing 41 hits, walking 17, and striking out 58.

He began the 2022 season with Brooklyn and after four solid starts there, was promoted to Binghamton. The right-hander appeared in 23 games for the Rumble Ponies, starting 20 games, and posted a 5.67 ERA in 101.2 innings, allowing 110 hits, walking 33, and striking out 94 batters. His 20 starts and 101.2 innings led the team, and his innings workload ranked fifteenth in the Eastern League.

Chacin throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot. His main pitch is his changeup, and he generally throws the pitch as much or even more than his four-seam fastball or sinker. The pitch sits in the low-to-mid-80s. He complements it with two fastball variations, a four-seam fastball and a sinker. His four-seam fastball sits high-80s-to-mid-90s, generally settling in at 92 and topping out at 94. The pitch features a slightly above-average spin rate for a fastball. The sinker is very similar, sitting in roughly the same velocity band and featuring a similar spin rate. Rounding out his arsenal is a low-to-mid-80s slider and the occasional cutter and curveball, neither of which are thrown with any kind of regularity but generally make one or two cameos per game.

Nolan Clenney, RHP

Born in Northville, Michigan, Nolan Clenney attended Detroit Catholic Central High School in nearby Novi, where he established himself as one of the best players on the Shamrocks and an intriguing follow for scouts and evaluators in Michigan. The right-hander graduated undrafted in 2014 and attended Brunswick Community College in Supply, North Carolina, a small unincorporated community on the state's southern Atlantic coastline. Clenney excelled as a hitter and a pitcher with the Dolphins, posting a cumulative 2.53 ERA in 81.2 innings with 62 hits allowed, 31 walks, and 88 strikeouts along with a cumulative .396/.439/.538 batting line in 73 games with 4 home runs, 3 stolen bases, and 19 walks to 18 strikeouts. After his sophomore season, he transferred to North Carolina State, redshirting in his first year there. In 2018, Clenney led the Wolfpack with 33 appearances out of the bullpen and posted a 3.43 ERA in 44.2 innings, allowing 32 hits, walking 26, and striking out 54. In 2019, his redshirt senior season, the 23-year-old was limited to just 14 games and posted a 2.25 ERA in 12.0 innings with 9 hits allowed, 9 walks, and 13 strikeouts.

His limited time on the mound combined with his advanced age led the right-hander to go undrafted in the 2019 MLB Draft. Rather than give up on baseball, Clenney signed with the Utica Unicorns of the United Shore Professional Baseball League, an independent league in the Detroit metropolitan area. He pitched with them for two years- the USPBL played in the summer of 2020- and compiled a cumulative 3.01 ERA in 68.2 innings with 55 hits allowed, 21 walks, and 76 strikeouts, helping lead the Unicorns to back-to-back championships. In 2021, the 25-year-old signed with the Gary SouthShore RailCats of the American Association. Pitching mainly out of their bullpen, he posted a 0.89 ERA in 20.1 innings over 11 games, allowing 12 hits, walking 3, and striking out 26. At the beginning of May 2021, Clenney agreed, in principle, to a contract with the Milwaukee Brewers but the deal fell through, leading the Mets to sign the right-hander roughly a month later, at the end of June.

The Mets assigned Clenney to St. Lucie for the majority of 2021, receiving a late-season promotion to Brooklyn in September. All in all, in his first professional season, the right-hander posted a 3.90 ERA in 27.2 innings over 17 relief appearances, allowing 25 hits, walking 7, and striking out 37. He remained in Brooklyn to start 2022 and remained there for the entire year, posting a 4.92 ERA in 67.2 innings over 33 appearances with 60 hits allowed, 22 walks allowed, and 87 strikeouts.

The 6’2", 215-pound right-hander throws from a low-three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action through the back. He gets good extension off of the mound and folds his top half over well, lowering his release point and giving him a flatter vertical approach angle. His fastball sits in the low-to-mid-90s and features spin rates that flash above-average. The pitch has good sink and arm side run, resulting in good groundball rates and a large number of weak infield flyballs. He complements the pitch with a slider that sits in the low-to-mid-80s and the occasional low-to-mid-80s changeup. His slider is his main strikeout pitch, featuring tight, gyroscopic 12-6 break, while his changeup has natural tumble and fade, eliciting swings-and-misses as well as strikeouts.

Robert Colina, RHP

Robert Colina was born in Punto Fijo, the largest city in the Venezuelan state of Falcón. Inspired by hometown heroes Freddy Galvis and Robinson Chirinos, he sought to become a professional ballplayer himself. While in school, his parents and coaches discovered that he had an incredible arm, and Colina he began training with a variety of people, eventually enrolling at Future Stars Baseball Academy in Barquisimito. He eventually signed with the Mets on July 2, 2017, agreeing to a $85,000 signing bonus.

The right-hander was assigned to the Dominican Summer League and posted a 2.94 ERA in 49.0 innings, allowing 42 hit, walking 12, and striking out 49. He began the 2019 season in the DSL but was promoted to the GCL Mets in late June after just four starts. Pitching as both a starter and reliever, Colina posted a 3.57 ERA in 40.1 innings, allowing 42 hits, walking 13, and striking out 35. He was sent stateside in 2021, starting the year with the FCL Mets, but was promoted to the St. Lucie Mets in mid-August and finished out the season with them. In the complex, the right-hander posted a 2.70 ERA in 23.1 innings with 21 hits allowed, 6 walks, and 32 strikeouts, while he posted a 3.18 ERA in 28.1 innings with 27 hits allowed, 12 walks, and 27 strikeouts, giving him a combined 2.96 ERA in 51.2 innings with 48 hits allowed, 18 walks, and 59 strikeouts. The 21-year-old spent the season with St. Lucie and the FCL Mets once again in 2022, though this time in reverse order, as he struggled and was demoted midway through the season. In St. Lucie, he posted a 7.99 ERA in 32.2 innings, allowing 42 hits, walking 17, and striking out 41, while he posted a 1.59 ERA in 17.0 innings with 11 hits allowed, 3 walks, and 22 strikeouts in the complex, giving him a combined 5.80 ERA in 49.2 innings on the year with 53 hits allowed, 17 walks, and 63 strikeouts.

The right-hander throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot with a long action through the back. His mechanics are sound and do not show red flags in relation to either injury or control. Listed at 5’11", Colina is short for a pitcher, and his 175-pound frame is already well filled in and proportionate, making additional growth at this point unlikely.

Colina's fastball averages 92 MPH, ranging from 89 to 93 MPH. The pitch averages a slightly above average 2315 RPM spin rate and displays positive spin axis traits but the pitch does not register many swings and misses, with batters able to square up on it. Instead, his curveball is his main strikeout pitch, an offering that logged a 29.9% wiff rate, as opposed to his fastball, which logged an 18.8% rate. The pitch, which averages 77 MPH and sits between 75 and 79 MPH, features between 48-64 inches of vertical drop and 3-11 inches of horizontal movement. While he is mainly a two-pitch, fastball-curveball pitcher, he occasionally mixes in a cutter and changeup.

Jeffrey Colon, RHP

Jeffrey Colon was born in Las Matas de Farfan, Dominican Republic, a town not far from the Haitian border that was the birthplace of numerous current and former major leaguers, including Jean Segura, Juan Encarnación, Roberto Novoa, Odalis Perez, Ramón Santiago, and Valerio De Los Santos. Colon was signed by the Mets on June 2, 2018, at the very end of the 2018-2019 international signing period and spent the entire season in the Dominican Summer League. The 18-year-old appeared in 15 games and pitched a total of 34.0 innings, posting a 4.24 ERA with 30 hits allowed, 16 walks, and 33 strikeouts. He was sent stateside in 2019, pitching for the GCL Mets, and had a similar season in the complex; appearing in 19 games, he posted a 4.94 ERA in 27.1 innings pitched, allowing 28 hits, walking 17, and striking out 22.

After missing 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Colon split the year with the FCL Mets and the St. Lucie Mets, pitching 18.2 innings for both teams to varying results. With the FCL Mets, he appeared in 9 games and posted a 1.93 ERA, allowing 14 hits, walking 3, and striking out 27. With the St. Lucie Mets, he appeared in 14 games and posted a 6.27 ERA, allowing 28 hits, walking 11, and striking out 17. He began the 2022 season with St. Lucie and had a much better go at it this season. The 22-year-old appeared in 13 games and posted a 3.23 ERA in 47.1 innings, allowing 41 hits, walking 11, and striking out 57. He was promoted to High-A Brooklyn in mid-August and was extremely effective in the 6 outings he had in Coney Island. Throwing 25.1 innings, the right-hander posted a 1.07 ERA with 13 hits allowed, 7 walks, and 27 strikeouts. All in all, at both levels combined, Colon posted a 2.48 ERA in 72.2 innings, allowing 54 hits, walking 18, and striking out 84.

The right-hander throws from a low-three-quarters arm slot, with a long arm action through the back and minimal unnecessary movement. Colon is mainly a fastball/changeup pitcher, occasionally mixing in a sinker as well. He pitches backwards, using his changeup 50% of the time, and complementing it with his fastball and sinker.

Colon is able to throw different versions of his changeup. One is thrown harder and features lower spin rates, less vertical drop and more horizontal movement and the other is thrown with a little less velocity but has more vertical drop and almost non-existent horizontal movement. The harder thrown version sits around 90 MPH and features between 1960 and 2270 RPM and has anywhere between 24 and 34 inches of vertical movement and 15-22 inches of horizontal movement. The version that is thrown with less velocity sits in the mid-to-high-80s and features between 2360 and 2800 RPM and has 37 and 43 inches of vertical movement and 0-4 inches of horizontal movement. His four-seam fastball has averaged 93 MPH, sitting between 87 and 95 MPH this season, averaging 2330 RPM. His sinker has averaged 90 MPH, sitting between 87 and 93 MPH, averaging 2370 RPM. Colon maintained a strong 61.5% groundball rate in 2022 on the strength of the sink of his fastball and weak contact from his changeup.

Joshua Cornielly, RHP

Signed on the first day of the 2018-2019 international free agent signing period out of Caracas, Venezuela's Elite Baseball Academy, Joshua Corneilly made his professional debut that summer, assigned to the Dominican Summer League. The 17-year-old right-hander posted a 3.25 ERA in 27.2 innings, allowing 35 hits, walking 8, and striking out 27. He began the 2019 season with the DSL Mets, posting a 6.10 ERA in three starts, but was promoted to the GSL Mets and sent stateside in late June. Pitching as a swingman there, he posted a 4.54 ERA in 35.2 innings, allowing 43 hits, walking 8, and striking out 40.

He missed all of 2020 due to the coronavirus and then missed all of 2021 thanks to a shoulder surgery in the spring and then difficulties securing a visa. He finally got back on the mound in 2022, assigned to the St. Lucie Mets. Appearing in 31 games, the 21-year-old posted a 5.21 ERA in 46.2 innings, with 48 hits allowed, 25 walks, and 53 strikeouts.

The bespectacled right-hander throws from a three-quarters arm slot, dropping down low with a long arm action in the back. His delivery is simple, repeatable, and mechanically sound, leading to no red flags regarding injury or control problems. The right-hander does not have a particularly flashy arsenal, but is a cerebral pitcher and is able to maximize his repertoire based on what is working best for him on any given night and how batters are reacting.

Earlier in his career, his fastball sat in the low-90s, but the pitch now averages 91, topping out at 92 MPH. As the 2022 season progressed, the right-hander lost stamina and his fastball average velocity ticked down slightly, often topping out in the high-80s. His main secondary pitch is a changeup, which averages 82 MPH and features roughly a 10 MPH differential from his fastball with anywhere between 29-35 inches of tumble and 14-19 inches of fade. While the pitch did not elicit many more swings and misses as compared to his fastball, but the pitch does induce weaker contact.

In addition, he throws a curveball that sits in the high-70s, ranging 76-78 MPH, and features a spin rate between 2200-2300 RPM, putting it on the low end of the spectrum. The pitch features between 46-54 inches of vertical drop and 9-16 inches of horizontal movement, and the right-hander is able to throw it in the strike zone and below it. As the 2022 season progressed, Corneilly began incorporating a slider into his repertoire, eliminating the curve, and the pitch proved more reliable and effective.

Carlos Cortes, OF

The diminutive Carlos Cortes, who stands 5’7" and weighs about 200 pounds, had a long track record of hitting in high school, both on the showcase circuit and for Lake Howell High School in Winter Park, Florida. In his senior year, he hit an impressive .380/.533/.632, and having done their due diligence on the youngster, the Mets drafted him with their 20th round selection in the 2016 MLB Draft. Having already committed to South Carolina University, Cortes elected to attend college instead of turning pro. In 50 games as a freshman, Cortes hit .286/.368/.565 with 12 home run, 5 stolen bases in 7 attempts, and 22 walks to 27 strikeouts. He played in the Cape Cod Collegiate League that summer and returned to South Carolina to hit .265/.385/.500 in his second year, slugging 15 home runs, stealing 8 bases in 9 attempts, and walking 43 times to 32 strikeouts. The Mets remained interested in the draft-eligible sophomore and picked him once again, this time selecting him in the 3rd round of the 2018 MLB Draft. This time around, he signed with the club, agreeing to a $1,000,038 signing bonus, roughly $300,000 over the MLB-recommended slot value. He made his professional debut with the Brooklyn Cyclones and posted a .264/.338/.382 batting line in 47 games, hitting 4 homers, walking 17 times and striking out 34. He was promoted to St. Lucie in 2019 and hit .255/.336/.397 in 127 games, hitting 11 homers, stealing 6 bases in 11 attempts, and walking 52 times to 77 strikeouts.

Like everybody else, he missed the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic but was able to get into some competitive baseball action late in the year in the Australian Baseball League. Appearing in 14 games for the Sydney Blue Sox, a team particularly hurt by COVID protocols, Cortes hit .392/.429/.706. Returning to the U.S. and playing for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Cortes was able to keep the momentum going early in the 2021 season but the gains faded as the year progressed. In the first two months of the season, he hit .287/.353/.551 with 9 home runs and a 20:45 walk:strikeout ratio, but in the last two months, he hit .236/.314/.423 with 5 home runs and a 14:37 walk:strikeout ratio, good for a .257/.332/.487 batting line in 79 games with 14 home runs, 35 walks, and 85 strikeouts. His struggles continued into 2022, as the 25-year-old hit a combined .223/.295/.369 with 12 home runs, 42 walks, and 124 strikeouts in 123 games with Binghamton and Syracuse.

Cortes stands open at the plate an uppercutty swing, a stark difference from his earlier high school and collegiate days, when his bat path was much more level. His swing mechanics are fluid and Cortes swings at most pitches with intent. As such, there is some swing and miss in it, particularly against breaking balls out of the strike zone and versus left-handers. Pitches that he is able to make solid contact with jump off the bat despite his small stature; his load, coil, bat speed, barrel accuracy, and swing plane all magnify the power that you might expect from a guy that stands just 5’7". He displays above-average raw power, so key in his continued baseball development will be improving his hit tool so that his raw power will translate more into in-game power.

Defensively, Cortes does not have a true home. The 25-year-old is able to do a lot of things and play multiple positions, but he does not stand out at any. Naturally a left-hander, Cortes taught himself to throw with his right hand and is fully ambidextrous. When he is playing in the infield, he throws right-handed. When he plays the outfield, he throws left-handed. Because his arm strength is fringy from both sides and because he is a slightly below-average runner, he profiles better in the infield, at second base. Being an outfielder makes him a bit more valuable as a player, and as such, the Mets have primarily used him in the outfield since 2021.

Justin Courtney, RHP

A native of Bangor, Maine, Justin Courtney attended the city's eponymously named high school, where he was a standout star in baseball, hockey, and soccer. In 2014, his senior season, he posted a 1.20 ERA and 77 strikeouts on the mound and hit .368 with two home runs, helping lead Bangor High School to 2014 Maine High School Class A State Championship and the 2014 American Legion Maine State Championship. He was the 2014 Maine Zone I American Legion Player of the Year, a First Team All-KVAC selection, and a 2014 Perfect Game Northeast Region Honorable Mention All-American. Despite being one of the best players available in the 2014 MLB Draft from Maine, Courtney went undrafted and honored his commitment to the University of Maine.

The right-hander had an excellent rookie campaign, earning numerous awards and being named to a handful of honorary teams. He appeared in 14 games, starting 13 of them, and posted a 3.24 ERA in 72.1 innings, allowing 84 hits, walking 27, and striking out 38. The right-hander regressed in 2016, unable to keep that momentum going thanks to a shoulder injury. He ended up posting a 4.30 ERA in 44.0 innings over 8 games with 48 hits allowed, 12 walks, and 30 strikeouts. Courtney returned to the Black Bears fully healthy in 2017 and was able to regain his form, having another solid season. Making 15 starts, he posted a 3.92 ERA in 87.1 innings, allowing 87 hits, walking 33, and striking out 67. While the numbers were decent, they were not what any Major League Baseball teams were looking for, and the right-hander went undrafted in the 2017 MLB Draft. After pitching for the Sanford Mainers in the New England Collegiate Baseball League that summer, Courtney returned to Maine for his senior season. The right-hander unfortunately had what should have been his swan song season cut short due to an elbow injury that necessitated Tommy John surgery. He threw exactly 21.0 innings before the surgery in 2018 and then returned in 2019 and threw exactly 21.0 innings in his redshirt senior season. All in all, Courtney posted a 3.92 ERA in 245.2 innings at the University of Maine from 2015 to 2019, allowing 260 hits, walking 90, and striking out 176, earning a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management and a master's in Business Administration.

Despite finishing college undrafted, Courtney was not ready to hang up his cleats and give up baseball just yet. He was keeping himself in shape with the goal of signing with an independent team when the 2020 season began. After taking some time off from working out and throwing bullpen sessions during the fall, he reached out to Dr. Tom House, the famous pitching coach and analyst. The 2020 season did not take place for most independent leagues, but the right-hander was still able to put his time to good use, training with House to improve and optimize his mechanics. He had a few tryouts with west coast teams and was signed by the Los Angeles Angels that February.

The Angels assigned the 24-year-old to the Inland Empire 66ers, their Low-A affiliate and it unfortunate was not a storybook season for Courtney. He appeared in 22 games for them, all out of the bullpen, and posted a 5.63 ERA in 40.0 innings, allowing 49 hits, walking 10, striking out 46, and notching 2 saves. The Angels released him in late August, but he was signed by the Mets a few weeks later. He made a handful of appearances with the FCL Mets that year but his career in the organization really began in earnest in 2022. Assigned to the Brooklyn Cyclones, the right-hander appeared in 33 games and posted a 4.21 ERA in 47.0 innings, allowing 49 hits, walking 23, and striking out 45. He was promoted to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in late August and finished the season there- getting to pitch in a game against the Portland Sea Dogs- and posted a 3.68 ERA in 7.1 innings over 7 appearances, allowing 9 hits, walking 3, and striking out 10, giving the 25-year-old a solid 4.14 ERA in 54.1 innings with 58 hits allowed, 26 walks, and 55 strikeouts.

Courtney is not the first right-hander to play for the Mets and the Angels and work with Dr. Tom House. Years before the Courtney was even born, Nolan Ryan hung up his cleats after a 27-year Hall of Fame career. In late 2021, Courtney was hired by director Bradley Jackson and executive producers Reid and Reese Ryan- sons of the legendary Texan hurler- to portray the Hall of Famer in their upcoming documentary "Facing Ryan". Because Ryan made his baseball debut just prior to the current era of everything on the field being recorded, taped, and archived, portions of Ryan's iconic career needed to be recreated, such as his brief minor league career, and his major league debut, and that is where Courtney stepped in.

The 6’5", 225-pound right-hander who continentally does really bear a striking resemblance to a young Nolan Ryan throws from a high-three quarters arm slot with a long arm action and wrist wrap through the back. He folds his top half over and lowers his release point, creating a flatter vertical approach angle for his pitches, and takes a healthy stride, giving his pitches a higher perceived velocity. Since filming "Facing Ryan", the right-hander has also incorporated a bigger leg kick into his delivery and has made a point to move faster on the mound, because Ryan had success pitching quickly.

Prior to working with Dr. Tom House, Courtney's fastball sat in the high-80s, topping out around 90 MPH. The right-hander now regularly sits in the mid-to-low-90s, regularly topping out at 95, 96 MPH, as he learned to utilize his trunk and core strength better and quickened his arm speed. He complements the pitch with a 12-6 curveball and a changeup and has been tinkering with a slider and cutter.

Yohairo Cuevas, OF

The son of Dominican immigrants who came to the United States, Yohairo Cuevas grew up in Manhattan and the Bronx, attending All Hallows High School, a Catholic school in the South Bronx literally a few blocks from Yankee Stadium on East 164th street. Baseball came easy to him, as it is in his blood; his uncle, Juan Samuel, was a three-time all-star who played for the Mets in 1989 when he was acquired in the Lenny Dykstra trade. He moved to the Dominican Republic in order to expedite his ability to go pro and was signed by the Mets for $500,000 on January 15, 2021, the first day of the 2021 international signing period; he had an agreement with them and would have signed in July 2020 if the COVID-19 pandemic hadn't necessitated the cancellation of the season and the delay of the international signing period.

Cuevas did not live up to expectations in his first season as a professional. Appearing in 41 games for the Dominican Summer League Mets, the 17-year-old left-hander hit .155/.331/.214 with 0 home runs, 5 stolen bases in as many attempts, and 23 walks to 41 strikeouts. His 2022 season was a big improvement, as he hit .277/.374/.398 in 51 games for the DSL Mets with 2 home runs, 7 stolen bases in 10 attempts, and 27 walks to 43 strikeouts.

The 6’3", 170-pound Cuevas is athletic and well-proportioned. At the plate, he stands slightly open, holding his hands high, swinging with a slight load and leg kick. His swing can get a bit long, resulting in strikeouts or weak contact resulting in ground balls, but when he makes solid contact, he can really put a jolt in the ball thanks to his natural strength and slightly above-average bat speed, capable of registering exit velocities in the high-90s. Unlike his uncle, who coined the phrase, "You don't walk off the island. You hit," Cuevas has shown a solid eye at the plate, though this may be due to his background playing little league and travel ball in the U.S. as opposed to the sandlots of Quisqueya.

Defensively, Cuevas is athletic, has above-average speed, and an above-average arm capable of reaching the mid-80s, making him an excellent fit in either center or right field. An outfielder by trade, Cuevas has experience playing first base in addition to playing in the outfield. In 2022, he spent more time at first than he did in the outfield, in fact.

Levi David, RHP

A champion swimmer in addition to playing baseball, Levi David won state championships in the 50-meter freestyle and won district and regional championships in the 100-meter freestyle in addition to being a two-year baseball letter winner while attending Waxahachie High School. He was named Texas District 10-5A MVP as a senior after hitting .410 and posting a 1.33 ERA on the mound but went undrafted in the 2018 MLB Draft. After graduating high school, David spent two years at McLennan Community College, a junior college in Waco, Texas. He only pitched in one of those years, 2018, and posted an 8.35 ERA in 18.1, allowing 13 hits, walking 26, and striking out 25. After his sophomore year, David transferred to Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. He had moderate success out of the Demons’ bullpen in 2020 prior to the NCAA cancelling the season because of COVID-19, posting a 2.57 ERA in 7.0 innings with 6 hits allowed, 8 walks, and 10 strikeouts. After playing for the Acadiana Cane Cutters in the Texas Collegiate League that summer, he returned to Northwestern in 2021 and had his best season as a collegiate baseball player, posting a 4.43 ERA in 61.0 innings split over 13 starts and 1 relief appearance, allowing 34 hits, walking 46, and striking out 104. His 15.3 strikeouts per nine was not just third on his team, or even in the entire Southland Conference but rather in all of NCAA Division I baseball itself. The Mets selected him in the 9th round of the 2021 MLB Draft and signed him to a $120,000 signing bonus, roughly $35,000 below the MLB-assigned $157,200 slot value for his pick.

David did not pitch for the Mets in 2021 and got his professional career started in 2022. Suffice to say, his career began poorly. Assigned to the St. Lucie Mets, the right-hander posted a 10.03 ERA in 11.2 innings with 2 hits allowed, 24 walks, 15 strikeouts, 4 hit batters, and 14 wild pitches, his performance marginally better before a brief trip to the injured list in late-April. In mid-June, he was demoted to the FCL Mets but did not pitch in a game until mid-August. The results were the same there, as David posted a 12.00 ERA in 3.0 innings with 3 hits allowed, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts, 3 hit batters, and 2 wild pitches. All in all, the 23-year-old posted a 10.43 ERA in 14.2 innings with 5 hits allowed, 29 walks, 22 strikeouts, 7 hit batsmen, and 16 wild pitches.

The 6’5", 220-pound right-hander throws from a three-quarters arm slot with whippy, cross firing delivery. His arm action is long through the back, and many scouts and evaluators believe that this is where David's biggest weakness- his control- stems from. His long arm struggles to get in sync with his lower half, making it hard for him to repeat his delivery consistently and maintain his release point. He sets up on the far first base side of the rubber as well, making it difficult for him to pitch east-west and exacerbating his control issues. His lack of control is a major weakness that has held him back from his potential, because the right-hander has one of the best individual pitches in the 2021 draft class.

David's fastball generally sits in the mid-90s, averaging 94 MPH in 2022 and ranging 93 to 96 MPH. The pitch does not have much life to it and Low-A batters were regularly able square up on it and hit it hard. He complements the pitch with a curveball that is an excellent pitch in a vacuum. In 2021, hitters in the NCAA's Southland Conference went 5-98 against it with 80 strikeouts, a 72% swing-and-miss rate. The pitch, which sits in the mid-80s, ranging from 83-84 MPH and averaging 84 MPH. The pitch's spin rate ranges from 2815 to 2970 RPM, averaging 2900 RPM, giving it between 47-53 of vertical drop and 12-17 inches of horizontal movement. David unfortunately is unable to command the pitch, throwing it out of the strike zone more than he throws it in it. He also telegraphs the pitch, releasing it much higher than his fastball or slider. David can also manipulate its shape and turn it into a mid-80s slider, averaging 85 MPH and ranging 84-86 MPH. It's spin rates remain in the same ranges, but the slider has 39-47 inches of vertical drop and 6-16 inches of horizontal movement. Like his curveball, he struggles throwing the pitch in the strike zone.

Felipe De La Cruz, LHP

Born in Yamasa, a rural agricultural community in eastern Dominican Republic, southpaw Felipe De La Cruz was signed by the Mets on March 17, 2021, a few months before his 20th birthday. The left-hander was assigned to the Dominican Summer League and appeared in 14 games for the DSL Mets, starting 12 of them. He had a solid debut season, posting a 3.13 ERA in 46.0 innings with 38 hits allowed, 16 walks, and 46 strikeouts. The Mets sent him stateside in 2022, pitching with the FCL Mets for the majority of the season and receiving a cup-of-coffee with the St. Lucie Mets in September. In the Florida Complex League, De La Cruz posted a 4.83 ERA in 31.2 innings, allowing 32 hits, walking 16, and striking out 44. In his two games with St. Lucie, the southpaw did not allow a run in 4.0 innings, allowing a pair of hits, walking none, and striking out 9.

De La Cruz throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot with a slingy arm action. Standing an even 6’, the left-hander weighs 160-pounds but is unlikely to add much more weight, as he is well-proportioned and athletic. He works better to his glove side against right-handed hitters and left-handed hitters alike, generally missing with almost everything to his arm side.

His fastball is well above-average for a left-handed pitcher, sitting in the mid-90s. The pitch features average spin rates for a fastball and occasionally flashes above-average spin rates, resulting in the large number of swings-and-misses that De La Cruz gets with the pitch. The southpaw complements his fastball with a slider and an occasional changeup.

His slider sits in the low-to-mid-80s and features above-average spin rates, giving it two-plane, slightly gyroscopic 12-6 movement. De La Cruz’ changeup sits in the mid-to-high-80s and improved as the 2022 season progressed. The pitch had a high whiff rate in a relatively small sample size- especially late in the year- and generated a lot of weak contact in addition to the many swings-and-misses.

Francis de Leon, OF

Signed by the Mets on January 15, 2021, the start of the 2021-2022 international signing period out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, outfielder Francis de Leon was assigned to the DSL Mets later that year, beginning his professional career in the Dominican Summer League. The 17-year-old played all three outfield positions, mainly playing right field, and hit .214/.395/.369 in 35 games with 3 home runs, 6 steals in 9 attempts, and 18 walks to 39 strikeouts. He was sent stateside in 2022 and assigned to the FCL Mets, with his playing time slowly tapering off as the year went on. He appeared in 18 games in total, hitting .109/.222/.109 with 0 home runs, 3 stolen bases in 4 attempts, and 4 walks to 23 strikeouts while mainly playing left field.

Listed at 5’11", 160-lbs, de Leon still has plenty of room to grow and add muscle but is already very physically mature for his age. The outfielder stands extremely open at the plate, holding his hands high and wrapping his bat behind his head. He swings without much of a load, using a moderate leg kick, whipping the bat through the zone and generating above-average raw power. His swing is still a bit raw, and his hit tool will need to improve in order to manifest his power in-game.

Defensively, de Leon has speed, range, and an above-average arm, giving him the ability to play anywhere in the outfield presently. He has a chance to stay in center field in the long term future if he does not slow down and refines his read off the ball and his outfield routes. With his arm, he profiles well in right field.

Omar De Los Santos, OF

Omar De Los Santos was signed by the Mets in early February 2019, late in the 2019-2020 international signing period, an 18-year-old turning 19 during the season. He played in the Dominican Summer League that year, appearing for both Mets DSL teams and hitting a combined .274/.359/.416 with 4 home runs, 13 stolen bases, and 22 walks to 42 strikeouts. He missed the 2020 season due to the cancellation of the season due to COVID-19, but returned in 2021, assigned to the FCL Mets. He appeared in seven games with them, logging at least one hit in every single one, and was promoted to the St. Lucie Mets for the remainder of the season. De Los Santos did not enjoy the same success in the 38 games he played with them, hitting .241/.292/.331 in 38 games, but his first season stateside was a solid one, as he combined to hit .273/.318/.416 in 47 games with 3 home runs, 14 stolen bases, and 8 walks to 53 strikeouts. The Mets assigned the 22-year-old to St. Lucie for a second consecutive season, and the outfielder had much more success this time around, though his season ended prematurely, as he hurt his hand sliding into second base in a game in early September. On the whole, the outfielder hit .272/.339/.459 with 16 home runs, a league-leading 70 stolen bases in 85 attempts, and 35 walks to 151 strikeouts.

De Los Santos stands square at the plate, holding his hands high. While he got on base at a strong rate in 2022, his hit tool is below average and is not expected to hold up particularly well at higher levels of the minor league ladder. His swing is long-levered and whippy, quick through the zone without much control. His 151 strikeouts through 111 games with St. Lucie in 2022, resulted in a 31.6% strikeout rate, one of the highest in the entire system that year. The swing does generate some power, he recorded 16 home runs on the season and he's averaged an 85 MPH exit velocity in 256 recorded batted ball events, with 56 registering 100 MPH or higher and 5 even registering 110 MPH or higher, but at the higher levels, it really is unlikely to work.

De Los Santos’ carrying tool is his speed, evidenced by his 70 stolen bases this season, not only the most in the Florida State League in 2022, but second to only Milwaukee Brewers farmhand Esteury Ruiz for the most in all of minor league baseball along with. De Los Santos has above-average, borderline plus speed, giving him the ability to steal plenty of bases, stretch singles, and take extra bases.

Carlos Dominguez, OF

Carlos Dominguez was signed by the Mets out of San Pedro De Macoris in the Dominican Republic on June 15, 2018, the very last day of the 2018-2019 international signing period. On the older side, the 19-year-old was assigned to the Mets’ Dominican Summer League teams, hitting a combined .266/.383/.464 in 59 games with both teams, hitting 6 home runs, stealing 15 bases in 21 attempts, and drawing 18 walks to 63 strikeouts. He likely would have been sent stateside to the GCL Mets in 2020 given his advanced age and the success he had in the DSL, but the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the cancellation of the season.

In 2021, Dominguez returned to a very different minor league structure and was indeed sent stateside, but to the FCL Mets instead of the GCL Mets, as the Florida Complex League replaced the newly defunct Gulf Coast League. Appearing in 46 games, the 21-year-old outfielder hit .262/.348/.531 with 10 home runs, 7 stolen bases in 10 attempts, and 9 walks to 57 strikeouts. His 10 homers led not only the team, but the entire Florida Complex League as well. He led the league in home runs for a second consecutive year in 2022, when he spent the entire season with the St. Lucie Mets. Appearing in 111 games, he hit .233/.324/.426 with 20 home runs, 22 stolen bases in 34 attempts, and 37 walks to 173 strikeouts.

The outfielder led the Florida State League in strikeouts as well. Dominguez stands open at the plate, holding his hands high. He swings using a big leg kick and rarely gets cheated. When he is able to get full extension, he can really put a jolt on the ball; power is his carrying tool. In 111 games in 2022, he put the ball in play 217 recorded times and averaged an 84.3 MPH Exit Velocity on all balls put in play. He has logged Exit Velocities over 100 MPH 39 times, Exit Velocities over 105 MPH 13 times, and logged one batted ball event with an Exit Velocity over 110 MPH- a home run on June 8. Despite that, it comes with a price. His swing is long and he strikes out a ton. When he gets full extension, his swing is simply too long to correct course on location.

In the outfield, Dominguez has the most experience in right field, where his arm is not wasted. He has experience in left field and in center, but right is where his tools best play. Though he has slightly above-average speed and athleticism, he does not show the range or instincts to play centerfield full-time.

Robert Dominguez, RHP

Born on November 30, 2001, Robert Dominguez was eligible to sign as an international free agent over the 2018-2019 international free agent signing period but flew under the radar and went unsigned as his stuff generally did not draw much attention from scouts and evaluators. The additional year of growth and development did wonders for the right-hander, as he grew, added more muscle to his frame, and added a few more miles per hour to his fastball. He received a handful of offers throughout the rest of the signing period, primarily in the low-five-figures territory, but turned them all down. Training in the Dominican Republic in the summer of 2019, he made mechanical changes to his delivery that unlocked some additional velocity in his. By the end of the summer, he had transformed his 93 MPH fastball into a pitch that flirted with triple digits. Impressed by the velocity, the Mets signed him shortly thereafter, making the right-hander a $95,000 offer in November 2019, just a few days before his 17th birthday. Dominguez would have started his professional career in the Dominican Summer League in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season delayed his debut. Instead, he was forced to wait until 2021, when the team assigned him to the FCL Mets, an aggressive assignment to be sure. Managing his workload extremely carefully, the right-hander appeared in 10 games and pitched a total of 12.0 innings, posting an 8.25 ERA with 15 hits allowed, 9 walks, and 10 strikeouts. The right-hander had Tommy John surgery just prior to the start of the 2022 season and as such missed the entire year.

At 6’5", 195-pounds, Dominguez has an ideal frame for pitching. The Venezuelan right-hander throws from a three-quarter arm slot, with a moderate leg lift and a long arm action through the back. He stays on top of the ball well and leverages his height well, throwing with downward plane.

Prior to his surgery, his fastball sat in the low-to-mid-90s, with the right-hander reportedly possessing the ability to ramp the pitch up to 99 MPH. Complementing his impressive fastball was a slider and a developing changeup. The slider, which had been categorized as a curveball as an amateur, flashed being an average or better pitch thanks to its late break. The changeup, as is the case with most young pitches, lagged well behind the rest of his arsenal and was still far from being an effective pitch during in-game situations but shows promise because of its movement and velocity differential. He struggled throwing all three in 2021, but as a young player with very few innings under his belt, most scouts and evaluators believe his command will improve as he gains more professional experience.

Tony Dibrell, RHP

Tony Dibrell impressed during his time at Chattahoochee High School, where he lettered four times as a varsity player, but he never garnered much major league attention and went undrafted in the 2014 MLB Draft. Though interested in attending a variety of schools with strong baseball programs, he made a verbal commitment with Kennesaw State University and went through with it, donning the black and gold of the Owls. He wasn't exactly impressive in his first two years there, posting a 5.06 and 4.64 ERA respectively as a swingman, but he did show promise, as evidenced by his 83 strikeouts in 70.1 combined innings. After his sophomore year, he participated in the Cape Cod League and really came into his own, posting a combined 1.66 ERA for the Bourne Braves and the Chatham Anglers, earning All-Star honors. He returned to Kennesaw State riding on that success he had in the Cape Cod League and had the best season of his collegiate career. Taking the reigns as ace of the Owls pitching staff, Dibrell posted a 2.45 ERA in 95.2, the third-lowest ERA in a single season in Kennesaw State University history. He allowed 77 hits, walked 39, and struck out 103 batters. On draft day, the Mets selected him with their fourth-round pick, signing him for $380,000, $33,100 below slot value.

Dibrell began his professional career with the Brooklyn Cyclones, getting into 12 games with them in the summer of 2017. All in all, he posted a 5.03 ERA in 19.2 innings, allowing 19 hits, walking 8, and striking out 28. He was promoted to the Columbia Fireflies for the 2018 season and, somewhat surprisingly, spent the entire year there, not getting promoted midseason despite putting up excellent numbers. For the year, he posted a 3.50 ERA in 131.0 innings, allowing 112 hits, walking 54, and striking out 147- tied for the most in the South Atlantic League in 2018 along with Jhonathan Diaz and Spencer Howard. He got that promotion to St. Lucie to start the 2019 season and was even better, posting a 2.39 ERA in 90.1 innings, allowing 73 hits, walking 36, and striking out 76. Unlike the 2018 season, he was promoted midseason, getting sent to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in mid-July, but things went disastrously wrong for him in the Eastern League. In 38.2 innings, he posted a 9.31 ERA, allowing 51 hits, walking 21, and striking out 37.

After missing the 2020 season thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, he returned to Binghamton in 2021. The right-hander was marginally better over the first month of the season but was put on the injured list in mid-June and underwent Tommy John surgery a few days later. He returned to the mound after roughly a year of recovery, rehabbing with the FCL Mets and St. Lucie Mets at the end of June and July before being rostered on the Rumble Ponies, where he posted a 4.55 ERA in 29.2 innings with 25 hits allowed, 21 walks, and 39 strikeouts.

Dibrell throws from a high three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action through the back. His delivery is a bit violent and he is not always consistent with his mechanics, leading to control issues. The ability to command his pitches has given Dibrell trouble throughout his collegiate and professional career.

Prior to his surgery, his fastball sat 90-94, and in limited innings in 2022, it remained in that velocity band, averaging 92 MPH and maxing out at 94 MPH. The pitch has a low spin rate, which gives it inconsistent movement; it generally has below average run, but when he throws it down in the zone it has sink.

The right-hander complements the pitch with a slider, a changeup, and a curveball, giving him a full four-pitch mix. His slider is generally considered his best secondary, an above-average pitch sitting in the low-80s with hard biting action from an above-average spin rate, generally used to get swings-and-misses from right-handed batters down and away. His changeup is also an effective pitch, sitting in the high-70s-to-low-80s, with good fade and tumble, but it is inconsistent and mainly used against left-handers only. Rounding out his arsenal is his curveball, which sits the low-to-mid-70s and features soft break that is used to keep hitters off-balance by changing their eye level or burying in the dirt, that is the least effective of his pitches.

Chase Estep, 3B

Chase Estep has deep ties to the University of Kentucky, the college that he would eventually attend. His father, Chad, played baseball for the Wildcats in the early ‘90s. His uncle, Chris, played for them in the mid-to-late ‘80s and was eventually drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates. A two-sport star at Corbin High School in Corbin, Kentucky, a blue-collar town in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, it was only a matter of time before Chase followed in the footsteps of his father and uncle. Estep went undrafted in the 2019 MLB Draft because his strong commitment to the University of Kentucky and fulfilled his destiny that next spring.

Estep appeared in 12 games in his freshman year, the NCAA cancelling the season in mid-March, and hit .324/.400/.441 with a single home run, a single stolen base in two attempts, and 5 walks to 7 strikeouts. Later that summer, he played for the Rockford Rivets in the Northwoods League and hit .250/.370/.412 in 19 games with 3 home runs, 2 stolen bases in 3 attempts, and 13 walks to 19 strikeouts. Estep appeared in 40 games in 2021, his sophomore year, starting 39 games at either second or third base. The year was a disappointment by any measure, as he hit .252/.286/.329 with no home runs, 5 stolen bases in as many attempts, and 8 walks to 32 strikeouts. As he did in 2020, he returned to the Northwoods League following the conclusion of the season, this time playing for the Kenosha Kingfish. He hit an improved .294/.420/.413 in 40 games, with 2 home runs, 4 stolen bases in 8 attempts, and 20 walks to 21 strikeouts.

Returning to Kentucky for his junior year, Estep worked with his coaches and trainers to return to the fundamentals and continue doing the things that had worked for him while playing in Kenosha. The swing optimizations paid off, as he hit .302/.416/.560 in 59 games for the Wildcats, hitting 13 home runs, stealing 16 bases in 20 attempts, and walking 40 times to 56 strikeouts. The Mets selected the infielder with their 9th round selection in the 2022 MLB Draft and signed him for $120,000, a few thousand below the MLB-assigned slot value of $161,900. He was initially assigned to the FCL Mets but played just one game there before being promoted to the St. Lucie Mets, where he finished out the 2022 season hitting .214/.323/.405 in 24 games with 4 home runs, 0 stolen bases in 1 attempt, and 13 walks to 23 strikeouts.

Estep stands square at the plate, holding his hands high. He swings with a toe tap and has a quick, smooth left-handed strike that is direct to the ball. He was one of the better bat-to-ball hitters in the SEC in 2022, but many scouts and evaluators have questions as to how legitimate this transformation is, as he hit .213/.312/.382 against in-conference pitchers and exhibited extreme splits against pedestrian and premium velocity, hitting .360/.495/.767 against fastballs that were 92 MPH or slower but .212/.316/.242 against fastballs that were 93 MPH or higher. As a professional, he recorded 19 batted ball events against pitches 93 MPH or higher and logged 5 hits; against pitches 92 MPH or slower, he recorded 51 batted ball events and went 15-51. Estep averaged an 89.4 MPH exit velocity in total, logging EVs 100 MPH 13 times, maxing out at 107 MPH, a home run on a 94.4 MPH fastball that traveled 383 feet.

Defensively, Estep profiles best at second or third base. He shows good reaction times at the hot corner and lateral range, but his arm is average at best, and as a result, a bit stretched at third. At second base, that deficiency is hidden.

Branden Fryman, INF

Branden Fryman is the son of five-time All-Star Travis Fryman. Born and raised in Molino, Florida, he was a star at J.M. Tate High School in Cantonment, Florida, hitting .361/.436/.426 in his four-year career there. Primarily a shortstop, he had an advanced hit tool for someone his age, possessing quick hands and above-average bat speed. In addition, at 5’11", 135-pounds, the undersized righty was guaranteed to grow, giving him a projectable frame that would add some power. His defensive skill at shortstop at the time was fringy, but evaluators believed that with some work and continued physical maturation, he would be able to stay on the left side of the infield.

The Mets liked what they saw and selected him with their 37th Round in the 2016 MLB Draft, the 1120th player selected overall. Fryman did not sign with the Mets, and instead honored his commitment to Samford University. Over the course of his three years there, he hit .290/.351/.357 in 177 games, hitting 6 home runs, stealing 55 bases in 66 attempts, walking 66 times, and striking out 124 times. In the 2019 MLB Draft, the Mets once again selected Fryman, this time with their 21st round pick, and the infielder signed with the team. He was initially assigned to the GCL Mets but was promoted to the Brooklyn Cyclones after just four games. He spent the rest of the summer with Brooklyn- though the extent of his time on the field was just 13 games- and hit .356/.396/.400 with them.

After missing 2020, he returned to the field in 2021 with the St. Lucie Mets. He appeared in 69 games for them and hit .229/.297/.309 with 0 home runs, 14 stolen bases, and 21 walks to 47 strikeouts. He was once again promoted to the Brooklyn Cyclones, now the Mets’ High-A affiliate, and finished out the season there. He began 2022 with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, but the season turned out to be something of a lost year. Between multiple promotions, multiple demotions, and multiple trips to the injured list, the infielder appeared in just 41 games on the year, hitting .152/.207/.224 with 2 home runs- both in the same game- 7 stolen bases, and 8 walks to 41 strikeouts.

At the plate, Fryman never added much power. Listed at 175-pounds, he put on some weight but is still undersized for a ballplayer. Standing open at the plate, he has slight leg kick and small stride, using a line-drive oriented approach. Relying on his above-average speed, his sprays balls around the field, taking extra bases when he can, stealing bases when he can, and generally being a pesky player to the opposition.

Defensively, Fryman is known for his excellent work on the field, even garnering consideration for being one of the most underrated defensive players during the 2022 off-season by an MLB executive. His arm is only average, but his speed, range, quick reaction times, and quick transfer-and-release give him the crucial few seconds needed to neutralize that weakness. He has all the tools to play shortstop, but also has experience playing second and third base as well, and even logged a single inning in the outfield when he was a college athlete.

Benito Garcia, RHP

Born in Santo Domingo, Benito Garcia became a professional player relatively late, signing with the Mets and getting assigned to the DSL Mets in June 2018 when he was 18-year-old. The right-hander appeared in 14 games, starting 10 of them, and posted a 3.93 ERA in 50.1 innings, allowing 51 hits, walking 11, and striking out 58. He began the 2019 season in the Dominican Summer League but was promoted to Kingsport after making a pair of starts. The right-hander showed some growing pains there, posting a 6.45 ERA in 44.2 innings, allowing 53 hits, walking 19, and striking out 43.

After missing the entire 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic, Garcia was assigned the FCL Mets in 2021. He appeared in 9 games in total and posted a 6.28 ERA in 14.1 innings, allowing 22 hits, walking 3, and striking out 8. He remained in the complex to begin the 2022 season following that uninspiring season and had success as the FCL Mets closer, posting a 3.18 ERA in 11.1 innings, allowing 11 hits, walking 4, and striking out 9. He was promoted to the St. Lucie Mets in mid-July and made 10 appearances there, posting a 6.10 ERA in 20.2 innings with 20 hits allowed, 4 walks, and 28 strikeouts. He was promoted to the Brooklyn Cyclones at the end of the season and appeared in 2 games for them, and posted a cumulative 5.40 ERA in 36.2 innings on the season, allowing 36 hits, walking 8, and striking out 41.

Garcia throws from a three-quarters arm slot, using a loose, easy delivery. Garcia put on roughly 20 pounds since turning pro and is unlikely to add more muscle to his lanky 6’, 190-pound frame. The right-hander generally pitches backwards, relying on his slider as his main pitch. The pitch averaged 81 MPH in 2022, ranging 79-82 MPH. The pitch has tight two-plane break. He virtually always throws the pitch to his arm side, more often than not living down in the zone to get right-handed batters chasing. His curveball has similar pitch characteristics and traits as well and is used similarly. Garcia's fastball sits in the low-90s, ranging 90-93 MPH, averaging 92 MPH. The pitch regularly posts above-average spin rates, averaging 2400 RPM during his time with St. Lucie in 2022 and sitting between 2225 and 2500 RPM. The pitch is generally thrown in the upper quadrants of the zone. Rounding out his pitching repertoire, he also throws an occasional changeup and a cutter.

Paul Gervase, RHP

As a freshman at Harnett Central High School in Angier, North Carolina, Paul Gervase already stood an impressive 5’10". By the time he graduated in 2018, he grew almost another foot and stood an imposing 6’7". While he did play basketball, it was only recreationally with friends and in gym class; his heart was on the baseball diamond. Despite his size and desire, Gervase wasn't a particularly great player for most of his career with the Trojans. His fastball topped out in the low-80s, he was often timid and afraid to go after hitters, and because he was not getting the results that wanted, he was beginning to doubt himself and his future. Challenged by Lance Honeycutt, his coach, Gervase began working with Brandon Young, a Raleigh-based physical therapist specializing in pitching biomechanics prior to the start of his senior season. Young changed his mechanics, and the results were immediate. Now throwing in the mid-to-high-80s, the big right-hander had a career year, posting a 2.39 ERA as a senior. Still, his future as a ballplayer seemed bleak, as he had no college offers. Towards the end of the season, Honeycutt got a visit from Jordan Stampler, the head baseball coach of Pfeiffer University, a small D3 university in Misenheimer, North Carolina. Stampler was looking for pitchers to play for Pfeiffer in 2019 and Honeycutt recommended Gervase, who signed a letter of intent and attended the school after graduating.

The right-hander spent one year at Pfeiffer, and it wasn't particularly impressive. Making 3 starts and appearing in 9 games in total, Gervase posted a 4.19 ERA in 19.1 innings, allowing hits, walking 15, and striking out 17. The season reignited his passion, however, and he transferred to Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh, North Carolina for the 2020 season. In 2021, he transferred to and played for Pitt Community College in Winterville, North Carolina. Following the conclusion of the season, he played for the Bristol State Liners- formerly the Bristol Pirates- of the newly reorganized Appalachian League and posted a 3.63 ERA in 17.1 innings, allowing 8 hits, walking 13, and striking out 30.

Improbably, during his time at Pfeiffer and Wake Tech and Pitt, Gervase kept growing, and with the additional growth, his fastball continued improving. With solid numbers and a fastball that was now touching the high-90s, he entered the NCAA transfer portal and transferred to LSU for the 2022 season. Appearing in 29 games and serving as the Tigers’ closer, the redshirt junior posted a 1.85 ERA in 39.0 innings with 22 hits allowed, 15 walks, and 52 strikeouts. After the conclusion of the season, he appeared in Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod League and posted a 1.59 ERA in 11.1 innings, allowing 5 hits, walking 9, and striking out 15. The Mets drafted the right-hander in the 12 round of the 2022 MLB Draft and signed him to a $170,000 contract, over the post-tenth-round maximum and forcing the team to dip into their bonus pool slightly, signaling that the team had high hopes for the big man. He appeared in 1 game for the FCL Mets and 7 for the St. Lucie Mets and combined to post a 5.56 ERA in 11.1 innings with 11 hits allowed, 7 walks, and 16 strikeouts.

The 6’10", 230-pound Gervase is an imposing presence on the mound. The right-hander throws from a low-three-quarters, almost sidearm, arm slot. Combined with his high leg lift, size, and extension, and his pitches can be difficult for batters to pick up on. His size sometimes makes it difficult for him to keep his body in sync, leading to command issues.

During his time with St. Lucie, his four-seam fastball averaged 93 MPH, ranging from 91 MPH to 95 MPH. While pitching in college, the pitch reportedly topped out higher, at 96, 97 MPH, and in the future Gervase may be able to hit that as a professional. He also throws a two-seam fastball that sits within similar velocity bands. Both fastballs feature slightly above-average spin rates, giving his four-seam fastball rising action and his two-seam fastball late arm-side run. Because his extension off the mound and long limbs, the ball jumps on hitters quickly.

He complements the pitch with a slider and curveball and a changeup that is only used against left-handed batters. His slider sits in the low-80s, ranging 81-82 MPH and features between 31-43 inches of vertical drop and 2-10 inches of horizontal movement. His curveball sits in the high-70s, ranging 78-80 MPH and features 42-51 inches of vertical drop and 3-11 inches of horizontal movement. The characteristics of both pitches are very similar and they often bleed into each other. His changeup sits in the low-80s and features 27-29 inches of vertical fade and 7-9 inches of horizontal tumble. The pitch tunnels well with his fastball but his command of the pitch is poor and needs to be improved before it can be incorporated into his repertoire as a reliable offering.

Mateo Gil, 3B

The son of Benji Gil, who played for the Texas Rangers and Anaheim Angels in the mid-90s to mid-00s, Mateo Gil is a California native who grew up in Texas following his father's retirement from professional baseball at the major league level. A divisive prospect during his time playing at Timber Creek High School in Fort Worth, Texas, the St. Louis Cardinals took a shot on the prep infielder, drafting him in the third-round of the 2018 MLB Draft and buying him out of his commitment to Texas Christian University by signing him to a $900,000 deal, almost double the MLB-assigned slot value for the 95th overall selection of $587,600. Their faith in his baseball tools paid off, as Gil hit .252/.340/.316 with 1 home run, 2 stolen bases, and 20 walks to 51 strikeouts with the GCL Cardinals that summer, and then hit .270/.324/.431 with 7 home runs, 1 stolen base, and 17 walks to 56 strikeouts with the Johnson City Cardinals in the Appalachian League.

Just prior to the 2021 season, the Colorado Rockies traded Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals and Gil was included in the package that St. Louis sent to the Rockies. Assigned to the Fresno Grizzlies, the Rockies’ Low-A affiliate, he appeared in 94 games and hit .249/.294/.396 with 9 home runs, 8 stolen bases, and 21 walks to 99 strikeouts. A strong follow-up season to a weak full-season debut would have done much to improve his stock, but his 2022 was marred by injuries. An undisclosed injury delayed his season debut, and in literally the very first play of his first game back, a second injury cost him much of the season. His injured hamstring limited him to just 48 games with the Spokane Indians, the Rockies’ High-A affiliate in the Northwest League, and 10 more rehab games with their Arizona Complex League affiliate. The infielder hit .247/.305/.408 in 174 at-bats with Spokane, hitting 6 home runs, stealing 0 bases in 2 attempts, and drawing 15 walks to 48 strikeouts. The 21-year-old would have likely returned to Spokane in 2022, but the Mets selected him in the minor league phase of the 2022 Rule 5 Draft.

Listed at 6’1", 180-pounds, Gil is probably closer to 200 as his upper body has filled in a great deal since first being drafted. He stands square at the plate, holding his hands high and wrapping his bat behind his head. His swings uses a small leg kick and is almost all upper body. His plate discipline is not the best, leading to a lot of poor contact and strikeouts, but he has the ability to put a charge in balls that he hits squarely with his whippy stroke.

A shortstop for much of his earlier career, Gil has played more at the hot corner than he as at the keystone since returning to the field in the post-pandemic shutdown era. With a strong arm, good range, good footwork around the bag, and good reaction times, he still has the ability to play shortstop but with his thick upper body, is probably better suited at third in the long-term.

Ryley Gilliam, RHP

Ryley Gilliam lettered four times while playing baseball at Kennesaw Mountain High School, but went undrafted, partially due to his size and partially because of his commitment to Clemson University. He attended Clemson and made their baseball team, pitching as a starter and reliever as a freshman. In his first year there, he was fairly unimpressive, posting a 6.10 ERA in 31.0 innings, allowing 26 hits, walking 18, and striking out 16. He pitched completely out of the bullpen as a sophomore and his numbers got dramatically better. In 35.0 innings, Gilliam posted a 2.57 ERA, allowing 29 hits, walking 14, and striking out 50, notching 4 saves in the process. By his junior year, the right-hander had a firm grasp of the Tigers’ closer position. In 2018, he proved to be one of the best closers in all of college baseball. Through 36.0 innings, he posted a 1.41 ERA, allowing 22 hits, walking 22, and striking out 54, notching 11 saves in the process. He was selected by the Mets in the 5th round in the 2018 MLB Draft and the two sides agreed to a $550,000 signing bonus. He was assigned to the Brooklyn Cyclones for the remainder of the 2018 season and posted a 2.08 ERA in 17.0 innings there, allowing 11 hits, walking 13, and striking out 31.

Gilliam began the 2019 season with the St. Lucie Mets, but by the time the season ended, was pitching with the Syracuse Mets. He was effective in High-A, was less effective in Double-A, and was shelled in limited innings in Triple-A. All in all, he posted a 6.05 ERA in 38.2 innings at all three levels, allowing 42 hits, walking 18, and striking out 56. He was sent to the Arizona Fall League after the season ended and was effective for the Scottsdale Scorpions, posting a 0.96 ERA in 9.1 innings, allowing 8 hits, walking 2, and striking out 11.

The right-hander was unable to ride that wave of positive momentum, as the 2020 season was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. He returned to the mound in 2021, a member of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies bullpen, but struggled. He pitched a total of 27.1 innings from the start of the season until the end of July, posting a 9.88 ERA with 31 hits allowed, 13 walks, and 25 strikeouts. After being put on the injured list, Gilliam underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2022 season as a result.

Concerns about durability on a per appearance and seasonal basis have hounded the 5’10" right-hander for his entire career. He is athletic, but his delivery is violent and high-energy, and the high-tempo delivery generates velocity thanks to an electric arm, but it comes at the expense of command, as Gilliam often has trouble throwing strikes. He has better command of his pitches out of the stretch than in the windup, as the abbreviated mechanics help cut down on ways he can become unbalanced and lose his release point.

The right-hander throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot, short-arming the ball with a slingy delivery. Prior to his Tommy John surgery, the pitch sat in the low-to-mid-90s, ranging 91-94 MPH with some arm-side life. Because of his size, the pitch lacked plane, making it more hittable than pitches with similar velocities and spin rates thrown by taller pitchers. He complements it with a curveball, a cutter, and a changeup, the former an above-average pitch prior to the surgery. Sitting in the high-70s, his curveball featured big 12-6 break and Gilliam used it a great deal, throwing it in the zone, beneath it, and doubling and even tripling down on it. A holdover from his days as a starter in high school and at the beginning of his career, his changeup was also an effective pitch, as was the cutter that he began using in 2018 after going pro, but neither was used much, and both were thrown sparingly, primarily relying on his fastball/curveball combination.

Raimon Gomez, RHP

Nineteen-year-old Raimon Gomez was signed by the Mets out of Barcelona, Venezuela in mid-August, 2021. He was assigned to the Dominican Summer League and was able to play professionally in late August and September, posting a 2.19 ERA in 12.1 innings over 9 games, allowing 10 hits, walking 6, and striking out 14. The Mets brought the right-hander stateside in 2022 and assigned him to the St. Lucie Mets, where he remained rostered for the entire season. Gomez appeared in 24 games and posted a 3.78 ERA in 47.2 innings, allowing 43 hits, walking 20, and striking out 54.

The right-hander throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot with a long action through the back. His loose, quick arm is capable of throwing extremely hard. His four-seam fastball that sits 90-100 MPH, averaging 97 MPH. The pitch possesses well above-average spin rates for a four-seam fastball, averaging 2475 RPM and has resulted in a 28.5% Called Strike + Wiff Rate in 2022. He complements it with a slider that sits 81-91 MPH, averaging 87 MPH. The pitch is almost cutter-like, with not a great deal of break but a great deal of velocity. He also throws a changeup but rarely uses the pitch, throwing only a handful the entire season and going months between pocketing the pitch and using it during in-game situations. Gomez is able to throw his fastball for strikes but needs to work on better commanding his breaking balls, especially if the Mets want to transition him to a starter in the future.

Cole Gordon, RHP

Cole Gordon attended Steinbrenner High School in Tampa, Florida, where he was named to various honorary teams and won a variety of performance awards. He enrolled at Mississippi State University after graduating but redshirted in his freshman year. He finally got back on the field in 2016 and was used primarily as a pinch hitting, batting .333/.429/.611 in 18 at-bats in 21 games. In 2017, he appeared in 25 games, starting seven at first base and five as the Bulldogs’ DH. While he hit only .158/.258/.316, he still made a major impact on the team that year. Injuries decimated the Mississippi State bullpen, and despite never having pitched in high school or college, Gordon was called on to pitch out of the bullpen. He ended up pitching 55.0 innings, posting a 5.69 ERA, allowing 47 hits, walking 30, and striking out 59. Cole's transition would be permanent, and he remained in the bullpen for the remainder of his time at Mississippi State. In 2018, he posted a 4.26 ERA in 61.0 innings, allowing 51 hits, walking 32, striking out 68, and notching 4 saves. In 2019, through the NCAA Super Regionals, he posted a 5.16 ERA in 29.2 innings, allowing 26 hits, walking 17, striking out 45, and notching 9 saves.

Gordon was selected by the Mets in the 32 round of the 2019 MLB Draft and he signed with the team for just a $1,000 signing bonus. He spent the majority of the 2019 season with the Columbia Fireflies, posting a 2.76 ERA in 29.1 innings out of the bullpen with 9 hits allowed, 15 walks, and 36 strikeouts. After missing the 2020 season due to the cancellation of the minor league season, the 25-year-old was rostered on the Binghamton Rumble Ponies for the 2021 season. Appearing in 20 games and starting 13, Gordon posted a 3.69 ERA in 83.0 innings, allowing 49 hits, walking 35, and striking out 85. He began the 2022 season with the Syracuse Mets, but made just one start before hurting his elbow and needing Tommy John surgery, causing him to miss the rest of the season.

The 6’5" Gordon throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot with a simple delivery consisting of a slight hip turn and leg lift. Prior to his Tommy John surgery, his fastball sat in the high-80s-to-low-90s, with arm-side run and sink. He complemented it with a slider with late bite. He was able to control both of his pitches, mixing them effectively and pounding the zone.

Zach Greene, RHP

Zach Greene had a very busy college career following his graduation from Atlantic Coast High School in Jacksonville, Florida. After graduating in 2015 and going undrafted, he attended UNC-Ashville, where he appeared in 15 games and posted a 4.56 ERA in 23.2 innings with 24 hits allowed, 14 walks, and 23 strikeouts. He left UNC-Ashville and transferred to St. John's River State College in Palatka, Florida for his sophomore season. He was a big fish in a small pond there, posting a sterling 0.92 ERA in 29.1 innings over 25 appearances with 23 hits allowed, 15 walks, and 46 strikeouts. His performance didn't get him drafted in the 2017 MLB Draft, but it did get him back into the D1 ranks, as he got recruited by South Alabama. In his first year with the Jaguars, he posted a 3.79 ERA in 57.0 innings over 23 appearances, allowing 53 hits, walking 13, striking out 80, and notching 5 saves. The Miami Marlins drafted Greene in the 15 round of the 2018 MLB Draft, but he decided to return to school instead of signing with them. In his second year with South Alabama, the right-hander posted a 1.45 ERA in 49.2 innings over 27 appearances, allowing 35 hits, walking 8, striking out 70, and notching 13 saves. That summer, the Yankees selected him in the 8th round of the 2019 MLB Draft and the two sides agreed to a $17,500 signing bonus, well-below the MLB-assigned slot value of $160,800.

The Yankees assigned Greene to the GCL Yankees East, one of their GCL affiliates, and he spent the majority of the season there, receiving a promotion to the Staten Island Yankees near season's end. At both levels combined, he posted a 1.50 ERA in 18.0 innings over 14 appearances with 11 hits allowed, 4 walks, 24 strikeouts, and 5 saves.

Greene missed the 2020 season due to the cancellation of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but remained in the organization following the subsequent restructuring of the minor leagues. He began the 2021 season assigned to the Hudson Valley Renegades but was promoted to the Somerset Patriots after about a month in mid-June and remained there until the end of the season. With the Renegades and the Patriots combined, the 24-year-old right-hander posted a 3.17 ERA in 59.2 innings over 34 appearances with 39 hits, 21 walks, 91 strikeouts, and 3 saves. After pitching in the Arizona Fall League following the completion of the season, he was assigned to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders for the 2022 season. He appeared in 48 games for them and posted a 3.42 ERA in 68.1 innings, allowing 51 hits, walking 32, and striking out 96. After being left off of the Yankees’ 40-man roster, the Mets selected Greene in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft.

Greene sets up on the far first base side of the rubber and throws from a three-quarters arm slot, dropping and driving off the mound. The right-hander works in the zone, and while effective, also gets him in trouble as mistakes get punished; in 2022, Greene allowed 11 home runs in 68.1 innings, a 1.45 HR/9 rate and an 18.3% HR/FB rate.

His fastball only possesses fringe-average velocity, sitting 90-93 MPH, but the pitch has a high spin rate, at times measured as high as 2500 RPM. Combined with his low vertical approach angle from his arm slot and release point, the pitch is extremely effective. He complements the pitch with a slider and a changeup, the former being a slightly above-average offering and the latter considered a slightly below-average offering that is still improving. His slider is the better of the two, a sweepy breaker sitting in the low-80s, while the changeup is a developing pitch that is mainly used to keep left-handers honest.

Connor Grey, RHP

Frewsburg, New York native Connor Grey attended the eponymously named local high school, setting himself apart as a student and as an athlete, where he played baseball, basketball, and bowled. Though he was a fine player in all three, he shined on the mound and it quickly became apparent that his future was in baseball. In his four years on the varsity team, he posted a cumulative 2.11 ERA in 96.1 innings with 63 hits allowed, 38 walks, and 157 strikeouts while hitting .384/.501/.565. He went undrafted after graduating and attended St. Bonaventure University in upstate New York.

Grey pitched there for four years, going undrafted in his junior year in 2015, posting a cumulative 4.12 ERA in 260.0 innings with 257 hits allowed, 104 walks, and 201 strikeouts. His best season was by far his senior season, a year in which he posted a 2.84 ERA in 92.0 innings for the Bonnies with 68 hits allowed, 33 walks, and 95 strikeouts, he was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks with their 20th round selection in the 2016 MLB Draft.

The 22-year-old split the 2016 season with the Missoula Osprey and the Hillsboro Hops, Arizona's Rookie and Low-A affiliates, posting a combined 3.75 ERA in 60.0 innings. In 2017, he spent time at four of the Diamondbacks’ minor league affiliates, the Short-A Hops, Low-A Kane County Cougars, High-A Visalia Rawhide, and Triple-A Reno Aces, spending the majority of the season with the Hops and the Cougars. He posted a 2.87 ERA in 103.1 innings on the season and ended his year on as high of a note as a pitcher possibly can, a 100 pitch perfect game for Kane County in his last start of 2017, the very first perfect game in team history. The 24-year-old spent the entire 2018 season with one team, the Rawhide, and was unable to replicate the success he had the year prior, posting a 4.54 ERA in 140.2 innings, allowing 154 hits, walking 38, and striking out 131. In 2019, he pitched for multiple teams once again, splitting his time between the Rawhide, the Double-A Jackson Generals, and the Aces. He had success in the lower levels of the minor leagues but struggled against hitters in the upper levels, posting a cumulative 4.57 ERA in 65.0 innings, allowing 76 hits, walking 24, and striking out 51.

In 2020, Grey was one of 64 players released by the Diamondbacks during the cancellation of the season due to COVID-19 and the subsequent realignment of minor league baseball. Butch Hobson, a former coach from the Kane County Cougars, reached out to him about playing for the Chicago Dogs, the American Association team he now managed and Grey eventually agreed. Appearing in six games and pitching 34.0 innings, Grey posted a 3.18 ERA for them, allowing 27 hits, walking 11, and striking out 37. Grey had joined the Dogs with the intent of attracting the attention of a major league club and his plan worked out, as the Mets liked what they saw from the right-hander and signed him in the middle of June. The right-hander finished the season splitting time with Brooklyn and Binghamton, posting an even 4.00 ERA in 54.0 innings, allowing 45 hits, walking 16, and striking out 62. He pitched in the Arizona Fall League that off-season and looked good, but struggled in 2022. Pitching the entire season for the Syracuse Mets, he posted a 6.38 ERA in 104.1 innings with 131 hits allowed, 48 walks, and 88 strikeouts. The right-hander was called up to the Mets at the end of August and added to the roster but did not appear in a game.

The 6’1" and 195-pound right-hander throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot, dropping and driving off the mound and getting a lot of extension. His delivery features a distinct step, tapping the rubber multiple times with his back foot when starting his windup. He has experience as a starter and pitching out of the bullpen but has been used as a starting pitcher for the majority of his career, both with the Mets and with the Diamondbacks.

His fastball sits in the low-90s, averaging 93 MPH and topping out around 94 MPH. The pitch is not particularly overpowering, and while it has some sinking action to it, it does not enough to net ground balls with any kind of real regularity. He complements the pitch with a curveball, changeup, and slider, generally thrown in that order. His curveball, which sits in the high-70s, has sweepy 11-5 break. His changeup, which sits in the mid-80s, has fade and tumble. His slider, which sits in the low-to-mid-80s, has similar shape to his curveball but is tighter and features later break. The right-hander is most effective working north to south, getting batters to swing through his fastball up and above the zone and his off-speed pitches down or below the zone.

Justin Guerrera, INF

Justin Guerrera grew up in Watertown, Connecticut, where he attended the eponymously named high school. He earned a pair of team MVP honors while playing for the Indians and was named to the All-State and All-Conference teams in 2017 and 2018, his junior and senior years. After graduating, he began attending Fairfield University, where he made an immediate impact. Appearing in 59 games, the infielder hit .278/.322/.398 with 5 home runs, 6 stolen bases, and 17 walks to 44 strikeouts. His 67 hits were the second most by a rookie in Fairfield University history, only behind Anthony Hajjar's 76 in 2010, and were seventh in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. That summer, he played for the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League and performed well but was unable to bring that momentum back to the Stags in 2020. He got off to a slow start, and before he could turn his season around, the NCAA ended the baseball season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

When baseball returned in 2021, Fairfield had a historic season, winning a program record 39 games and ending with a Top 25 ranking for the first time in school history, and Guerrera was a major reason why. Appearing in 43 games, he hit .340/.409/.685, slugging 13 home runs, stealing 8 bases, and walking 21 times to 34 strikeouts. His 13 homers tied Fairfield's single-season record, and also led the MAAC. Following the conclusion of the Stags’ 2021 season, Guerrera went to play for the Newport Gulls of the Cape Cod League. In 20 games with a wood bat, he hit .316/.411/.737 with 9 home runs, 7 stolen bases, and 11 walks to 26 strikeouts.

The Mets selected Guerrera with their 20th round selection in the 2021 MLB Draft and signed him for $75,000. He appeared in 30 games that summer, playing in 11 with the FCL Mets and 19 with the St. Lucie Mets, hitting a combined .286/.369/.495 with 5 home runs, 3 stolen bases in as many attempts, and 13 walks to 33 strikeouts. Guerrera spent the majority of the 2022 season in St. Lucie, getting promoted to the Brooklyn Cyclones in mid-June but getting sent back down at the end of the month after struggling- though he did return in September. In total, he hit .200/.318/.360 in 82 games with St. Lucie and .104/.218/.229 in 16 games with Brooklyn, hitting a combined 13 home runs, stealing a combined 6 bases in 11 attempts, and drawing a combined 46 walks to 140 strikeouts.

He stands square at the plate, holding his hands high, wrapping the bat behind his head and swinging with a moderate leg kick. Though he is only 5’9", Guerrera packs a punch at the plate. In 133 recorded batted ball events while with St. Lucie in 2022, he averaged an 89.9 MPH exit velocity. He had 33 batted ball events that resulted in exit velocities above 100 MPH and 11 that resulted in batted ball events with exit velocities above 105 MPH. With an uppercutty swing and bat speed is average at best, and he does the majority of the damage against hanging breaking balls and fastballs that catch too much of the plate, struggling against better executed pitches.

An average runner, his speed generally manifests itself as the ability to take an extra base rather than steal a high number of bases. He has soft hands and a smooth glove, and thanks to his speed, solid range. His arm is only fringe average, so he will likely be pressed as a professional at shortstop, making third base and/or second base his home in the long term.

Daiverson Gutierrez, C

The Mets made Venezuelan catcher Daiverson Gutierrez their main priority once the 2023 international free agent signing period started and officially signed the backstop for $1.9 million dollars, roughly a third of their $5.2 million dollar budget. The last time the Mets made a Venezuelan catcher their top signing priority was in 2018, when the team signed Fransisco Alvarez to a $2.9 million signing bonus.

At the plate, Gutierrez currently stands slightly open, holding his hands high. He swings with a slight leg lift and generates above-average power with a quick stroke thanks to his natural strength and the torque in his swing. He shows good hand-eye coordination and not only makes a lot of contact, but makes a lot of loud contact, regularly recording exit velocities in the high-90s and 100s in exhibition games and scouting showcases. He sometimes gets aggressive and comes to the plate looking to do damage but has a strong understanding of the strike zone for a young player and generally does not expand it, knowing when to swing and when to lay off.

Listed at 6’2", 205-pounds, Gutierrez put on some weight between when the Mets first began scouting him and reached an informal verbal agreement and when they were legally allowed to have him put his name on the dotted line on January 15, 2023, but the additional weight shouldn't impact his ability behind the plate, as it is far from excessive. The young Venezuelan is still very raw behind the dish, but he has yet to catch in an organized professional game. His arm stands out as being above-average and coaches praise his leadership and camaraderie, but he will need to work on his blocking and receiving, common for any young catcher, domestic or international.

Dylan Hall, RHP

Born in Stafford, Virginia on September 7, 1997, Dylan Hall was an All-American who lettered in all four years he spent at Mountain View High School in his native Stafford. Over the course of his career with the Mountain View Wildcats, he posted a cumulative 1.75 ERA in 172.2 innings with 140 strikeouts. While not a high priority follow among MLB scouts and executives, he was a follow thanks to his big six-foot-plus frame and a fastball that touched the upper-80s. He ended up going undrafted in the 2016 MLB Draft and honored his commitment to Virginia Tech. He spent two years with the Hokies, splitting his time in their bullpen and in their rotation to mixed results, posting a cumulative 6.91 ERA in 69.0 innings, allowing 89 hits, walking 23, and striking out 57. In 2019, he transferred from Virginia Tech to the University of Central Oklahoma after his coaches informed him that they no longer had room for him on their roster.

Hall found NCAA Div II hitters much easier to deal with and the right-hander posted a 3.22 ERA in 106.1 innings over 16 starts, allowing 84 hits, walking 26, and striking out a school-record 123. Despite the success, he went undrafted in the 2019 MLB Draft and returned to Central Oklahoma for his senior year. In 5 starts prior to the NCAA cancelling all athletic activities, the right-hander posted a 3.00 ERA in 30.0 innings, allowing 25 hits, walking 8, and striking out 45. He was heavily scouted by the Mets, but they did not formally draft him in the pandemic-shortened 2020 MLB Draft. The time and effort the team put into scouting him did pay off, as the right-hander valued the personalized attention that the organization had given him and signed with the Mets over the other teams that offered him contracts. While the $20,000 and money to finish his bachelor's degree and pursue a master's degree certainly enticed him, Hall was ultimately won over by that attention and the success that the Mets have had in developing pitchers over the last few years.

Hall's first year as a professional was far from exceptional. The 23-year-old was limited to just 21.1 innings due to injury and ineffectiveness. Pitching for the FCL Mets, St. Lucie Mets, Brooklyn Cyclones, and Binghamton Rumble Ponies, the right-hander posted a 5.91 ERA, allowing 25 hits, walking 13, and striking out 25. He was much more effective in 2022, pitching for the St. Lucie Mets from April until late June, and then with the Brooklyn Cyclones from late June until the end of the season. In St. Lucie, he posted a 1.52 ERA in 23.2 innings with 21 hits allowed, 10 walks, and 21 strikeouts, and in Brooklyn he posted a 4.84 ERA in 22.1 innings with 20 hits allowed, 8 walks, and 28 strikeouts, good for a cumulative 3.13 ERA in 46.0 innings over 34 games with 41 hits allowed, 18 walks, and 49 strikeouts.

The right-hander throws from a three-quarters arm slot with a short arm circle through the back. At 6’5", 225-pounds, he has a sturdy, durable frame. Used mainly out of the bullpen while at Virginia Tech, Hall was a workhorse at Central Oklahoma and was given assurances by the Mets upon being signed that they intend on keeping him as a starter for the foreseeable future, a promise that lasted 4 starts.

Hall's fastball has below-average velocity, ranging 89-92 MPH, averaging 90 MPH. Despite its speed, the pitch gets a high number of swings-and-misses thanks to its high spin rate; in 2022, the pitch averaged an above-average 2410 RPM and maxed out at 2545 RPM. Complementing his fastball is a loopy curveball. The pitch sits in the mid-70s, averaging 76 MPH, and features a low spin rate, averaging 2375 RPM, giving it between 49-55 inches of vertical break and 4-17 inches of horizontal movement. The right-hander occasionally sprinkles in a low-to-mid-80s changeup that features between inches of 32-39 vertical drop and 8-17 inches of horizontal movement. Hall is primarily a two-pitch pitcher, relying mainly on his fastball-curveball combination and occasionally mixing in the changeup, using more against left-handers.

Brendan Hardy, RHP

The son of William Hardy, an outfielder who was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 25th round of the 1979 MLB Draft from Alabama State University and spent a few years in their minor league system, Brendan Hardy has baseball in his blood. The youngster hit .297/.371/.369 during his four years at Harrison Central High School in Gulfport, Mississippi, but was more at home on the mound than in the batter's box, posting a cumulative 2.28 ERA in 70.2 innings for the Red Rebels, allowing 64 hits, walking 38, and striking out 80. He really came into his own in his senior year, posting a 1.51 ERA in 51.0 innings, allowing 46 hits, walking 25, and striking out 69. The Mets selected him with 31st round pick in the 2018 and were able to sign him, with the two sides agreeing to a $130,000, $5,000 of which counted against their total draft pool. He began his professional career with the GCL Mets, appearing in 9 games and posting a 3.31 ERA in 16.1 innings, allowing 11 hits, walking 14, and striking out 19. He was assigned to the Kingsport Mets for the 2019 season and posted a 6.83 ERA in 27.2 innings, allowing 19 hits, walking 25, and striking out 29.

After missing the 2020 season due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the coronavirus pandemic, Hardy was assigned to the St. Lucie Mets when the 2021 season began but struggled, posting a 13.83 ERA in 13.2 innings, allowing 13 hits, walking 21, and striking out 17. He was sent down to the FCL Mets and pitched there for the remainder of the season and was only marginally better, posting a 10.80 ERA in 11.2 innings, allowing 11 hits, walking 17, and striking out 14. The 22-year-old began the 2022 season with St. Lucie for a second consecutive year, but this time he had success, posting a 1.08 ERA in 8.1 innings, allowing 3 hits, walking 4, and striking out 17. The Mets promoted him to the Brooklyn Cyclones and his string of success continued, as he posted a 3.48 ERA in 20.2 innings for the them, allowing 12 hits, walking 17, and striking out 29. All in all, the right-hander posted a 2.79 ERA in 29.0 innings, allowing 15 hits, walking 21, and striking out 46.

Hardy is a lanky 6’4", 190-pounds, with long legs and long arms. Using a full over-the-head wind-up and high leg kick, Hardy's low-three-quarters delivery is equal parts violent and funky, resulting in a large amount of strikeouts, as batters have difficulty with the angles his arm creates, but a large amount of walks as well, as his release point varies from pitch to pitch, resulting in extremely poor command of his pitches. In short, Hardy is the definition of effectively wild, as he struggles to find the zone but gets batters to swing at bad pitches and get themselves out.

Hardy's fastball sits in the mid-90s, ranging 90-97 MPH, much higher from the low-80s-to-low-90s range that it sat in after he was first drafted. The pitch has above-average spin rates for a four-seam fastball, resulting in a lot of run but making it difficult for the right-hander to command. He complements it with an above-average slider that sits in the low-80s, ranging 79-83 MPH that features between 3-13 inches of horizontal movement and 37-41 inches of vertical drop and a curveball that sits in the high-70s, ranging 77-79 MPH that features between 13-19 inches of horizontal movement and 42-48 inches of vertical drop.

Grant Hartwig, RHP

An All-Catholic League, All-District and All-Region player at Detroit Catholic Central, the oldest public secondary school in Detroit, Grant Hartwig was considered a low-level follow by scouts and evaluators but ended up going undrafted in the 2016 MLB Draft. Attending Miami University of Ohio, where he had committed to with the intent of studying microbiology and eventually attending medical school, he made 16 appearances as a designated hitter and 15 as a pitcher, hitting .282/.383/.436 and posting a 5.19 ERA in 52.0 innings with 53 hits allowed, 27 walks, and 34 strikeouts. His 2018 season began very much the same, DHing in limited innings while pitching, but he injured his elbow midway through the season and needed Tommy John surgery in April. He missed the entire 2019 season rehabbing and recovering but was able to pitch in the Northwoods League following the conclusion of the NCAA season, posting a 4.70 ERA in 38.1 innings for the Lakeshore Chinooks. He finally returned to the Miami RedHawks mound in 2020, but was only able to throw 7.2 innings over 5 appearances before the NCAA ended the season prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Draft eligible, Hartwig was not selected in the abbreviated 2020 MLB Draft and returned to Miami University in 2021, now a redshirt senior. The right-hander posted a 3.44 ERA in 73.1 innings, allowing 65 hits, walking 11, and striking out 82, undoubtedly his best season, but went unselected in the 2021 MLB Draft as well.

Roughly a week after the draft, he was signed by the Mets as an undrafted free agent. Hartwig was assigned to the FCL Mets and pitched there a few weeks before being promoted to the St. Lucie Mets and wrapping up his first professional season with them. At both levels combined, the right-hander posted a 3.09 ERA in 11.2 innings, allowing 10 hits, walking 4, and striking out 12. He began the 2022 season back in St. Lucie but quickly climbed up the Mets’ minor league ladder based on both merit and need, pitching his way to Syracuse by the end of the season. At all four stops combined, Hartwig posted a 1.75 ERA in 56.2 innings, allowing 38 hits, walking 24, and striking out 83.

The right-hander throws from a three-quarters arm slot, short-arming the ball with a whippy action. The angle creates difficulty for batters, especially when pitching against right-handed hitters. Far from pinpoint but certainly not scattershot, Hartwig has fringe-average control. Standing 6’5" and weighing 235-pounds, Hartwig is an imposing presence on the mound. His move to the bullpen as a professional negates this physical advantage somewhat, but if pressed into starting duties, the right-hander would undoubtably be able to soak up innings and run high pitch counts.

Hartwig's sinker averaged 94 MPH in 2022, ranging 92-95 MPH. The sink on the pitch resulted in 54.2% ground ball rate in 2022 and a 49.7% over the course of his two professional seasons. The pitch characteristics are far from elite for a sinker, but it does the job and allows Hartwig to be effective even when he is missing his spots and batters are making contact. The pitch limiting home runs and keeping the ball on the ground is key to Hartwig's strategy at the plate, but he is not all smoke and mirrors. His slider sits in the low-80s, averaging 83 MPH, features between 35-44 inches of vertical drop and 1-12 inches of horizontal movement, and is mainly thrown down-and-away against right-handed batters as a strikeout pitch. He is confident in the pitch and uses it nearly as often as his fastball, doubling up on it frequently. He also occasionally throws a mid-80s changeup against left-handers, and the pitch helped limit left-handers to a .150/.281/.163 batting line in 2022.

Josh Hejka, RHP

Josh Hejka attended Divine Child High School in Dearborn, Michigan. While there, he helped lead the team to a district championship in his sophomore year, the conference semifinals in his junior year, and the finals in his senior year, winning All-City, All-District, All-Region, All-Academic and All-State honors in the latter two. After graduating, he enrolled at Johns Hopkins University, studying computer science. In 2016, his first year as a Johns Hopkins Blue Jay, he appeared in a team-high 21 games, posting a 4.09 ERA in 22.0 innings, allowing 25 hits, walking 6, and striking out 22. He was even more successful in his sophomore year, posting a 2.04 ERA in 35.1 innings, allowing 30 hits, walking 8, and striking out 29. In 2018, he posted a 2.53 ERA in 32.0 innings, allowing 32 hits, walking 9, and striking out 27. He went undrafted in the 2018 MLB Draft and returned to Johns Hopkin in 2019 to finish up his degree. Setting the Johns Hopkins University record with 25 appearances, Hejka helped lead the Blue Jays to the Div III College World Series, posting a 2.91 ERA in 77.1 innings, allowing 75 hits, walking 8, and striking out 60. All in all, he posted a 2.81 ERA, the sixth lowest in program history. In addition, he set the school record with 15 saves.

He went undrafted for a second time but was signed as a minor league free agent by the Mets in late June, making him the first Johns Hopkins player to sign with a major league team since Andrew Pevsner, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 16th round of the 2010 MLB Draft and spent two years in their system. Initially assigned to the Kingsport Mets, he spent about equal time with them and the Brooklyn Cyclones in two stints apiece, posting a 0.00 ERA in 8.1 innings in the Appalachian League and a 2.25 ERA in 12.0 innings in the New York-Penn League.

Hejka returned to the mound in 2021 following the cancellation of the season due to COVID-19. He played for three teams, the Brooklyn Cyclones, Binghamton Rumble Ponies and Syracuse Mets and posted a cumulative 3.65 ERA in 61.2 innings- the majority of them coming in Brooklyn- with 70 hits allowed, 13 walks, and 47 strikeouts. He split the 2022 season with those three same teams- this time the majority of his innings were accrued with the Rumble Ponies- and posted a 4.70 ERA in 53.2 innings, allowing 61 hits, walking 22, and striking out 55. In early February 2023, Hejka announced that he underwent Tommy John surgery.

Hejka works fast and has experience pitching in high leverage situations. Because of how he was used at Johns Hopkins, he is durable and can pitch for multiple innings and in back-to-back nights. The right-hander is cognizant of his limits as a pitcher and has a high pitching IQ as a result. His lack of premium stuff has also prompted him to turn to analytics to improve the limited stuff that he does possess. Most notable about Hejka, and the primary reason for the success that he has had in his collegiate and professional career, are his pitching mechanics. He drops down as if he were a submarine pitcher, though his release point is much higher than submariners; from the angle his arm is to his body, he is throwing more sidearm than submarine. The unusual delivery and arm slot makes his pitchers harder for batters to pick up on and recognize.

His fastball sits 84-86 MPH, topping out at 88 MPH. The features a lot of arm side movement, and because of its high spin rate, has late downward action. He is able to command it to both sides of the plate. He pairs his fastball with a slider and changeup, the latter of which is the better pitch. It sits 72-75 MPH and features a lot of frisbee-like movement thanks to his arm slot. His changeup lags behind his slide in its development because, being a reliever for most of his career, it was never necessary. It sits 75-78 MPH and features late fade. He is able to consistently hit his spots with both pitches.

Yonatan Henriquez, 3B

Yonatan Henriquez was signed by the Mets at the beginning of the 2022 international free agent signing period out of Puerto Plata, the third-largest city in the Dominican Republic. The 17-year-old made his professional debut with the DSL Mets later in the year and hit .247/.390/.344 in 31 games, hitting 2 home runs, stealing 5 bases in 11 attempts, and drawing 18 walks to 27 strikeouts.

At the plate, Henriquez has an open stance, holding his hands high and resting his bat on his shoulders until his load. He swings with an exaggerated leg kick and has shown the ability to drive the ball in both batting practice and during in-game situations, logging 100 MPH+ exit velocities. A switch-hitter, Henriquez hit for more power as a right-hander in 2022 but was a better contact hitter batting from the left-side of the plate.

Henriquez logged innings at second base, third base, and shortstop in 2022. It is too early in his career to say with any certainty where his defensive home will be, but he played the bulk of his time in the field at third base.

Daviel Hurtado, LHP

A native of Havana, Cuba, Daviel Hurtado has been involved in baseball in the city for years, playing on the U-12 and U-15 Cuban National Baseball Teams. The left-hander left from Cuba along with his parents and took up residency in the Dominican Republic in 2022. Eligible to sign during the 2022 international signing period, he elected to wait until the 2023 international signing period in order to better shop his talents to other teams and maximize his contract. He came to an informal agreement with the Mets in the summer of 2022 and then on January 15, 2023, the first day of the 2023 international free agent signing period, the two sides came to official terms, agreeing to a $640,000 bonus.

The 6’1, 175-pound southpaw is well proportioned and still fairly lean, suggesting additional growth in the future is a possibility. He throws from a high-three-quarter arm slot with a long arm action through the back. His whippy arm is capable of throwing fastballs that reportedly top out at 97 MPH, with the pitch generally sitting in the low-to-mid-90s. He complements the pitch with a curveball that sits in the mid-70s and a changeup that sits in the low-80s.

Rowdey Jordan, OF

Raised in Auburn, Alabama, Rowdey Jordan lettered four times at the city's eponymously named high school, three times in baseball and once in football. In his four seasons with the Tigers, he hit a cumulative .409/.504/.705 in 117 games, slugging 21 home runs and stealing 46 games. His senior season was particularly good- he hit .406/.562/.745 with 8 home runs and 25 stolen bases- and that led to him being recruited by various baseball schools, but in the end, he passed them up to attend Mississippi State University.

He played for the Terre Haute Rex in the Prospect League that summer and then hit the ground running at MSU, hitting .321/.390/.518 in 57 games with the Bulldogs, earning Freshman All-American honors and being named to the NCAA Tallahassee Regional All-Tournament Team. He played supplementary summer baseball between his freshman and sophomore years once again, playing for the Victoria HarbourCats of the West Coast League, and once again had an excellent season upon returning to Mississippi State. In 2019, he hit .290/.370/.420 in 67 games, getting named MVP of the NCAA Starkville Regional after going 7-13 with five RBI. He played for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks in the Cape Cod League following the 2019 season, but had trouble in the competitive wood bat league, hitting .128/.233/.154 in 28 games. Jordan seemed on his way to putting those struggles behind him in 2020, but COVID-19 put a stop to that after 16 games. After going undrafted in the 2020 MLB Draft, Jordan returned to MSU, where he was the table setter for the eventual 2021 NCAA College World Series Champions. Appearing in 68 games, he hit .323/.417/.546 with a career high 10 home runs, leading the SEC with 22 doubles. For his four-year career at Mississippi State, Jordan hit a cumulative .311/.393/.481 in 208 games with 23 home runs, 25 bases in 29 attempts, 90 walks, and 140 strikeouts, ending his Bulldog career as one of the top hitters in program history.

The Mets selected Jordan with their 11th in 2021 MLB Draft a few weeks later, signing him to a $125,000 bonus. He appeared in 30 games for the St. Lucie Mets that summer and hit .229/.333/.294 with 1 home run, 2 stolen bases in 5 attempts, and 18 walks to 28 strikeouts. He began the 2022 season with the Brooklyn Cyclones and hit .262/.368/.381 in 67 games with them, slugging 2 home runs, stealing 12 bases in 16 attempts, and drawing 40 walks to 59 strikeouts. He was promoted to Binghamton in August and finished the season there, hitting .208/.298/.321 with 2 homers, 2 stolen bases, and 12 walks to 33 strikeouts, giving him a cumulative .246/.347/.363 batting line on the season with 4 home runs, 14 stolen bases in 20 attempts, and 52 walks to 92 strikeouts.

The switch-hitting Jordan is not exactly what scouts and evaluators would call toolsy from an offensive standpoint, but his combination of tools and athleticism are greater than the sum of their individual parts. At 5’10", 185-pounds, he does not currently possess much raw power and is unlikely to bulk up to the point where he does. Swinging with a slight leg kick and a very linear bat path, Jordan shows average or slightly better bat speed from both sides of the plate but does not project to have a difference making bat because of the lack of power. He is an efficient base stealer and knows how to run the bases, but his speed is average or slightly above average at best. At the plate, what makes Jordan an efficient hitter is his ability to grind out at bats, fight off tough pitches, put himself in favorable counts, and wear down pitches until he is able to get pitches he can drive into gaps.

Defensively, Jordan is a solid outfielder thanks to his quick-twitch athleticism and should be able to stick in center field for the foreseeable future. He is rangy and is able to cover a lot of ground. He reads the ball well off the bat and takes efficient routes. His arm is about average for the position and is quick and accurate to the infield.

Daniel Juarez, LHP

A native of Güigüe, Venezuela, left-hander Daniel Juarez was officially signed by the Mets on January 30, 2019, late in the 2018-2019 international free agent signing window. The 18-year-old was assigned to the Dominican Summer League that summer and posted a 3.74 ERA in 33.2 innings over 16 appearances, with 31 hits allowed, 17 walks, and 53 strikeouts. After missing the 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Mets sent him stateside, assigning him to the FCL Mets. He appeared in another 16 games for them, posting a 2.76 ERA in 29.1 innings with 11 hits allowed, 18 walks, and 44 strikeouts, earning himself a promotion to the St. Lucie Mets at the end of the season, where he made a single appearance. He began the 2022 season there and appeared in 26 games for the St. Lucie Mets, posting a 2.31 ERA in 39.0 innings with 21 hits allowed, 21 walks, and 56 strikeouts. Juarez earned himself a promotion to the Brooklyn Cyclones at the end of the season and appeared in 5 games for them, giving up a single unearned run in 4.1 innings with 4 hits allowed, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts.

Listed at 5’11", 155-pounds, Juarez has certainly put on some weight but he is still well-proportioned for his frame. The southpaw throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action through the back. He gets good extension off the mound and his slingy arm has a lower approach angle as a result. The left-hander struggles with his release point, resulting in poor control. Additionally, he telegraphs his pitches, with his fastballs having distinctively higher release points than his secondary pitches.

Juarez throws two distinct fastballs, a four-seamer and a two-seamer, generally relying primarily on the four-seamer. Both pitches sit in the same velocity band, 89-92 MPH, averaging 91 MPH. Both feature a slightly above-average spin rates, his four-seamer averaging roughly 2370 RPM and topping out at 2480 and his two-seamer averaging roughly 2410 RPM and also topping out at 2480. The spin on the pitches coupled with his vertical approach angle give them sneaky giddyap, making them his most effective offerings.

In addition to his fastballs, Juarez also throws a slider and changeup, but both are below-average offerings at this point in time. He utilizes the slider slightly more than the changeup, but remains roughly 75% fastball and 25% off-speed pitch, the exact percentages of slider and changeup differing per game depending on his feel for either pitch.

His slider sits in the high-70s-to-low-80s, 77-81 MPH, averaging 79 MPH. The pitch has a low spin rate for a slider, averaging roughly 2200 RPM, and features between 31-47 inches of vertical drop and 0-6 inches of horizontal movement, giving it curveball-like qualities. His changeup sits in the high-70s-to-low-80s, 79-82 MPH, averaging 81 MPH. It features between 30-34 inches of vertical movement and 11-16 inches of horizontal movement but rarely fools batters, as they consistently were able to square up on it and make hard contact in 2022.

Kevin Kendall, SS

Kevin Kendall was a three-year letter winner at La Mirada High School in La Mirada, California, a city in southeast Los Angeles County. His high level of performance- he hit a cumulative .440/.530/.617- led him to receive various accolades from local media and earned him interest from national scouting outlets and professional organizations. After graduating and going undrafted in the 2017 MLB Draft, he honored his commitment to UCLA, where he had a strong commitment.

His time at UCLA was up-and-down. As a freshman, he hit .278/.352/.391 with 3 home runs and 13 stolen bases, the base heists tied for second on the team and fourth in the PAC-12. He experienced a sophomore slump in 2019, hitting .258/.331/.298 in 45 games for the Bruins, though there were positives, such as his perfect 9-9 stolen base ratio, the only player on the team to have a 100% success rate. His struggles continued that summer, when he played for the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod League and hit .188/.260/.290 in 23 games. Kendall ended up missing the entire 2020 season even prior to the cancellation of the season due to COVID-19, as he injured his wrist. When he returned in 2021, his redshirt junior season, he made up for lost time, finally putting together a season that matched the potential of his tools. Battling through various minor nicks and dings over the course of the season, he hit .356/.413/.498 in 56 games with 4 home runs and 10 stolen bases. He earned Pac-12 All-Conference Team honorable mentions, as he established new career highs in batting average, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, walks, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.

The Mets selected Kendall in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB Draft and signed him for $200,000, roughly $25,000 less than the MLB-recommended slot value of $227,700. He was assigned to the St. Lucie Mets for the remainder of the 2021 season, where he appeared in 31 games and hit .327/.421/.451 with 1 home run, 8 stolen bases in 10 attempts, and 15 walks to 24 strikeouts. He likely would have began the 2022 season with the Brooklyn Cyclones, but a wrist injury sustained just prior to the start of the season caused him to miss the majority of the year. He was finally able to get back on the field in September, appearing in a handful of games with St. Lucie at the end of the season and in their playoff run. After the season ended, he was assigned to the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .208/.344/.286 in 20 games with 1 home run, 4 stolen bases in 4 tries, and 13 walks to 22 strikeouts.

The 5’10", 175-pound Kendall has a smooth left-handed stroke with slight loft. He generally pulls the ball or goes back up the middle, rarely using the opposite field. Due to his less-than-imposing size, his power is mainly limited to doubles and triples right now, but because it is generated thanks to his quick hands generating above-average bat speed and the slight uppercut of his swing, he may be able to add some power to his game in the future if he fills in and adds some additional muscle to his frame. Given that he is fairly lean and slender, that is a distinct possibility. Kendall was more aggressive in 2021 than in prior years, making more contact and putting the ball in play more often. This led to a lower walk rate, but at the same time, his swing-and-miss did not spike; in fact, it actually fell, as he chased fewer pitches. A plus, virtually plus-plus runner, he uses his speed well on the basepaths, stealing 32 bases in 141 career games with the Bruins to 8 failures, an 80% success rate.

Defensively, Kendall is extremely versatile. Kendall was UCLA's primary shortstop in 2018 and 2019, but after missing the 2020 season was forced off the position in order to accommodate Matt McLain, who ended up getting drafted by the Cincinnati Reds with the 17th overall pick in the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft. He played the majority of the 2021 season playing center field and played a handful of games in the infield at second base as well. Thanks to his speed, he has above-average range in the infield, whether it be at second base or shortstop. He shows above-average reaction times, has quick-twitch athleticism that gives him a good first step and has soft hands. Once again because of the speed, he has above-average range in the outfield. That speed lets him turn on the afterburners to correct course when necessary, but more reps in any of the outfield positions will let him learn how to read the ball off the bat better and take more efficient routes to the ball. His one defensive weakness is his arm strength, which was affected by past injuries. His arm fluctuates between below-average to above-average and not accurate to accurate.

Kolby Kubichek, RHP

A native of Bryan, Texas, Kolby Kubichek made the varsity team and lettered in all four years of his time at Bryan High School. In addition to pitching, he played shortstop and right field, impressing as a position player but really standing out as a pitcher. He earned a scholarship to the University of Texas and joined the Longhorns in 2019 after graduating from high school.

In his freshman year, the right-hander appeared in 14 games, starting two, and posted a 6.50 ERA in 18.0 innings, allowing 21 hits, walking 12, and striking out 15. That summer, he played for the Chatham Anglers in the Cape Cod League and was an All-Star, posting a 0.90 ERA in 30.0 innings, allowing 16 hits, walking 9, and striking out 34. He returned to Texas for his sophomore year and performed well in the limited innings that he was able to throw before the NCAA ended the baseball season prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Appearing in 4 games and making 2 starts, he posted a 2.79 ERA in 9.2 innings, allowing 8 hits, walking 5, and striking out 8. He returned to the Longhorns in 2021 and was part of a stacked pitching rotation that included ace Ty Madden, high upside lefty Pete Hansen and Tristan Stevens. Kubichek posted a 3.86 ERA in 51.1 innings, allowing 50 hits, walking 27, and striking out 41, and did his part to help the Longhorns dominate the Big 12 Conference with a 50-17 record.

After Texas lost to eventual winners Mississippi State University in the first round of the 2021 College World Series, Kubichek returned to Chatham and pitched a game before being selected by the Mets in the 18th round of the 2021 MLB Draft, the 532nd player selected overall. He signed for $125,000 and made his professional debut in mid-August with the FCL Mets. He made just one appearance there before being promoted to the St. Lucie Mets, where he posted an 8.15 ERA in 17.2 innings over 6 games with 22 hits allowed, 11 walks, and 10 strikeouts. The Mets had him return to the Florida Complex League in 2022 and pitching exclusively out of the bullpen, the right-hander posted a 1.15 ERA in 15.2 innings over 9 games with 12 hits allowed, 6 walks, and 17 strikeouts. He was promoted to St. Lucie for a second time in mid-August and posted a 2.93 ERA in 15.1 innings over 6 games with 12 hits allowed, 8 walks, and 17 strikeouts. All in all, the 22-year-old had a solid season as a reliever, posting a 2.03 ERA in 31.0 innings with 24 hits allowed, 14 walks, and 34 strikeouts.

Kubichek throws from a high-three-quarters, almost over-the-top arm slot. The right-hander often rushes his delivery, leading to poor control and command. He made strides getting better at this while at the University of Texas, but still occasionally falls into bad habits, especially in more high leverage situations. Kubichek is on the smaller side for a pitcher, standing an even 6’ and weighing 180-pounds. He is solidly built and well-proportioned, unlikely to add more mass in the future. His pitching idol is another hurler on the shorter side, Marcus Stroman, and Kubichek has incorporated tricks Stroman uses to improve his game such as tweaking his delivery from batter to batter in order to mess with their timing, adding pauses to it and adding hitches. Also like Stroman, he is aggressive on the mound, and will go right after batters.

The right-hander primarily relies on a sinker that, while below-average in velocity, is extremely heavy and generates a high number of ground balls. The pitch averaged 90 MPH in 2022, ranging 88-92 MPH, and was a major reason why he had a 57% ground ball rate in 2022 and a 55.4% rate as a professional. Kubichek made major strides with the pitch while pitching at the Cape, learning that less velocity is sometimes better, as he had a propensity for overthrowing the pitch, causing it to flatten out and lose its horizontal and vertical movement.

Kubichek primarily pairs a changeup with his sinker, but also occasionally throws a slider as well. His changeup sits in the mid-80s, ranging 82-87 MPH, averaging 84 MPH. The pitch is Kubichek's main swing-and-miss pitch, and he throws the pitch just as much as his sinker and occasionally even more. His slider is his third pitch, recently added to his repertoire after learning a grip that suited him playing at the Cape. The pitch sits in the low-to-mid-80s, ranging 80-86 MPH, averaging 83 MPH, and has been extremely inconsistent. At times, the pitch features above-average spin rates and has sharp, tight gyroscopic 12-6 break and other times it features well-below-average spin rates and features loose, loopy, slurvy break.

Christopher Larez, SS

A native of Porlamar, a major port city on Veneuela's Margarita Island with roots dating back to Christopher Columbus and other Spanish conquistadors during the of the age of exploration, Christopher Larez was considered one of the more polished and advanced players from the Caribbean available in the 2023 international free agent class. On January 15, the team made their unofficial agreement with the teen legally binding and signed him for $1.5 million, just slightly over a quarter of their $5.2 million dollar budget.

At the plate, Larez holds his hands high, swinging with a slight leg lift. His smooth, level stroke sprays line drives around the field in both batting practice and against live pitching. He currently has a contact-over-power profile, showing warning track power to his pull side, but additional power should come as he ages, matures, fills in, and optimizes his swing mechanics.

Defensively, Larez has an above-average arm, excellent range, and good instincts, giving him the main tools necessary to play shortstop. If his 6’1", 190-pound frame fills in and he loses the quick-twitch muscle needed for the position, he has the arm to play third base and the instincts and experience to remain in the middle of the infield at second base. Center or right field would also be a possibility, depending on his footspeed.

Nathan Lavender, LHP

Nathan Lavender was born in Hudson, Illinois and homeschooled until he began high school, attending El Paso Gridley High School in El Paso, Illinois. He was a dominant golfer, winning a pair of conference championships, and in baseball, where he was a four-year letterwinner who posted a cumulative 0.71 ERA over his four years at the school. One of the better pitching prospects in Illinois in his senior year, Lavender ended up going undrafted in the 2018 MLB Draft and elected to attending the University of Illinois, passing up on virtually every other Big Ten school in addition to a handful of others. In pitching for a college team, he would be following in the footsteps of his father, who played college baseball at Marian College, his uncle, who played ball at Marian, and his older cousin, who played ball at Evangel University.

The southpaw appeared in 17 total games in his freshman year, starting 4, and posted a 4.08 ERA in 28.2 innings for the Fighting Illini, allowing 21 hits, walking 24, and striking out 37. Following the conclusion of the season, he went to pitch for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks in the Cape Cod League, making a pair of appearances. The cancellation of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 had a major impact on every athlete, both professional and amateur, but for Lavender, its impact was even greater as he did not even get the cursory amount of innings under his belt that most other pitchers did. The left-hander missed the beginning of the season with an injury and did not get into a single game prior to the NCAA shutting down all athletic activities. Returning to the mound in 2021, Lavender started things off on the right foot, going 5-0 in his first few starts, but ended up posting a 4.11 ERA in 57.0 innings, allowing 55 hits, walking 15, and striking out 79. Following the conclusion of the Fighting Illini 2021 season, he played for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in the new MLB Draft League, where he posted a 7.65 ERA in 20.0 innings. The Mets drafted him in the 14th round of the 2021 MLB Draft and ended up signing him for $125,000.

The southpaw was assigned to the FCL Mets and pitched in 4 games for them, posting a 1.35 ERA in 6.2 innings with 3 hit allowed, 2 walks, and 12 strikeouts. He was assigned to the St. Lucie Mets at the start of the 2022 season and was excellent there, posting a 0.48 ERA in 18.2 innings over 10 games, allowing 11 hits, walking 11, and striking out 30. Lavender was promoted to the Brooklyn Cyclones at the beginning of June and pitched the remainder of the season there, missing roughly a month from the end of June to the middle of July on the injured list. In 16 games total, the left-hander posted a 2.48 ERA in 29.0 innings, allowing 21 hits, walking 15, and striking out 37, giving him a cumulative 1.70 ERA in 47.2 combined innings with 32 hits allowed, 26 walks, and 67 strikeouts over the course of the 2022 season.

Lavender throws from a three-quarters arm slot, driving off the mound and folding his top half over, resulting in a lower his release point. His slingy delivery helps give his pitches some additional natural movement, but negatively impacts his command as a result.

Lavender throws a four-seam and a two-seam fastball, generally relying on the two-seamer more than his four-seamer. Both pitches virtually live in the same velocity band, hovering around 90 MPH, with his four-seam fastball more effective up in the zone thanks to its flatter approach angle and his two-seamer more effective low in the zone thanks to its sink. Earlier in his collegiate career, Lavender was mainly a fastball pitcher, but the development of his changeup and slider transformed him from a thrower into a pitcher.

He uses his changeup and slider almost equally. His slider sits in the mid-to-high-70s, averaging 77 MPH. The pitch has big, slurvy break, sweeping across the strike zone that is mostly used against fellow left-handers. Intentionally or unintentionally, the pitch is almost never thrown in the zone, but because of its big break, does not have to be. His changeup is, in effect, an effectively wild offering because of its scattershot trajectory and large variance in velocity- though because his fastball is not particularly fast, some fastballs may be miscategorized as changeups. The pitch is mainly used down in the zone.

Khalil Lee, OF

Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 3rd round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of Flint Hill School in Oakton, Virginia, Khalil Lee slowly worked his way up the Kansas City minor league ladder, spending time with the AZL Royals in 2016, the Low-A Lexington Legend in 2017, the High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks and the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals in 2018. After hitting a combined .263/.382/.390 with 6 homers and 16 stolen bases that year and having a fair showing for himself in the Arizona Fall League, Lee not only began climbing the Royals top prospect list, but he also began garnering consideration as a top prospect in baseball. He had so-so showing for himself in 2019, hitting .264/.363/.372 with 8 home runs, 53 stolen bases in 65 attempts, and 65 walks to 154 strikeouts in 129 games with the Naturals, but was unable to build on that momentum as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the 2020 season to be cancelled. The outfielder put his downtime to good use, making some swing changes during his time at the Kansas City Royals alternate site at T-Bones Stadium in Kansas City that scouts and evaluators believed might allow him to realize his full potential.

On February 10, 2021, Khalil Lee was sent to the Mets in a complicated three-team trade between Kansas City, New York, and Boston. The Boston Red Sox sent Andrew Benintendi and cash to the Kansas City Royals. The New York Mets sent a player to be named later, who turned out to be Freddy Valdez, and Josh Winckowski to the Boston Red Sox. The Kansas City Royals sent players to be named later, who turned out to be Luis De La Rosa and Grant Gambrell, and Franchy Cordero to the Boston Red Sox.

After going 0-16 in his first spring training with the Mets, he was optioned to Syracuse, but only spent about a week there before getting his first major league call up. He did not actually appear in a game before being sent down a few days later but was called back up to Queens once again a few days later and actually began getting at-bats. Unfortunately for Lee, while he was starting to get at-bats thanks to the Mets’ dire injury situation, he was not getting hits. Before the Mets sent him back down to Syracuse, Lee went 1-18 in 11 games, striking out 13 times. He did not receive another call-up in 2021, but he certainly deserved another look, as all he did was hit from the time he suited up for Syracuse on June 1 until the end of the season. In 96 games for the Syracuse Mets following his demotion, Lee hit .275/.449/.511 with 14 home runs, 7 stolen bases in 15 attempts, and 66 walks to 109 strikeouts. On the season as a whole, he hit .274/.451/.500 in 102 games in Triple-A, slugging 14 homers, stealing 8 bases in 18 attempts, and walking 71 times to 115 strikeouts.

Lee began the 2022 season with Syracuse and his season started colder than the freezing upstate spring nights he was playing in. He went hitless in his first five games, striking out ten times, and hit .122/.271/.143 with 1 extra base hit, 5 steals, 9 walks, and 22 strikeouts in the month of April. After his struggles continued into early May, the outfielder was demoted to Low-A St. Lucie, team officials disappointed with his performance and behavior. Lee spent roughly two weeks there and was marginally better before being recalled to Syracuse, hitting .241/.371/.414 in 8 games with 4 extra base hits, 1 stolen base, and 3 walks to 11 strikeouts, but the improved numbers were hardly impressive. Outside of a brief call-up to the majors in early June, the outfielder remained in Syracuse for the remainder of the year and struggled. He appeared in exactly 100 games for the Syracuse Mets and hit .211/.326/.366 with 10 home runs, 14 stolen bases in 17 attempts, and 47 walks to 139 strikeouts. Just prior to the start of Spring Training 2023, it was reported that the outfielder was being sued by a former girlfriend regarding physical and emotional abuse that took place in early May, and that an arrest warrant had been put out for him in October 2022 by the Syracuse Police Department regarding the violent episode.

The 5’10", 170-pound outfielder has a potential combination of speed and power that few players in the system possess. He stands square at the plate, holding his hands high. He swings using a toe tap timing mechanism and has a long-levered swing. Swing changes he made while at the Kansas City alternate site in 2020 saw him focus on pulling and elevating the ball and putting it in the air, and while he did succeed with that, his swing remained extremely long and his strikeout rate remained comically high. Despite the success he had in 2021, he struck out at an excessive 29.6% rate and in 2022, he struck out at an even higher 33.3% rate. In addition to his long, uppercutty swing, Lee also struggles to identify spin. He has a high degree plate discipline, not swinging at pitches he knows he will not be able to catch up to but struggles to react to movement and alter his bat path once he starts his swing. His big hacks have also impacted his home-to-first times, as he often posts below-average times for a left-hander as his follow through sometimes leaves him off-balance. Once he is on the basepaths though, he can wreak havoc, as he has average-to-above-average speed and is a fairly skilled base stealer.

Lee has experience playing three outfield positions, but he profiles best as a right fielder at present. He has enough speed and range to play center, but still is not the best at reading the ball off the bat and plotting the most efficient routes. His arm is an above-average asset and allows Lee to play right field with no difficulties. In the long run, Lee is more likely to stick in right than he is to stick in center, where he would an above-average defender.

Gustavo Marquez, OF

Gustavo Marquez was signed by the Mets on January 15, 2021, the first day of the 2021 international signing period, for $300,000. The Güigüe, Venezuela native was assigned to the Dominican Summer League and appeared in 34 games, hitting .176/.240/.209 with 0 home runs, 2 stolen bases in 3 attempts, and 3 walks to 42 strikeouts. He remained in the DSL in 2022 and appeared in 37 games in his second year as a professional, hitting .174/.303/.239 with 0 home runs, 6 stolen bases in as many attempts, and 11 walks to 36 strikeouts.

Marquez is an athletic 5’10", and his 160-pound frame has plenty of room to fill in and grow. He shows batting practice power but has yet to really manifest it in in-game situations, and if his below-average hit tool does not improve, it likely never will. He stands square at the plate, holding his hands high, and swings with virtually no load and a small leg kick. His swing has some upper cut to it and the path of his bat generally passes through the zone on a downward plane, resulting in a preponderance of weakly hit ground balls to his pull side.

Defensively, he has above-average speed and an above-average arm, making him profile well at any of the three outfield positions. As long as he does not grow and fill in too much, Marquez should retain the ability to remain in center field with continued improvements to his reads off the ball and routes.

Aaron Martinez, RHP

The Mets signed Aaron Martinez on January 15, 2021, the first day of the new international signing period, out of Coro, Venezuela, the second-oldest city of Venezuela and home of former White Sox and Tigers all-star Magglio Ordonez. The 17-year-old was assigned to the Dominican Summer League and spent time on both Mets teams, making 8 starts in total and posting a combined 2.45 ERA in 18.1 innings with 15 hits allowed, 12 walks, and 11 strikeouts. Martinez was set to make his stateside debut in 2022, but an injury kept him off the field for the entire season.

Martinez has a lanky 6’1", 185-pound frame that will almost certainly grow and put on muscle. The right-hander throws from a three-quarters arm slot with a very long arm actions through the back. His arm is a bit whippy and he often overthrows, leading to control issues. His fastball sits in the low-90s, generally sitting 91-92, but regularly reaches the mid-90s, hitting 94 MPH. Marinez is good at keeping on top of the ball and throwing it downhill, giving the pitch sink. The rest of his arsenal is very raw at this point, and he complements the pitch with a slurvy breaking ball that needs to be refined with better shape into either a more traditional curveball or slider to be effective.

Yeral Martinez, 1B

Sixteen-year-old Yeral Martinez signed for $335,000 out of the Dominican Republic at the start of the 2019-2020 international free agent signing period, one of their more noteworthy signings that year. He missed the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic and was then given an aggressive assignment by the Mets, brought stateside and assigned to the FCL Mets for his first exposure to professional baseball. The 18-year-old predictably struggled in 33 games, hitting .116/.248/.232 with 2 home runs, 1 stolen base in as many attempts, and 17 walks to 58 strikeouts. He remained in the Florida Complex League in 2022 and did marginally better, hitting a roughly league average .230 /.293/.425 in 27 games with 5 home runs, 0 stolen bases, and 7 walks to 37 strikeouts, but had his season end prematurely due to injury.

Martinez was very physically developed when he signed, and the 20-year-old now stands 6’3" and weighs 220-pounds. He is athletic for his size and does not really show his weight but is likely to slow down in the future as he ages and starts putting on bad muscle. At the plate, Martinez stands square, holding his hands low. Using a toe tap, he has a big, long left-handed swing designed for power. He is athletic currently has enough speed and range to play any outfield position, but has very little professional experience there, only playing a handful of games at all three positions. As a professional thus far in his career, he has mainly played first base.

Brandon McIlwain, OF

Brandon McIlwain was a two-sport standout at Council Rock North High, a high school in Newtown, Pennsylvania. On the baseball diamond and on the gridiron, he blended a premium combination of speed and power, winning awards and getting named to honorary teams in both sports. In baseball, he excelled as a hitter and as a pitcher and in football, he was dominant as a quarterback and defensive back. McIlwain went undrafted in the 2015 MLB Draft and honored his commitment to the University of South Carolina, the same school his father attended. Unlike most dual sport high school athletes, he continued playing both, making the Gamecock's baseball and football teams, though he focused more on the latter than the former. Appearing in multiple games for South Carolina as their quarterback in 2016, he only appeared in eight games with the baseball team, going 1-10. He announced his intention to transfer from the University of South Carolina to Cal State in 2017 and was granted redshirt status but was barred from participating in any games for the season due to NCAA rules. He returned to the gridiron in 2018 but did not play baseball, getting back to the diamond in 2019. He appeared in 20 games as Cal's primary center fielder but broke his foot in late April, ending his season prematurely.

Despite hitting .258/.309/.435, the Miami Marlins drafted McIlwain in the 26th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. He elected not to sign with them and instead returned to Cal State, where he would focus only on baseball. He appeared in 16 games before the NCAA shut down all athletic programs due to COVID-19, hitting .200/.333/.273. After going undrafted in the 2020 MLB Draft, the two-sport athlete signed with the Mets. The 23-year-old was assigned to the St. Lucie Mets in 2021 and appeared in 74 games for them, hitting .255/.362/.398 with 7 home runs, 8 stolen bases in 11 attempts, and 36 walks to 89 strikeouts. He began the 2022 season with the Brooklyn Cyclones and was easily the best player on the team while he was there, hitting .298/.389/.472 in 48 games with 3 home runs, 12 stolen bases in 17 attempts, and drawing 14 walks to 45 strikeouts. He was promoted to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in late June and appeared in 50 games for them, hitting .219/.307/.323 with 4 home runs, 3 steals in 5 attempts, and 20 walks to 64 strikeouts, giving him a cumulative .255/.345/.391 line on the year with 7 home runs, 15 stolen bases, and 34 walks to 109 strikeouts.

At the plate, McIlwain stands open, holding his hands high and swinging with a toe tap mechanism. He has a balanced right-handed swing that shows a great deal of power, logging 100 MPH+ exit velocities in 2021 and 2022. Given his background and the lack of playing time he has accumulated, McIlwain still a very raw baseball player for his age and it shows in his plate discipline. He has a solid zone awareness but still has problems recognizing spin, striking out at an elevated rate against off-speed pitches.

McIlwain is a tremendous athlete, and that helps him in the outfield. He is a plus runner, which allows him to handle center field, and the potential exists for him to develop into an above-average center fielder as he learns to read the ball off of the bat better and refine his routes to the ball. His speed is also an asset on the basepaths, stealing bases and taking extra bases. His arm is above-average and would fit in any of the three outfield positions.

Blaine McIntosh, OF

Blaine McIntosh's father, Freddie, was a celebrated local athlete in the late-70s, playing basketball for Jo Byrnes High School in Cedar Hills, Tennessee. His son, Blaine, has followed in his father's footsteps, though he has made his mark on the baseball diamond rather than the on the basketball court. Blaine McIntosh was one of the most celebrated athletes to attend Sycamore High School in Pleasant View, Tennessee. He was a force for the War Eagles in their District 9-AA/Region 5-AA title winning 2018 season, which saw him hit .310. After the season wound down, he verbally committed to Vanderbilt University, becoming the first baseball player in school history to commit to an SEC school. While both father and son have attained local fame, both have been overshadowed by Tristan McIntosh, Freddie's daughter and Blaine's older sister, who finished in sixth place in Season 15 of American Idol and released an album of his own.

The Mets selected McIntosh in the 13th round of the 2019 MLB Draft and signed him to a $125,000 bonus, buying him out of his Vanderbilt commitment. The 18-year-old appeared in 24 games for the GCL Mets that summer and hit .228/.311/.228 in 24 games, hitting 0 home runs, stealing 5 bases in 8 attempts, and drawing 11 walks to 22 strikeouts. After missing the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, McIlwain got back on the field in 2021 with the FCL Mets, the team's new Rookie-level affiliate. He had another below-average season, hitting .121/.310/.212 in 17 games with 0 home runs, 1 stolen base in as many attempts, and 9 walks to 19 strikeouts. He began the 2022 season at the complex for a third season in a row, and third time was the charm, as the 21-year-old hit .231/.385/.385 in 33 games with 3 home runs, 7 stolen bases in 12 attempts, and 21 walks to 26 strikeouts. He was promoted to the St. Lucie Mets at the end of the year and appeared in 9 games for them in the month of August before having his season end prematurely due to injury, hitting .300/.432/.333 with 0 home runs, 1 stolen base in 3 attempts, and 5 walks to 15 strikeouts.

At the plate, McIntosh stands square with his hands held high. He has a noisy set-up and loud hands and has had difficulty keeping his upper and lower halves in sync against live pitching, leading him to have trouble pulling and driving the ball. His tendency to go to the opposite field coupled with a linear, flat bat path has resulted in an extreme amount of ground balls. Virtually all of his 2022 batted ball events resulted in negative launch angles, leading to the left-hander running a 61.8% ground ball rate in 2022 and a 54.8% ground ball rate for his professional career. McIntosh has room to fill in and adding additional weight to his frame along with pulling the ball and hitting it in the air more would greatly increase his offensive ability. His plus speed helps him get out of the box quickly and steal the occasional bang-bang play, but McIntosh's athleticism needs to manifest itself in tangible strength gains for him to develop into a viable professional.

Defensively, McIntosh has an above-average arm and above-average speed, allowing him to field his position well. While his initial first step and routes still need to be worked on, as he is still fairly raw in the field, he shows good instincts and has plenty of range. While he has plenty of room to fill in, it is unlikely that the outfielder ever bulk up to the point that he loses enough speed to play a viable center field.

Trey McLoughlin, RHP

Born in Shelton, Connecticut, Trey McLoughlin attended the eponymously named high school in his hometown. Ater graduating, he attended Fairfield University about a half-hour down I-95. In his freshman season, the right-hander posted a 5.60 ERA in 45.0 innings, allowing 53 hits, walking 22, and striking out 22. He supplemented his time on the mound after the season ended by playing with the Danbury Westerners of the New England Collegiate League that summer, and then returned to Fairfield in 2019 for his sophomore season. He showed only marginal improvements in some areas but showed great growth in others, posting a 5.59 ERA in 75.2 innings, allowing 80 hits, walking 27, and striking out 82, earning him Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Tournament Team honors.

He returned to the New England Collegiate League in the summer of 2019 once again, playing this time for the Mystic Schooners instead of the Danbury Westerners and the 20-year-old ended up an all-star, one of the best pitchers in the league with a top-five ERA and strikeout total. He returned to the Stags now firmly entrenched as their number one starter but had little time to showcase the steps forward that he took that summer as a pitcher, as COVID-19 limited his time on the mound in 2020 to just 15.2 innings over 3 starts and a bout of shoulder bursitis that took over a month to finally clear up limited his time on the mound in 2021 to just 23.2 innings over 5 starts. His return to Faifield in May came at a fortuitous time for the Stags, as he was able to pitch a strong game against Canisius College right before the NCAA Championship Tournament, and then against Arizona State in what would be his final game with the team.

All in all, over the course of his four-year career at Fairfield, McLoughlin posted a cumulative 5.40 ERA in 160.0 innings, allowing 170 hits, walking 63, and striking out 163; his 9.1 K/9 rate a program record. A week after Fairfield was bumped out of the tournament, he began playing for Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod League, making a pair of starts prior to the 2021 MLB Draft in an attempt to create some positive buzz around himself following a senior season that saw him pitch minimal innings. The Mets selected the senior right-hander in the 16th round of the 2021 MLB Draft, the 472nd player selected overall, and signed him for $30,000. He made his professional debut with the FCL Mets but was promoted to St. Lucie after just one game, where he posted a 6.41 ERA in 19.2 innings over 6 appearances, with 20 hits allowed, 7 walks, and 18 strikeouts.

McLoughlin remained with St. Lucie to begin the 2022 season and he posted a 3.26 ERA in 38.2 innings over 22 games with 32 hits allowed, 8 walks, and 46 strikeouts. At the end of August, he was promoted to the Brooklyn Cyclones and made 4 appearances with them, posting a 5.11 ERA in 12.1 innings with 11 hits allowed, 5 walks, and 14 strikeouts. All in all, the 23-year-old posted a 3.71 ERA in 51.0 innings over 26 appearances in 2022, allowing 43 hits, walking 13, and striking out 60.

McLoughlin has a solid pitching frame, standing 6’2" and weighing 210-pounds. He throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot and features simple mechanics that include a high leg lift and a long arm action through the back. While he is not all arm strength, there is some effort in his delivery. His command of his pitches earlier in his career was below-average, but he made strides in that regard following his successful summer in Mystic and now features above-average control and command.

The right-hander is mainly a two-pitch pitcher, throwing a fastball and a slider and occasionally throwing a changeup. His fastball averages 91 MPH, ranging 90-93 MPH. The pitch has an extremely low spin rate for a four-seam fastball, averaging roughly 2000 RPM while with St. Lucie in 2022 and ranging between 1900 and 2200 RPM, giving it some natural sink but not enough to net strong ground ball rates- McLoughlin is more of a fly ball pitcher in fact.

His slider ranges 82-84 MPH, averaging 83 MPH. The pitch has below-average spin rates, ranging 2000-2300 RPM, averaging 2200 RPM, with fairly gyroscopic break featuring between 31-38 inches of vertical drop and 1-8 inches of horizontal movement. McLoughlin mainly uses the pitch against left-handers, throwing it glove side to get them chasing. His changeup sits in the mid-80s, and features between 23-29 inches of vertical drop and 11-15 inches of horizontal movement thanks to its fairly low spin rate. The pitch is thrown sparingly, mainly throwing it arm side against right-handers to get them chasing.

Brian Metoyer, RHP

A native of Natchitoches, Louisiana, Brian Metoyer attended Natchitoches Central High School, where he was as named to the All-District team as both a utility player and a pitcher. Upon graduation, he attended Louisiana State University of Eunice. In 2016, his first year there, he posted a 9.00 ERA in 13.0 innings, allowing 23 hits, walking 10, and striking out 13. Returning in 2017, posted an improved 4.30 ERA in 23.0 innings for the Bengals, allowing 19 hits, walking 13, and striking out 27. After two years there, he transferred to Louisiana State University of Alexandria. He appeared in 15 games for the Chiefs and posted a 5.60 ERA in 27.1 innings, allowing 24 hits, walking 31, and striking out 35.

The 21-year-old right-hander was drafted at the conclusion of the season, making the second player in history from LSU-Alexandria to be selected by a major league club, joining Ronnie Robbins, but he had to wait quite a while to hear his name called. The Mets selected him in the 40th round of the 2018 MLB Draft, the 1190th player selected out of 1214 players in all. He agreed to a $40,000 signing bonus with the Mets, making him the very last 40 round player to be selected by the organization, as their 2019 40th round pick, Camden Lovrich, did not sign and the draft was shortened to fewer than 40 rounds in 2020. He made his professional debut with the GCL Mets but was promoted to the Kingsport Mets after a single appearance there, posting a cumulative 5.11 ERA in 12.1 innings in the Gulf Coast League and Appalachian League with 12 hits allowed, 10 walks, and 11 strikeouts. He spent the entire 2019 season with the Brooklyn Cyclones, posting a 5.65 ERA in 28.2 innings for the eventual NYPL 2019 champions, allowing 15 hits, walking 22, and striking out 40.

Returning to the field in 2021 after missing the 2020 season due to COVID-19, the 24-year-old reliever had the most success he has had in his career, particularly in the later summer months, opening the eyes of many who had either never seen him or had been unimpressed by lackluster performance. In 33.0 innings with the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones, Metoyer posted a 2.18 ERA, allowing 14 hits, walking 16, and striking out 46. He earned a promotion to Binghamton at the end of the season, as an outbreak of COVID-19 left the team needing additional players on their roster and appeared in two games out of the bullpen for them, allowing a run in two hits over three innings, walking three and striking out six. He remained in Binghamton for the 2022 season, but unfortunately for the right-hander, his 2022 season consisted of just 7.1 ineffective innings over the course of just 6 games thanks to an injury that put him on the shelf in early May.

Tall and lanky, Metoyer throws from a three-quarters arm slot with a long action through the back. The Natchitoches native is mainly a two-pitch pitcher, using a fastball that he can cut and sink and a curveball. The pitch sits in the low-90s, averaging 92 MPH, dipping a little lower when he sinks it and a little higher when he cuts it. All three distinct variations of his fastball generally get hit hard, but he maintained an astounding 65% ground ball rate in 2021 and allowed just one home run, making a strong defense behind the right-hander important for his future success. As impressive as that number is, it pales in comparison to another, pertaining to his curveball, which sits in the high-70s-to-80 MPH and features anywhere between 50-60 inches of vertical break and 12-16 inches of horizontal movement. During the 2021 Arizona Fall League, the pitch averaged 3205 RPM and maxed out at 3492 RPM. By comparison, Seth Lugo topped the charts in 2021 with an average curveball spin rate of 3261 RPM curveball and Lucas Sims was the spin rate champion in 2020 with 3349 RPM. The difference between Lugo, Sims, and Metoyer is that the two major leaguers generally have a sense of where their breathtaking breaking balls are going, whereas Metoyer does not. The right-hander walked 19 in 36.0 combined innings with the Cyclones and Rumble Ponies in 2021, a career best as compared to his time in Brooklyn in 2019, his time in the GCL and Kingsport in 2018, and his collegiate days. The movement on his pitches allowed him to miss bats, but until he can command them better, it will also be an Achilles heel.

Nick Meyer, C

Nick Meyer was born with a condition called pre-axial polydactyly, meaning he was born with two thumbs on his left hand. He underwent surgery to remove the extra digit when he was two years old, but the procedure was not without side effects. To this day, Nick Meyer cannot bend his left thumb all the way. Despite the fact, he would go on to live a normal baseball-filled childhood in Southern California and would blossom into an exceptional defensive player.

A 2015 graduate of Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, Nick Meyer attended Cal Poly and made the opening day line-up, finishing the year with 50 starts, 48 of them behind home plate. He hit .301/.374/.370 with 1 home run, 2 stolen bases in 5 attempts, and drew 18 walks to 13 strikeouts, winning the the Scott Kidd Rookie of the Year Award, the John Orton Gold Glove Award, and the Big West Conference Freshman Field Player of the Year Award. His bat took a step back in his sophomore year, hitting .255/.316/.330 in 55 games with 2 home runs, 6 stolen bases in 9 attempts, and 17 walks to 17 strikeouts, but he remained an excellent defender, winning his second John Orton Gold Glove Award. In 55 games in 2018, his junior season, Meyer hit .344/.408/.428 with 0 home runs, 3 stolen bases in 5 attempts, and 18 walks to 19 strikeouts, winning the Defensive Player of the Year Award and his third-consecutive John Orton Gold Glove Award.

The backstop was considered a day two selection and indeed did have his name called on day two of the 2018 MLB Draft, with the Mets sixth round pick. Meyer agreed to a $350,000 signing bonus, roughly $65,000 over the MLB-assigned slot value of $285,200 and finished his season playing with the Brooklyn Cyclones, hitting .226/.275/.270 in 43 games. He was promoted to the St. Lucie Mets in 2019, but missed almost half the season due to injuries, only getting into 64 games and hitting .182/.250/.225. Unlike most players, Meyer played organized baseball in 2020, playing for the Tully Monsters of the City of Champions Cup, a pop-up independent league in Illinois.

Swing changes made there helped him when he returned to professional baseball in 2021. Starting the year with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in a back-up, secondary capacity, he hit a combined .251/.337/.324 in 62 games with 3 home runs, 6 stolen bases in 10 games, and 24 walks to 46 strikeouts. He performed similarly in 2022, splitting the season with the same two teams in roughly the same capacity. Appearing in 79 games, Meyer hit .233/.355/.353 with 6 home runs, 14 stolen bases in 18 attempts, and 45 walks to 60 strikeouts.

Meyer stands compact in the batter's box, using a small leg kick as a timing mechanism. His bat path is level and designed for making contact but he has been challenged against professional pitchers who possess good spin and/or above-average velocity. Though a solidly built 6’1", 190-pounds, Meyer does not have much natural power, with the ability to sell-out for pull side power but not much more. He does not strike out very much despite the below-average bat, and draws a fair amount of walks thanks to his experience behind the plate.

Defensively, Meyer is an above-average catcher. He is a solid receiver who presents a clear target to his catchers and blocks the ball well. His arm is above-average in terms of strength and accuracy and his throws are amplified by quick pop times. When he is allowed to do so, Meyer is able to call a strong game and has a high baseball IQ.

Luis Moreno, RHP

Luis Moreno was signed by the Mets as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic in June 2019, at the very end of the 2018-2019 international free agent signing period. On the older side, he spent the 2019 season in the Dominican Summer League, where he posted a 4.43 ERA in 42.2 innings with both of the Mets’ DSL teams. The right-hander missed the 2020 season because of the cancellation of the season due to COVID-19, and when he reported to camp in 2021, he was a 22-year-old with very little experience under his belt.

The Mets assigned Moreno to the Low-A St. Lucie Mets in 2021 and used him as a swingman, starting games and pitching out of the bullpen. The right-hander predictably struggled, posting a 5.42 ERA over in 73.0 innings, with 70 hits allowed, 56 walks, and 64 strikeouts. He repeated the level at the start of the 2022 season, but this time had a lot more success. Putting his four-seam fastball in his pocket and swapping it out for his sinker, Moreno improved in virtually every way. In 40.1 innings with St. Lucie this season, he posted a 2.68 ERA, allowing 36 hits, walking 20, and striking out 37. He was promoted to High-A Brooklyn at the end of May and remained there for the rest of the season, posting a 2.92 ERA in 77.0 innings with 61 hits allowed, 23 walks, and 70 strikeouts. All in all, the right-hander posted a 2.84 ERA in 117.1 innings, allowing 97 hits, walking 43, and striking out 107.

Moreno has a solid pitching frame suitable for pitching, standing 6’ 2" and weighing 170 pounds. The right-hander throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot with a long action through the back, mixing in a high leg lift for deception. Moreno is primarily a two-pitch pitcher, mainly relying on a sinker and curveball and occasionally mixing in a four-seam fastball and changeup.

Prior to this season, he utilized his four-seam fastball just as much as his sinker, but he barely uses the pitch now and has had much more success without it. His sinker sits 90-96 MPH, generally sitting on the higher end of that velocity band, averaging 94 MPH. His curveball sits 77-85, averaging 81 MPH. The pitch has a high spin rate, averaging 2998 RPM and sitting anywhere between 2644 and 3141, and features between 5-14 inches of horizontal movement and 40-59 inches of vertical drop. The right-hander struggles at times to throw the pitch for strikes and is most effective when batters are free swingers and think it is going to remain in the zone.

Nick Morabito, CF

Nick Morabito comes from a baseball family. His father, Brian Morabito, played baseball for James Madison University when he attended the school in the late-80s and early-90s and his uncle, John, played baseball at Wake Forest University and was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1987, spending a year in their minor league system. Brothers Nick and John instilled in their children a love of baseball.

Nick took to the sport like a fish to water, playing little league in his native McLean and eventually going off to Washington D.C., attending high school at Gonzaga College High School, a private Catholic college-prep school. Morabito was not highly scouted as recently as his junior year but shot up draft boards this spring after having a monster senior year for the Eagles, helping lead them to the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and D.C. State Athletic Association titles. Winning Washington D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year honors, he hit .545 with 10 doubles, 6 triples, 12 home runs, 52 stolen bases.

The Mets selected Morabito with their second round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the 75th player selected overall. He had a commitment to Virginia Tech but forwent it after the Mets offered him a cool million dollars, roughly $125,000 over the MLB-recommended slot value of $873,300. He was assigned the GCL Mets and appeared in 6 games, hitting .091/.167/.136 with 0 home runs, 1 stolen base, and 2 walks to 14 strikeouts.

The 5’11", 185-pund Morabito is built like a football player, solid and thick yet athletic. He stands square at the plate with a wide base, low hands, and a high back elbow. His right-handed swing has short levers and is direct to the ball, short and compact with very little wasted movement. He generates power with bat speed and natural strength, and while his physical projection may be limited due to his size and how filled out his body already is, he already possesses above-average raw power. He also possesses above-average speed, allowing him to leg out extra base hits and cause havoc on the basepaths.

A shortstop and center fielder, there are questions as to where Morabito's ultimate defensive home will be. His arm strength is below-average-to-fringe-average, but his quickness gives him excellent range, in both the infield and the outfield. The Mets drafted Morabito as an outfielder, making center field his most likely defensive home for the time being.

Diego Mosquera, SS

A native of Valencia, Venezuela, home of numerous former and current major league players, including former Mets Wilmer Flores and Roger Cedeno, Diego Mosquera was signed by the Mets on January 15, 2021, the first day of the 2021 international signing period, for $400,000. He was assigned to the Dominican Summer League Mets and had an excellent first season as a professional, appearing in 32 games and hitting .326/.431/.402 with 0 home runs, 3 stolen bases in 6 attempts, and 14 walks to 15 strikeouts. The18-year-old was set to make his stateside debut in 2022, but an injury kept him off the field all season.

The right-hander stands slightly open at the plate, holding his hands high and wrapping his bat behind his head. He swings with a light leg kick or toe tapping mechanism, and has a level, contact-oriented swing that has surprising pop. Listed as 5’11", 155-pounds, Mosquera has put on additional weight and muscle since signing and has likely grown a bit as well, which should help with his ability to generate in-game power. He hits a lot of balls on the ground, but is capable of hitting the ball hard, regularly registering exit velocities upwards of 95 MPH; with slightly more loft, many of those ground balls may become line drives. He has an advanced sense of the strike zone for someone his age and works the count, fouling off pitches, drawing walks, and keeping strikeouts to a minimum.

Mosquera has all the tools to be an above-average defensive shortstop. His arm is only average at the position, but quick instincts, range, and soft hands cover up that minor deficiency. Should he slow down and lose some of that quick-twitch swiftness and be moved from shortstop on a permanent basis, he would be an above-average second baseman with those same tools and skills.

Tanner Murphy, OF

Tanner Lomax Murphy was a four-year letterman at Bartram Trail High School in St. Johns, Florida, playing football and baseball. As a junior, he appeared in 27 games and hit .333/.389/.390 for the Bears, stealing 15 bases. As a senior, he hit .405 and stole 22 bases. Murphy went undrafted out of high school and honored his commitment to the University of North Florida.

In his first year there, Murphy hit .337/.378/.446, starting in 19 games and appearing in 34. His batting average was third highest on the team. He became a starter in his sophomore year, and was able to replicate those numbers while getting into more games. In 2018, he hit .326/.418/.534 in 56 starts, hitting 10 home runs and stealing 15 bases. He led the team in multiple offensive categories and led the entire NCAA Atlantic Sun Conference in slugging percentage. He was unable to keep up that level of production with the bat, hitting .288/.368/.447 in 57 games in 2019 for the Osprey, though he did tie a University of North Florida record with a perfect fielding percentage, fielding all 154 chances he had in center over the course of the season.

The Mets selected Murphy with their 18th round selection in the 2019 MLB Draft, signing him for $100,000. The outfielder was assigned to the Kingsport Mets, where he hit .202/.310/.351 in 40 games with 5 home runs, 2 stolen bases in 3 attempts, and 18 walks to 57 strikeouts. He would miss all of 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season and then missed large chunks of the 2021 and 2022 seasons due to injuries. Murphy appeared in 48 games in 2021, playing for the FCL Mets, St. Lucie Mets, and Brooklyn Cyclones and hit a combined .189/.304/.322 with 3 home runs, 9 stolen bases in 10 attempts, and 20 walks to 62 strikeouts. In 2022, he appeared in 64 games for the St. Lucie Mets and Brooklyn Cyclones and hit .236/.335/.385 with 5 home runs, 7 stolen bases in 8 attempts, and 23 walks to 64 strikeouts.

At 6’4", 195-pounds, Murphy has a lean, athletic frame. He is fairly quiet at the plate, with a slight leg lift and not much of a stride. His swing is balanced, with level, line-drive power. He generally is able to make hard contact when he barrels the ball and uses the entire field. In 74 batted ball events recorded with St. Lucie, he averaged an 87 MPH exit velocity, with a 107.8 MPH recorded high. He has above-average, borderline plus speed and is a good runner as a result, stealing and taking extra bases. In the outfield, he moves well, putting that speed to good use. Combined with his strong arm is strong and accurate, Murphy plays above-average defense at center field.

Dedniel Nuñez, RHP

Puerto Plata native Dedniel Nunez's baseball career thus far has been very atypical as compared to the journey that most international players go through. Signed in October 2016 at the age of 20, he made his professional debut with the GCL Mets in 2017, skipping the Dominican Summer League completely. In his first taste of professional ball, Nuñez posted a 5.24 ERA in 44.2 innings with 51 hits allowed, 16 walks, and 46 strikeouts. He was promoted to Kingsport in 2018, where he posted an improved 3.79 ERA in 40.1 innings, allowing 38 hits, walking 16, and striking out 36. He skipped over Brooklyn and was assigned to the Columbia Fireflies to start the 2019 season. He posted a 4.03 ERA in 22.1 innings there and after just four starts was sent up to St. Lucie. He posted a 4.53 ERA in 57.2 innings before having his season end early due to a shoulder injury in mid-July, allowing 59 hits, walking 20, and striking out 61. All in all, he posted a cumulative 4.39 ERA in 80.0 innings, allowing 73 hits, walking 23, and striking out 94.

The right-hander missed the 2020 season due to COVID-19, and for a time, it looked like he might never pitch in a Mets uniform again. In the 2020 Rule 5 Draft, the San Francisco Giants selected the hurler and seemed poised to not only stick on their major league roster but excel as he impressed in spring training. Unfortunately for Nuñez, he injured his elbow and was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery. The right-hander remained with the Giants for the rest of the season but was removed from their 40-man roster in the off-season, prompting his return to the Mets. Nuñez made his return to the mound at the end of May for the St. Lucie Mets, and after three appearances was promoted to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, where he remained for the rest of the season. Now exclusively a late-inning reliever, the 26-year-old posted a 3.49 ERA in 28.1 innings over 23 appearances allowing 36 hits, walking 13, and striking out 43.

Nuñez throws from a low-three-quarters arm slot with a whippy arm action. The right-hander is aggressive and goes after hitters but sometimes has trouble commanding his pitches because of their natural movement. As a starter earlier in his career, his fastball sat in the low-90s, topping out around 94, 95 MPH. As a reliever, post-Tommy John surgery, his fastball sits in the mid-to-high-90s, averaging 95 MPH and topping out at 99 MPH. Both before and after the surgery, the spin rate on the pitch has been elite. The pitch has been measured as high as 2710 RPM while pitching in St. Lucie; in 2022, the MLB average was 2275 RPM. The high spin rate gives the pitch cutter-like action.

He complements his fastball with a slider and a changeup, the slider his go-to secondary pitch and the changeup still well behind in its development and is very sparingly thrown. The slider has gyroscopic break, sitting 84-87 MPH, with slightly above-average spin rates, giving it 37-40 inches of vertical drop and 1-4 inches of horizontal movement.

Ellian Nuñez, RHP

Ellian Nuñez was signed by the Mets on January 15, 2021, the first day of the 2021 international signing period, and received a $400,000 signing bonus. The 17-year-old right-hander from Nagua was assigned to the Dominican Summer League and did not pitch much, appearing in two games and throwing a total of 2.2 innings before having his season end due to injury. He missed the entire 2022 season as well, recovering from surgery.

The 6’2", 170-pound right-hander throws from a low-three-quarters arm slot, with a simple, mechanically clean delivery. His fastball velocity has progressively increased since trainers began working with him, and the pitch now comfortably sits in the low-90s, touching the mid-90s, with running action. He complements the pitch with a curveball that is fairly advanced for his age and level of experience. The pitch, which sits in the high-70s, has a naturally high spin rate, giving it tight power break.

Cam Opp, LHP

Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Camrin Opp and his family relocated to Chicago, Illinois when he was a young child, and then to a suburb outside of London, England, when he was 10. Baseball was a constant in his early life, and he showed considerable ability at it, playing with and against little leaguers older than himself and not only fitting in, but dominating. He attended an American curriculum school in England, trying out for and making his school's varsity baseball team as an eighth grader, but found the competition lacking. Born and raised in America, having played on little league teams in the U.S. and receiving constant coaching from his father, Opp was far more advanced than the majority of the players in England. By the time he was a sophomore in 2011, he had caught the attention of Liam Carroll, then-manager of the Great Britain National Baseball team. At 15, he joined the U23 Great Britain National Baseball team, a team mostly comprised of 20 to 22-year-olds. While he lacked the size and physicality of his teammates, he held his own and then some, never once looking like he did not belong.

That summer, he attended a baseball camp in Florida and met Pat James, the baseball coach at the Christ School, a private boys prep school in Arden, North Carolina. Impressed by Opp, James offered the southpaw a spot on the team. After talking it over with his father, who had always envisioned his son pitching in college, the left-hander transferred schools and moved back to the U.S. for his junior year on his own.

Opp demonstrated that he was not a big fish in a small pond in London, excelling in his first year at the Christ School, earning all-conference honors with a 2.09 ERA in 50.1 innings on the mound and a .343/.477/.400 batting line. Returning home to England after the school year ended, he found out that his father had been diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy. That summer, the two continued bonding over baseball and discussed numerous colleges and universities in the U.S. that Cam was interested in, but much of that took place in hospitals.

The left-hander thought about leaving the Christ School to stay in London with his dying father but decided against it, knowing that his dad would not want him to do that, so he returned to North Carolina for his senior year, returning home to visit his father whenever possible. He was even better in his senior year, earning all-state and all-conference honors, being named Conference Player of the Year, and team MVP thanks to a 2.33 ERA in 39.0 innings and a .511/.569/.829 batting line, but his father sadly passed away roughly a month before graduation.

It was after his father's death that Cam decided he really wanted to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, a school the two had discussed but the elder Opp had expressed reservations about due to their difficult admittance policies. Opp ended up meeting all of the academic, physical, and medical standards, but his permanent residence being outside of the United States posed a problem, and he would need approval from a high level governmental official, such as a congressman or governor. The headmaster at the Christ School made a few calls and called in a few favors for his student and got a nomination for Opp to attend from none other than the Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden. Unfortunately for Opp, Biden's clearance came too late in the year and he was unable to go. He attended The College of William & Mary for a year, and then applied to West Point again, this time successfully getting in.

Opp spent four years pitching for the Army Black Knights, initially making the team as a walk-on. In 181.2 innings split over 12 starts and 72 relief outings, the southpaw posted a 4.11 ERA with 168 hits allowed, 85 walks, and 181 strikeouts. Opp pitched well in his junior and senior seasons, and even had some helium and momentum attached to his name as Army upset the number-one seeded North Carolina State in the 2019 NCAA Super Regionals, but never heard his name called. He was not signed in the immediate aftermath of the draft either as an undrafted free agent, but instead of giving up on his baseball dream, he kept in good shape and good spirits. Later that summer, he received an offer to pitch with the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League and finished out the 2019 season with them, posting a 2.70 ERA in 26.2 innings over 21 games with 22 hits allowed, 11 walks, and 35 strikeouts.

After failing to receive any new offers from organized baseball teams at the conclusion of the Otters’ season, Opp reported to Fort Rucker in Alabama to begin flight training school. Not wanting to totally abandon his dream to play professionally without giving it one final try, he organized a handful of tryouts with professional scouts from four teams with the help of former Otters manager Andy McCauley in February 2020. Despite some technical problems, the southpaw impressed the Mets scouts who attended his workout and they signed him- though the contract had to wait until December 2020 to officially be executed, as a signing freeze had been put in place by Major League Baseball due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The left-hander threw his first professional pitch in May 2021 with the St. Lucie Mets and spent just three games with them before being promoted to the Brooklyn Cyclones, where he remained for the rest of the season. Appearing in 16 games in total, Opp posted a 6.42 ERA in 61.2 innings, allowing 77 hits, walking 26, and striking out 60. He split the 2022 season between two teams as well, once again spending the majority of his season in Brooklyn and then getting a late four-game promotion to Binghamton at the end of the year. All in all, he appeared in 20 games and posted a 5.73 ERA in 37.2 innings, allowing 43 hits, walking 26, and striking out 29.

Opp throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot, dropping and driving off of the mound with a low release point further exacerbated by his 5’10" frame. The 27-year-old has a fastball that sits at roughly 90 MPH. The pitch possesses slightly below-average spin rates for a four-seam fastball, giving it some natural sinking movement.

He complements it with a slider and changeup, throwing both pitches at nearly equal ratios. His slider sits in the high-70s-to-low-80s, averaging 82 MPH, and features sweepy break. His changeup, which sits in the low-80s, averaging 81 MPH, features a lot of sink thanks to its low spin rate and tumble. Because nothing in his repertoire is particularly dominant, the southpaw gives up a lot of contact. Pitches that elicit poor contact are generally weakly hit ground balls while pitches that are hit with better contact are fly balls.

Douglas Orellana, RHP

Nineteen-year-old Douglas Orellana was signed by the Mets as an international free agent out of Caracas, Venezuela on July 13, 2021. He was assigned to the DSL Mets and spent the remainder of the 2021 season in the Dominican Summer League, playing for both Mets DSL teams. In total, he posted an 8.05 ERA in 19.0 innings over 17 games with 22 hits allowed, 20 walks, 14 strikeouts, 6 hit batsmen, and 4 wild pitches. In early June, when the 2022 Florida Complex League season began, he was officially sent stateside and assigned to the FCL Mets. Used as starter and multi-inning reliever, the right-hander posted a 3.96 ERA in 36.1 innings for them, allowing 22 hits, walking 21, and striking out 55. He was promoted to the St. Lucie Mets at the end of August and appeared in 3 games for them, posting a 6.00 ERA in 6.0 innings, allowing 6 hits, walking 7, and striking out 8.

Orellana throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot, short arming the ball. Earlier in his career, he had a long action through the back, but the organization had him change his mechanics during extended spring training prior to the start of the 2022 season. There is some violence in his delivery, specifically his head jerk and exaggerated follow through as he falls off the mound, which may be why he has had trouble with his command and control thus far in his young career. In 2022, the 20-year-old had a 6.0 BB/9 rate, walking 28 batters in 42.1 innings.

The right-hander currently has a two-pitch repertoire currently, throwing a four-seam fastball and curveball. His fastball has plenty of velocity, sitting 93-97 MPH, averaging 95 MPH. In addition to above-average velocity, the pitch features above-average spin rates, ranging anywhere between 2470 RPM to 2660 RPM, giving it some natural cutting action. His curveball, which ranges between 77-82 MPH, averaging 80 MPH, has big 12-6 shape, though it sometimes comes out of his hand slurvy. The pitch features spin rates between 2700 and 2920 RPM and has anywhere between 7-13 inches of horizontal movement and 50-61 inches of vertical drop. The pitch has been extremely effective for him, resulting in a 34% Called Strike+Wiff Percentage while in St. Lucie.

Scott Ota, OF

Playing for Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, California, Scott Ota earned MVP honors in his senior year, hitting .489/.528/.680 in 28 games. After graduating, he attended the University of Illinois Chicago. In his first year there, he appeared in 21 games and hit .254/.313/.475. In 2017, his sophomore year, he appeared in all 56 games the Flames played and hit .281/.331/.424. In 2018, he hit a career-best .283/.351/.481 in 48 games, leading the team in hits and triples. After going undrafted in the 2018 MLB Draft, Ota returned to the University of Illinois Chicago for his senior year. The 22-year-old went off on the Horizon League, hitting .356 /.451/.761 with 19 home runs, becoming the first player in the league to hit that many home runs since 2000.

Ota was selected by the Mets in the 2019 MLB Draft, using their 10th round pick. He signed for $1,000, well below the assigned 10 round slot value of $145,300. The Mets assigned him to the Kingsport Mets for the 2019 season and he hit .273/.355/.519 with 7 home runs, finding himself near the top of most offensive categories. After missing the 2020 season due to the cancellation of the season, Ota was assigned to the Brooklyn Cyclones. After just three games, his season ended prematurely due to fractured radial head in his elbow, a torn UCL, and the surgeries needed to repair the damage. Ota began the 2022 season on the injured list and remained out of action until late June, when the Florida Complex League season began, when he was assigned to the FCL Mets on a rehab assignment. He appeared in four games for them before being shut down for the remainder of the season and put on the 60-day injured list in early August.

The left-handed Ota stands coiled at the plate with a slightly open stance, holding his hands high near his head. He has a compact swing, uncoiling and putting a jolt in the ball when he is able to barrel up on it. There is a bit of uppercut to his swing, and a hitch in his swing results in the plane of his bat still traveling downwards as it moves through the zone. He is able to muscle a lot of these kinds of hits for dying quails, but often rolls into groundballs because of this. Defensively, Ota is primarily a right-hander. His arm profiles well, capable of hitting the mid-to-high-80s. He has a sturdy, dependable glove, making very few errors over his four years at the University of Illinois Chicago and year at Kingsport in 2019.

Jaylen Palmer, CF

Canarsie native Jaylen Palmer attended Holy Cross High School over in Flushing, about 15 minutes over from Citi Field. His first few years in high school were relatively unremarkable, but a massive growth spurt changed all of that. Between his sophomore and junior years, he developed from a scrawny 5’5", 150-pound undersized middle infielder into a 6’3", 195-pound athlete. That year, he hit .308/.439/.371 in 28 games for the Holy Cross Knights, putting himself on the map and gaining the attention of major league scouts. He was even better in his senior year, hitting .286/.511/.476 in 24 games.

With their twenty-second selection in the 2018 MLB Draft, the Mets selected Palmer, signing him for $200,000. The 17-year-old was assigned to the GCL Mets for the remainder of the 2018 season and hit .310/.394/.414 in 25 games, slugging a single home run and stealing five bases. He was promoted to the Kingsport Mets for the 2019 season, and as the fourth-youngest hitters in the Appalachian League hit .260/.344/.413 in 62 games, launching seven homers, stealing one base, and walking 31 times to 108 strikeouts. After missing the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Palmer returned to the field in 2021 for the St. Lucie Mets. Appearing in 66 games, the 20-year-old hit .276/.378/.386 with 2 home runs, 23 stolen bases in 28 attempts, and 39 walks to 81 strikeouts. In August, he was promoted to the Brooklyn Cyclones, his hometown team, where he spent the remainder of the season. In 39 games in Coney Island, Palmer hit .189/.314/.336 with 4 home runs, 7 stolen bases in 8 attempts, and 25 walks to 65 strikeouts. All in all, the 20-year-old hit .244/.354/.368 in 105 games over the course of the season, with 6 home runs, 30 stolen bases in 36 attempts, and 64 walks to 146 strikeouts. He spent the entire 2022 season with Brooklyn and regressed, hitting .184/.318/.324 in 105 games with 9 home runs, 22 stolen bases in 25 attempts, and 50 walks to 147 strikeouts.

At the plate, Palmer holds his hands high, swinging with a big leg kick. He has a long, smooth swing with natural upward loft that flows when his upper and lower halves are in sync, but often lunges and finds himself in front of the ball, sapping his power and causing him to either swing over pitches completely or turn them over weakly into the ground. When he hits the ball square, he can really put a jolt into the ball, as he has registered exit velocities around 110 MPH in the past, but Palmer struggles hitting the ball. His pitch recognition is fair, but his swing is so long levered that he simply is unable to adjust once he commits to balls with spin and movement, resulting in swings-and-misses or balls that are hit with weak contact. The flaw is troubling, as Palmer is a toolshed otherwise. The tall, leggy Palmer is an average-to-above-average runner and has learned to turn that into a weapon on the basepaths. He shows good instincts out of the box and hustles on the basepaths, allowing him to take the extra base.

Defensively, Palmer's speed has allowed him to transition from the infield to the outfield. Drafted as an infielder, he began his career primarily playing third base and shortstop but now plays center field adroitly. His natural athleticism and speed allow him to play center, and as he becomes more comfortable in the outfield, he will learn to see the ball off the bat better and learn better routes to the ball, rather than relying on his speed and afterburners to close in on the ball late. His arm is average-to-above-average and would fit anywhere in the outfield.

Hunter Parsons, RHP

The two-way ace of Parkside High School in Salisbury, Maryland, Hunter Parsons had an impressive senior year, batting over .300 and dominating on the mound. After earning All-State honors and being named the Bayside South Pitcher of the Year, he was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 2015 MLB Draft with their 40th round pick, the 1204th player selected overall. Rather than sign with the Twins, Parsons elected to honor his commitment to the University of Maryland, becoming a Terrapin instead.

He played for the Baltimore Redbirds of the Cap Ripkin League and was named Pitcher of the Year just prior to his freshman year starting, and when it finally did, he took that success with him to Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium. Starting five games and pitching out of the bullpen for ten, the right-hander posted a 3.50 ERA in 36.0 innings, allowing 27 hits, walking 13, and striking out 28. Unfortunately, his sophomore season would not go as smoothly. In four starts and eight relief appearances, Parsons posted a 12.05 ERA in 2017, allowing 41 hits, walking 8, and striking out 24 in 21.2 innings. He went off and played for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the Cape Cod League, hoping to find himself, but things didn't go much better there, as he posted a 6.75 ERA in 14.2 innings split over thirteen relief appearances. Things went much better for Parsons in 2018, and the right-hander emerged as the Maryland's top starting pitcher. In 89.0 innings, he posted a 3.44 ERA, allowing 73 hits, walking 27, and striking out 62. He went undrafted in 2018 and returned to Maryland for his senior season, posting a 3.45 ERA in 104.0 innings, allowing 88 hits, walking 32, and striking out 78.

The Mets selected the right-hander in the 19th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, the 568th player selected overall, and signed him for $25,000. The 22-year-old was assigned to the Brooklyn Cyclones and appeared in 11 games for the eventual 2019 New York-Penn League champions, posting a 2.89 ERA in 18.2 innings with 18 hits allowed, 9 walks, and 21 strikeouts. He did not play in 2020 owing to the COVID-19 shutdown and returned to the field in 2021 a member of the St. Lucie Mets bullpen. He appeared in 4 games and was promoted to the Cyclones- now the Mets’ High-A affiliate- where he remained for the entirety of the season. All in all, Parsons posted a 4.01 ERA in 49.1 innings over 28 games, with 37 hits allowed, 27 walks, and 66 strikeouts. He began 2022 with the Cyclones and remained there for roughly the first two months of the season, posting a 1.83 ERA in 19.2 innings, allowing 14 hits, walking 4, and striking out 25. He was promoted to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in early June and pitched for them until the season ended, posting a 5.31 ERA in 39.0 innings with 36 hits allowed, 26 hits, and 42 strikeouts. All in all, the 25-year-old posted a combined 4.14 ERA in 58.2 innings over 36 games with 50 hits allowed, 30 walks, and 67 strikeouts.

Parsons’ 6’2", 215-pound frame is well-proportioned and athletic. He throws from three-quarters arm slot, with a long in the back. He uses his trunk well, pushing off the mound and generating his power with his lower half. There is effort in his arm, whipping it forward, occasionally throwing with crossfire. He hides the ball well during his windup with a high leg lift and by tucking his body in.

The right-hander mainly relies on a sinker that sits in the high-80s-to-low-90s, 88-93 MPH, averaging 91 MPH. The pitch has some arm-side life from his arm slot but features less boring, heavy sink than the MLB average sinker, leading to more balls hit weakly hit in the air than balls jammed into the ground. Parsons is able to command the pitch and can move it around the strike zone, throwing it upstairs with more of a four-seam fastball grip and low in the zone as a more traditional sinker. He complements it with a mid-80s slider and a high-70s-to-low-80s changeup. The slider has slight late break, while his changeup has a lot of late fade and tumble. In college, his changeup was his better secondary offering, but since going pro, his slider has been more effective against better competition.

Karell Paz, 1B/OF

Karell Paz was born in the central Cuban city of Ciego de Avila, the capital of the eponymous province, a land of milky lakes, turquoise beaches, and pineapples whose wafting scents hitchhike on Caribbean breezes and hint at future gustatory bliss. Paz- which ironically means ‘peace’, as the city itself gained importance during the Cuban Ten Years’ War, when the Spanish built a line of colonial ditch-work defenses through the city to defend against insurrectionists- grew up watching Los Tigres de Ciego de Avila, the city's team in La Serie Nacional de Béisbol. Manager Roger Machado and his players had some success in the 2010s, winning three championships in the 51s (2011–2012), 54th (2014–2015), and 55th (2015–2016) competitions and making the finals in the one more, but Paz was never part of that, as he was too young to play. The young man would end up never playing for his hometown team, as he left Cuba in April 2017.

The 18-year-old ended up traveling through multiple countries over the course of the next few months. He began his journey in Guyana, then passed though Brazil, Uruguay, and Panama before crossing the Caribbean once again to Haiti, and finally from there, the Dominican Republic. To add injury to insult, the process for Paz to be declared a free agent came to a screeching halt in early 2020, as COVID-19 swept across the world.

Paz officially signed with the Mets in May 2022 and was assigned to the Dominican Summer League Mets. The 22-year-old appeared in 15 games for the DSL Mets 2 and hit .342/.420/.512 with 0 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home run, 3 steals in 7 attempts, and drew 3 walks to 7 strikeouts. He was sent stateside to the FCL Mets in early July, and through 16 games with them is hitting .314/.397/.647 with 4 doubles, 2 triples, 3 home runs, 2 steals in 3 attempts, and has 5 walks to 10 strikeouts. He was promoted to the St. Lucie Mets in early August and played in exactly one game with them, going hitting a bases-clearing RBI triple in a pinch hitting appearance before receiving a 60-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Stanozol, a performance-enhancing substance.

Paz, a switch hitter, stands square at the plate with his hands high and his bat wrapped behind his head. He swings with a toe tap and/or slight leg lift as a timing mechanism from both sides of the plate. According to evaluators familiar with him, Paz has above-average raw power. He has played all over the field in his brief professional career, logging innings in center field, right field, left field, third base, and first base. He has logged the majority of his innings in right field and first base, his above-average arm profiling well in the outfield.

Jose Peroza, INF

Signed out of Carlos Guillen's academy in Venezuela on July 2, 2016, the Mets signed Jose Peroza for $280,000, impressed by the projection the 16-year-old showed. At 6’1", 200 pounds, the youngster showed two above-average tools: raw power and arm strength. Given that much of his strength came simply from his upbringing on a farm rather than time in the weight room suggested to some evaluators that he could even increase his raw power with time in professional facilities. Peroza made his professional debut in 2017 in the Dominican Summer League, but appeared in a few games at the end of the year for the GCL Mets. He spent the entire 2018 season with them, hitting a paltry .184/.253/.241 in 24 games. He began the 2019 season in the GCL but was promoted to Brooklyn at the end of July after hitting .328/.389/.766 in 16 games. In 33 games in the dog days of summer for the eventual 2019 New York-Penn League champions, Peroza was not nearly as successful, hitting .225/.295/.369 in 33 games.

Peroza began the 2021 season with Low-A St. Lucie and hit .274/.404/.443 in 64 games, hitting 7 home runs, stealing 5 bases, and drawing 41 walks to 67 strikeouts. He was promoted to Brooklyn- now the Mets’ High-A affiliate- in early August and hit .218/.293/.384 in 38 games, almost a mirror image of his stats in Coney Island in 2019. The 22-year-old remained in Brooklyn for the entirety of the 2022 season, and was much more successful this time around, hitting .271/.356/.400 with 8 home runs, 4 stolen bases in 5 attempts, and walking 48 times to 110 strikeouts.

Peroza is extremely stocky, listed at 220-pounds but probably weighing more than that in actuality. He has a quiet set-up at the plate, with a wide base and his bat barred behind his head. He swings with a slight leg kick, with a bat path that contains a bit of loft. His bat speed is average at best but is able to muscle pitches that he is able to barrel squarely, especially to his pull side. Defensively, Peroza has a strong arm and is currently capable of playing third base, but his body will likely be a high maintenance one as he ages, meaning that he may lose mobility and range around the hot corner, limiting him to first.

Vincent Perozo, C

Venezuelan catcher Vincent Perozo was signed on July 2, 2019, the first day of the 2019-2020 international free agent signing period. He missed 2020 due to the coronavirus cancelling the minor league season and finally made his professional debut in 2021, skipping over the Dominican Summer League completely and playing with the FCL Mets. He appeared in 18 games and hit .173/.349/.269 with 1 home run, 0 stolen bases in 2 attempts, and 10 walks to 21 strikeouts. All in all, he tread water, which is impressive enough for a teen without any organized professional experience, posting an 84 wRC+, but what makes it even more impressive is the fact that he was battling a shoulder injury and playing through the pain as not to delay his development as a professional even more. In 2022, he began the season rostered to the St. Lucie Mets for about a week prior to the start of the Florida Complex League, going 1-17 with a triple, but was sent down when their season began. Now fully healthy and recovered from his shoulder issues, Perozo appeared in 36 games and hit .283/.387/.475 with 4 home runs, 1 stolen base in as many attempts, and 11 walks to 32 strikeouts. He was promoted back to the St. Lucie Mets at the end of August, going 3-14 with a double and a homer, giving him a .129/.200/.323 batting line in 9 games with St. Lucie with 1 home run, 1 walk, and 8strikeouts.

At the plate, the left-handed Perozo stands tall, holding his hands high. He has a smooth swing that has good timing and rhythm and hints at above-average future power. He has a strong understanding of the strike zone and is able to draw walks, giving him the ability to produce value even when slumping. Behind the plate, Perozo has the upside to stick at catcher. While he will never be a standout defensive catcher because his arm is only average at best, scouts and evaluators give him good grades for his mobility behind the plate, framing and receiving abilities, and his ability to work with his pitchers.

Jawilme Ramirez, RHP

Signed out of San Juan De La Maguana in the Dominican Republic on July 2, 2019, Jawilme Ramirez missed what would’ve been his first professional season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He suited up for the first time professionally a year later, assigned to the Dominican Summer League. The 19-year-old appeared in 14 games for the DSL Mets and posted a 2.14 ERA in 54.2 innings, allowing 22 hits, walking 20, and striking out 56. He was brought stateside in 2022, pitching for the FCL Mets for the majority of the season and receiving a cup of coffee with the St. Lucie Mets are the end of the year. The right-hander was terrific, posting the lowest ERA of any qualified Mets starter pitching outside the Dominican Summer League complex. In 13 games with the FCL Mets and St. Lucie, he posted a 0.78 ERA in 46.1 innings, allowing 29 hits, walking 10, and striking out 43.

Ramirez is a lanky 6’2", 170-pounds and will likely fill in a bit more. He throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot, with a long, slingy arm action through the back. His fastball sits in high-80s-to-mid-90s, ranging 88-94 MPH and averaging 92 MPH. The pitch averaged 2350 RPM during his limited innings in St. Lucie in 2022, making the pitch roughly average in terms of both velocity and spin. With a peak recorded spin rate of 2495 RPM, combined with his long stride and long wingspan, Ramirez's fastball really sneaks up on batters and has a higher perceived velocity.

He complements his four-seamer with a changeup and slider. His changeup has generally been his go-to-strikeout pitch, netting the majority of his whiffs. The pitch sits in the mid-80s, ranging from 83-87 MPH. The pitch averages 1650-2000 RPM of spin and features between 9-16 inches of horizontal movement and 23-29 inches of vertical drop on average. His slider sits in the low-to-mid-80s, ranging from 80-84 MPH. The pitch has slightly below-average spin rates, ranging between 2040-2250 RPM, and features 0-6 inches of horizontal movement and 26-36 inches of vertical drop.

Wilkin Ramos, RHP

A native of Santo Domingo, Wilkin Ramos officially signed with the Oakland Athletics on July 25, 2017, shortly after the 2017-2018 international free agent signing period began. The $300,000 signing bonus that he received represented the most Oakland could offer a player, as a hard cap was instituted on all of their expenditures as a penalty due to their exceeding their bonus pool budget the year before. The 16-year-old did not pitch that season and began his professional career the following season, posting a 3.15 ERA in 40.0 innings with the DSL Athletics in 2018. That lone season would be the extent of his career with Oakland, as he was named the player to be named later in the trade Tanner Anderson trade between Oakland and Pittsburgh.

The Pirates sent the 18-year-old stateside for the 2019 season, assigning him to the GCL Pirates. He did not pitch much, with disabled list stints and creative roster management limiting his innings. All in all, he posted a 6.39 ERA in 12.2 innings over 4 starts, with 14 hits allowed, 10 walks, and 8 strikeouts. After missing the 2020 due to the cancellation of the season due to COVID-19, he returned to the Pirates’ complex team, now the Pirates Black in the Florida Complex League. The organization allowed him to start logging innings, and the right-hander posted a 3.69 ERA in 39.0 innings, allowing 45 hits, walking 17, and striking out 36. They promoted him to the Bradenton Marauders in 2022, their Low-A affiliate, and Ramos posted a 3.88 ERA in 51.0 innings, allowing 50 hits, 32 walks, and 58 strikeouts. Following the conclusion of the season, the Mets claimed the 21-year-old in the minor league portion of the 2022 Rule 5 Draft.

Listed a 6’5", 165-pounds, Ramos might not be that skinny today, but he is notably thin and lanky. He throws from a three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action through the back, incorporating a high leg kick into his windup. He gets plenty of extension when he drops and drives off the mound and has loose and easy actions.

Ramos primarily throws a two-seam fastball with average-to-above-average velocity, ranging 92-96 MPH and topping out at 100 MPH. The pitch also has below average spin rate, generally measuring in the 2100s. Despite the pedestrian spin rate, the pitch has been extremely effective against batters thanks to above-average induced vertical break from his extension, release point, and spin axis. The pitch is extremely heavy and induces plenty of groundballs, with the right-hander posting a 49.5% groundball rate in 2021 in the Florida Complex League and a 61.0% groundball rate in 2022 in the Florida State League.

Ramos complements his fastball with a curveball and a changeup, both of which are generally considered below-average-to-fringe-average pitches. His curve, which sits in the low-70s-to-low-80s, is still very inconsistent, evidenced by its extreme range in velocity. At times the pitch seems more like a slider than a curveball, with more horizontal break than vertical and more velocity. Like his fastball, the curve does not have a particularly high spin rate and has minimal break as a result.

The right-hander struggles throwing strikes. At times, as many as almost 75% of his pitches in an outing were outside of the strike zone. He relies heavily on his sinker, utilizing it about 75% of the time, his curveball making up the remaining 25% of his pitches.

Marcel Renteria, RHP

Related to two former professionals- Dave Oropeza and Gil Heredia- Marcel Renteria did not garner much attention while playing at Nogales High School in Arizona and went undrafted in the 2013 MLB Draft. He attended Pima Community College, a junior college in Pima County, Arizona, instead, and pitched there for two years, posting a combined 2.47 ERA in 98.1 innings with 80 hits allowed, 54 walks, and 93 strikeouts. In 2016, he transferred to New Mexico State University and ended up pitching there for the 2016 and 2017 seasons, his junior and redshirt junior seasons. All in all, he posted a 4.76 ERA in 158.2 innings with the Aggies, allowing 166 hits, walking 74, and striking out 165.

The Mets selected Renteria in the 6th round of the 2017 MLB Draft, signing him for $125,000, roughly $100,000 below the MLB-assigned slot value of $237,600. He was assigned to the Brooklyn Cyclones for the rest of the season and made 9 appearances with them, posting a 9.53 ERA in 11.1 innings, allowing 15 hits, walking 7, and striking out 17. Lingering injury issues remained, and he appeared a diminished throughout the 2018 season as well, posting a 4.23 ERA in 76.2 innings with the Columbia Fireflies. The stuff looked much better in 2019, and that seemingly coincided with a change in roles and a move to the bullpen. In 62.1 innings with the St. Lucie Mets, the right-hander posted a 4.62 ERA with 62 hits allowed, 26 walks, and 63 strikeouts.

As was the case for most of his career, injuries limited Renteria in 2021 and he pitched just 26.0 innings for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies and Syracuse Mets, allowing 21 earned runs. An injury limited Renteria in 2022 as well, though this one was of his own doing. In early April, while facing the Portland Sea Dogs on the 21st, Renteria hit designated hitter Tyreque Reed with a pitch, which led to a sequence of events that triggered a legitimate benches-clearing brawl. Renteria ended up taking a shot to the head from the 6’1", 250-pound Reed and tore his ACL in the fracas, ending his season.

Renteria throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot, whipping the ball at batters with his live arm. His delivery is fairly simple, with only a slight leg lift, but he puts a lot of effort on his arm to generate velocity. When fully healthy, his fastball sits in the low-to-mid-90s, capable of touching as high as 99 MPH, but Renteria has spent much of his Mets career pitching compromised, either dealing with fatigue or injury. The pitch does not have much natural movement to it either, a problem that the right-hander and Mets coaches have slowly worked on. If he is able to improve the fastball, Renteria's standing in the organization would gain massive helium, as his slider is one of the best currently in the system, if not the best, thanks to an extremely high RPM. He complements the fastball/slider combo with a curveball and a changeup, neither of which grade as average or better pitches currently.

Orangel Rodriguez, C

Orangel Rodriguez was signed by the Mets on January 15, 2022, the first day of the 2022 international signing period, out of Valencia, Venezuela, the home of numerous former and current major league players, including former Mets Wilmer Flores and Roger Cedeno. The 17-year-old was assigned to the Dominican Summer League in 2022, playing for both DSL teams. He appeared in 13 games total and accrued 35 at-bats, hitting .286/.333/.457 with 2 home runs, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts.

Rodriguez is listed at 6’2", 180-pounds, and he looks every inch and every pound of it. He stands open at the plate with a wide base, wrapping his bat behind his head and swinging with an exaggerated leg kick. The left-handed hitter uses the entire field, pulling the ball and going to the opposite field at roughly the same rates, but he goes to the opposite field as much as he does because he is late on even pitches in the high-80s and low-90s. His hit tool is considered below-average, and while he may be able to get away with this in the DSL, fielders at higher levels will convert many of those balls put in play into outs. He does have batting practice power that should translate into in-game power, but without improvement to his hit tool, he will never be able to fully tap into it. Behind the plate, scouts consider Rodriguez a superior defender for someone his age, with advanced catch-and-throw abilities.

Luis Raul Rodriguez, LHP

Signed on July 2, 2019, the first day of the 2019-2020 international free agent signing period out of the Dominican Republic, the 16-year-old Luis Rodriguez did not pitch professionally that year, and the decision seemingly would turn out to be detrimental to his development as a baseball player, though nobody could have known at the time. Having not played professionally at all in 2019, he then missed the 2020 season due to the cancellation of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two years after he signed with the organization, Rodriguez finally suited up for the first time in August 2021, pitching for the FCL Mets. He appeared in 4 games and gave up one earned run in 5.1 innings, allowing 2 hits, walking 3, and striking out 11. Impressed, the Mets promoted the 18-year-old to St. Lucie at the end of August, and he gave up 6 earned runs in 7.0 innings, allowing 10 hits, walking 2, and striking out 5. In March, just prior to the start of the 2022 season, the southpaw underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the year.

Rodriguez throws from a low-three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action through the back. His slingy delivery and quick arm were capable of producing a fastball that consistently sat in the low-to-mid-90 and reportedly topped out as high as 97 MPH. He paired it with a low-80s slider that flashed above-average with sweepy glove-side break and a developing changeup.

Luke Ritter, INF

Luke Ritter was a multisport star at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri. He lettered three times in football and twice in baseball. After graduating, he honored his commitment to Wichita State, and in his freshman year hit .272/.372/.373 in 43 games. He experienced something of a sophomore slump in 2017, hitting .223/.348/.349 in 55 games. He regrouped that summer, playing for the Santa Barbara Foresters of the California Collegiate League and hitting .353/.443/.500 in 37 games. Returning to Wichita State for the 2018 season, Ritter took his gains with him. He appeared in 55 games and hit a career-best .341/.420/.484, hitting six home runs and stealing six bases. His performance led to the Minnesota Twins drafting him with their 37th round pick, the 1114th overall pick, but the utilityman elected to return to Wichita for his senior season instead of signing with them. He earned All-Conference honors in 2019, hitting .336/.458/.555 in all 59 games the Shockers played. His nine home runs and twelve stolen bases were career bests.

With their seventh-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, the Mets selected Ritter. He agreed to a $10,000 bonus, saving the Mets roughly $205,000, as the slot value for the pick was $216,600. He made his professional debut with the Brooklyn Cyclones and was their iron man, leading the team with 68 games. He hit .245/.351/.371 in total, with his on-base percentage trailing Jose Mena by one-hundredth of a point for best among players who appeared in 30 or more games for Brooklyn. He returned to Brooklyn in 2021, now the Mets’ High-A affiliate and hit in .232/.311/.436 in 73 games with a career high 14 home runs, 3 stolen bases in 4 attempts, and 25 walks to a career-high 94 strikeouts. He was promoted to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in 2022 and split the season playing with them and with the Syracuse Mets. Appearing in 100 games for Binghamton, he hit .215/.322/.386 with 13 home runs, 7 walks in 9 attempts, and 46 walks to 133 strikeout. Appearing in 26 games for Syracuse, he hit .160 /.269/.266 with 2 home runs, 2 stolen bases in 4 attempts, and 13 walks to 32 strikeouts. All in all, the 25-year-old hit a combined .204/.311/.361 in 126 games with 15 home runs, 9 stolen bases in 13 attempts, and 59 walks to 165 strikeouts.

The Mets changed Ritters’ mechanics between 2019 and 2021, turning him from a light-hitting utility infielder with a little pop to his pull side who walked just as much as he struck out into a stomp-and-lift power hitting corner infielder with nearly a doubled strikeout rate. His mechanics have not changed much- he still stands square at the plate with a short swing and small stride- but he pulls the ball about 10% more and hit about 10% more fly balls- resulting in more home runs. While his speed as a whole is below-average, Ritter has good instincts on the base paths, allowing him to take extra bases on hits and to steal the occasional base.

Over the course of his four years at Wichita State, he spent time at second base, third base, shortstop, and left field, and with the Mets, he has spent time at first base, second base, third base, and designated hitter. With fringe-average range and an average arm, Ritter profiles best at second or third base, and has the glove to play first.

Oscar Rojas, RHP

Born in Uriangato, a city in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato, Oscar Rojas was signed by the Mets as an international free agent on May 23, 2017, near the end of the 2017-2018 international free agent signing period. The 18-year-old right-hander was assigned to the Mets’ Dominican Summer League squadron when the league began play a few days later and he posted a 2.18 ERA in seven starts, allowing 27 hits in 33.0 innings, walking 2 and striking out 35. Rojas was promoted stateside in 2018, starting the season with the GCL Mets and earning a promotion to Kingsport at the end of the season after posting a 3.83 ERA in 42.1 innings with 34 hits allowed, 12 walks, and 40 strikeouts. His time in Kingsport was brief, starting and losing a pair of road games against the Danville Braves and the Pulaski Yankees, giving up six earned runs over eight innings with 11 hits allowed, 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts.

Rojas missed the entire 2019 season due to injury and then missed the entire 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season due to COVID-19. When the Mexican Pacific League began play at the end of the year, the right-hander played for the Algodoneros de Guasave. Appearing in 13 games for them and making 6 starts, the 21-year-old posted a 1.78 ERA in 35.1 innings, allowing 22 hits, walking 20, and striking out 22. When the 2021 season began, he was initially assigned to the Brooklyn Cyclones, but was demoted to the St. Lucie Mets after struggling out of the gate and allowing 17 earned runs in 13.0 innings. The move from High-A to Single-A allowed Rojas to pitch to hitters more appropriate to his talent level, and the right-hander turned his season around, eventually getting promoted back to Brooklyn at the end of the season. All in all, the right-hander posted a 4.44 ERA in 107.1 innings with 105 hits allowed, 38 walks, and 96 strikeouts, with a 3.66 ERA in 83.2 innings with St. Lucie and a 7.23 ERA in 23.2 innings in Brooklyn.

Rojas began the 2022 season with Brooklyn and posted a 4.22 ERA in 53.1 innings with 61 hits allowed, 16 walks, and 50 strikeouts. He was promoted to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in late August, but things did not go well. In his first appearance, he got beat up by the Richmond Flying Squirrels, failing to make it out of the first inning, and in his second appearance, he injured his right forearm after throwing a pitch and was removed from the game, ending his season.

Rojas is on the shorter side for a pitcher, standing 5’11". He throws from a three-quarters arm slot, falling off the first-base side of the rubber during his follow-through. Rojas does not pitch backwards per se, but he throws all three of his main pitches at virtually the same percentages.

Rojas primarily uses a two-seam fastball, which averages roughly 90 MPH and features more arm-side movement than it does sink because his short, squat frame does not afford him much plane. He occasionally sprinkles in a four-seam fastball as well. His curveball sits in the mid-70s-to-low-80s and features floaty 12-6 break. His changeup sits in the low-to-mid-80s and has slightly above-average vertical and horizontal drop rates thanks to its slightly above-average spin rate.

Agustin Ruiz, OF

A native of Villahermosa, Mexico, Agustin Ruiz signed with the San Diego Padres on July 3, 2016 for $80,000, a rather modest expenditure for the Padres that year, who fully committed to rebuilding their farm system and spent nearly $80 million on signing bonuses and their associated overage penalties during the signing period. He did not suit up professionally that summer, instead getting his first taste of professional ball in 2017, coming stateside and playing for the AZL Padres 1, San Diego's Arizona League. The 17-year-old understandably struggled, but rebounded in 2018, hitting .290/.384/.466 with 1 home run, 2 stolen bases, and 27 walks to 66 strikeouts in 53 games for the AZL Padres 1, earning a promotion at the end of the season to the Tri-City Dust Devils and the Fort Wayne TinCaps, the Padres’ Short-A and Low-A affiliates, respectively. The 19-year-old began the 2019 season with the TinCaps and held his own as one of the younger players in the league, hitting .239/.320/.334 with 2 home runs, 2 stolen bases, and 51 walks to 127 strikeouts in 120 games.

Ruiz missed the 2020 due to the cancellation of the season and returned to the field in 2021 once again with the TinCaps, though now they were San Diego's High-A affiliate following Major League Baseball's realignment of the minor leagues. Ruiz spent the majority of the season in Fort Wayne, earning a promotion to Double-A after hitting in .253/.343/.466 in 72 games with a career-high 15 home runs, 3 stolen bases, and 36 walks to 93 strikeouts. He was less successful in the 35 games he played with the San Antonio Missions, hitting .194/.248/.351 with 6 home runs and 0 stolen bases, and hit .234/.313/.429 on the season as a whole, with 21 home runs, 3 stolen bases, and 43 walks to 135 strikeouts in 107 games.

The outfielder began the 2022 season with the Missions but his struggles with them continued, and after roughly a month-and-a-half, he was sent back down to the TinCaps. The 22-year-old hit slightly better there, but his season remained a disappointment. In 23 games with San Antonio, he hit .237/.352/.382 with 2 home runs, 2 stolen bases, 12 walks and 23 strikeouts, and in 63 games with Fort Wayne, he hit .224/.328/.405 with 8 home runs, 1 stolen base, and 24 walks to 54 strikeouts, giving him a season total .227/.334/.399 in 86 games with 10 homers, 3 stolen bases, and 36 walks to 77 strikeouts. During the minor league phase of the 2022 Rule 5 Draft, the Mets selected Ruiz from San Diego.

Ruiz stands square at the plate, holding his hands close to the chest at the letters. He swings with a slight leg kick while taking a deep load. In 2019, the TinCaps coaching staff worked with Ruiz to rework his batting stance and swing, using Christian Yelich as an example to emulate. The changes had their intended effect, as he hit 21 homers in 107 games in 2021 and 10 in 86 games in 2022, having never hit even five in a single season. Prior to the changes, he held his hands higher and stood slightly open in the box. He also put on roughly 40 pounds since signing, his body filling out from skinny and gangly to athletic and muscular, helping with his power output.

In the outfield, Ruiz has experience playing all three outfield positions, but profiles best in right field, as he has fringe-to-average speed but an average-to-slightly-above-average arm.

Eduardo Salazar, 1B

The Mets signed Venezuelan outfielder Eduardo Salazar on July 2, 2017, inking him to a $125,000 bonus. He played on both Mets Dominican Summer League teams that summer, combining to hit .288/.358/.324 in 42 games with 17 walks and 37 strikeouts. The 18-year-old was sent stateside in 2019, appearing in 19 games for the GCL Mets before losing the rest of his season to injury. In 58 at-bats, the right-hander hit .241/.313/.310 with 3 walks and 14 strikeouts. After missing the 2020 season due to the cancellation of the season thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, Salazar returned to the field in July 2021, rostered on the FCL Mets. The 20-year-old appeared in 25 games over the summer and posted an impressive .308/.389/.436 batting line with 1 home run, 2 stolen bases in as many attempts, and 5 walks to 15 strikeouts. He began the 2022 season with the FCL Mets once more- his third consecutive season assigned to the team's Rookie level affiliate- and spent 11 games there before being promoted to the St. Lucie Mets, hitting .270/.325/.405 with 1 home runs, 1 stolen base, and 3 walks to 6 strikeouts. He his promotion came in early July and he remained in St. Lucie until the end of the season, hitting .228/.290/.337 in 29 games with 2 home runs, 0 stolen bases in 1 attempt, and 5 walks to 29 strikeouts.

At the plate, Salazar stands slightly open, holding his hands high, swinging with a slight leg kick/toe tap. His swing relies on his upper half too much and needs to incorporate his lower half better. As a result, his bat passes through the strike zone on a downward angle, resulting in a very high ground ball rate; for his stateside career in the Gulf Coast League, Florida Complex League, and Florida State League, he has a cumulative 58.7% ground ball rate, 15.6% infield fly rate, 22.8% fly ball rate, and 18.5% line drive rate. During his time with St. Lucie in 2022, 39 of his 51 recorded batted ball events came with launch angles outside of the 8-32 degree sweet spot; 8 were above 32 degrees while 31 were below 8 degrees. Of the 31 batted ball events below 8 degrees, 24 were actually negative launch angles. The 6’3", 180-pound Salazar is athletic and does have natural strength- 22% of the balls he put in play with St. Lucie had exit velocities over 100 MPH- but needs to refine his swing so that he is lifting the ball more.

Defensively, the Mets have played Salazar all over the field since joining the organization, logging innings at all three outfield positions as well as first base, third base, and designated hitter. An outfielder by trade, he logged more innings at first base than he did anywhere else in 2022, but this is more by virtue of finding him and other players playing time than an indictment on his defensive skills. He profiles best in left field, as he does not have the arm to play right field, and his range is stretched just slightly in center, though he is more than capable of fielding it.

Eric Santana, CF

San Cristobal native Eric Santana was signed for $350,000 out of the MC Academy in the Dominican Republic at the start of the 2019-2020 international free agent period. He would have likely made his professional debut in 2020 as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League, but the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He made his professional debut the following year, appearing in 24 games for the DSL Mets and hitting .172/.317/.328 with 2 home runs, 1 stolen base in 2 attempts, and 14 walks to 29 strikeouts. The Mets promoted the 19-year-old and sent him stateside in 2022, rostering him with the FCL Mets. Santana appeared in 31 games and hit .151/.284/.233 with 2 home runs, 3 stolen bases in as many attempts, and 16 walks to 41 strikeouts.

Santana stands extremely open at the plate, holding his hands high and swinging with a moderate leg kick. He has a smooth, level left-handed stroke that currently has gap power, and while he does project to add a bit of power as he is lean and athletic, he will always likely be a hit-over-power player. In the outfield, Santana is a center fielder by trade and should stick there for years to come, as he has shown strong defensive instincts. His speed is only average, while his arm is below-average, so if he fills in and loses speed and range, he may be relegated to left field only.

Dangelo Sarmiento, SS

The Mets signed Dangelo Sarmiento on January 15, 2022, the first day of the new international signing period. A Velencia, Venezuela native, the 17-year-old was assigned to the Dominican Summer League for the 2022 season, playing for both Mets DSL teams. He appeared in 34 games combined and hit .295/.374/.393 in 112 at-bats, hitting 1 home run, stealing 9 bases in 13 attempts, and drawing 13 walks to 22 strikeouts.

The infielder stands slightly open at the plate, holding his hands high. He swings with a slight leg kick and a minimal load. His swing is fairly planar, resulting in a preponderance of ground balls or line drives, but not many fly balls; in 2022, he had a 20.0% line drive rate, 46.3% ground ball rate, 33.8% fly ball rate, and 22.2% infield fly rate. Even when he makes solid contact, his exit velocity rates rarely top 75 MPH, as he is a hit-over-power player. His mechanically sound swing and good sense of the strike zone are good foundations, but Sarmiento will need to develop more power to grow into a more complete hitter. Thankfully for him, his athletic, well-proportioned 6’2", 160-pound frame suggests future growth. A plus runner, Sarmiento is pest on the basepaths. He is proficient stealing bases, legs out hits, and stretches hits for extra bases.

Sarmiento had a solid professional debut with the bat, but his defense is what made scouts and evaluators initially take notice of him. A quick-twitch athlete, Sarmiento plays the infield with pep and energy. He has a good instincts, a quick first step, excellent range, soft hands, and a quick transfer. His arm is above-average could even become a plus tool as he ages, puts on more muscle, and gets stronger.

Warren Saunders, INF

In 2013, the Mets signed the first Bahamian player in club history, Jervis "Champ" Stuart. On August 30, 2018, the organization signed the second Bahamian player in club history, Warren Saunders. Saunders was the 2017 Bahamas Baseball Federation Grand Bahama Port Authority Baseball Championship's Most Valuable Player in the 16-18 division, helping lead his team to Nassau's Junior Baseball League championship game. He made his professional debut in 2019, playing for the GCL Mets. He appeared in 33 games and hit .323/.397/.386 with one home run, three stolen bases, 10 walks, and 23 strikeouts.

After missing crucial developmental time in 2020 because of the cancellation of the season due to COVID-19, Saunders were assigned to the St. Lucie Mets in 2021. The infielder quickly lost much of his luster, and it appeared that his 2019 success was unsustainable, buoyed by a .381 BABIP. Appearing in 93 games, the infielder hit .249/.320/.312 with 3 home runs, 1 stolen base, and 29 walks to 75 strikeouts. Saunders began the 2022 season with the Brooklyn Cyclones and struggled with them in the two months he spent in Coney Island. In June, rather than be demoted, the struggling Saunders was promoted to the Syracuse Mets due to an organizational need for infielders. Predictably, he struggled there, was sent back to Brooklyn roughly a week later, and then demoted back to St. Lucie a few days later. His season ended prematurely due to an injury in mid-August and the year was one to forget for Saunders, who hit a combined .206/.275/.307 in 60 games with 2 home runs, 0 stolen bases, and 15 walks to 60 strikeouts.

Saunders is an athletic 6’3", 205-pounds. He stands tall and extremely open at the plate, holding his hands high. He swings with a very slight leg kick and a smooth swing with loft. Saunder struggles to catch up to fastballs and gets fooled against good off-speed pitches. He has slider bat speed and does most of his damage against hanging breaking balls. His rawness as both and amateur and a professional has led to a very undeveloped batting eye relative to his age and level.

Equally raw as a fielder, the Mets have used Saunders at virtually every infield position over the course of the professional career to see where he fits best at, with the majority of his time being played in the corners. He has settled in the corners, getting most of his playing time and first base and third base, with considerable time at second base as well.

Christian Scott, RHP

Born in Parkland, Florida, Christian Scott attended Calvary Christian High School, where he won numerous awards, was named to numerous honorary teams, and helped lead the Eagles to the 2018 4A State Title. Over the course of his four years there, he posted a cumulative 1.64 ERA in 183.0 total innings, allowing 153 hits, walking 55, and striking out 223. After graduating in 2018, he went undrafted in the 2018 MLB Draft and went on to attend the University of Florida.

He led the Gators in appearances in his freshman year, pitching in 22 games- 4 starts and 18 relief outings- but the results were mixed. He posted a 5.19 ERA in 52.0 innings, allowing 54 hits, walking 18, and striking out 44. He was much better as a reliever than a starter, posting a 2.75 ERA in 36.0 innings out of the pen. Coach O’Sullivan used Scott exclusively out of the bullpen in the month or so that the NCAA played in 2020 because the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the rest of the season and the right-hander responded by posting a 1.20 ERA in 15.0 innings with 11 hits allowed, 6 walks, and 16 strikeouts. Eligible to be drafted in the 2020 MLB Draft as a sophomore due to his age, Scott went unselected in the extremely abbreviated draft and returned to Florida for his junior season.

The right-hander pitched in 26 games in total in 2021, once again leading the Gators in appearances. Making 1 start and appearing in 25 games out of the bullpen, Scott posted a 3.00 ERA in 54.0 innings, allowing 46 hits, walking 9, and striking out 51. The Mets selected Scott in the fifth-round, the 142nd player selected overall, and the two sides ended up agreeing to a $350,000 signing bonus, slightly below the MLB-recommended slot value of $386,600. The right-hander appeared in three token games for the FCL Mets at the end of their season, but his professional career began in earnest in 2022.

He began the year assigned to the St. Lucie Mets and appeared in 12 games for them, making 4 starts. Throwing 37.1 innings total having missed roughly the entire month of July due to an injury, he posted a 4.82 ERA, allowing 40 hits, walking 12, and striking out 52. He was promoted to the Brooklyn Cyclones in mid-August and finished the season in Coney Island, appearing in 6 games and starting 5 of them. Throwing 21.1 innings, the right-hander posted a 3.80 ERA, allowing 21 hits, walking 10, and striking out 25. All in all, Scott threw 58.2 innings in his first full season as a professional, posting a 4.45 ERA with 61 hits allowed, 22 walks, and 77 strikeouts.

The 6’4", 215-pound right-hander has the ideal frame for pitching. In the future, should the Mets elect to utilize him as a starter, he should have the ability to work deep into games and log innings. If they choose to use him primarily out of the bullpen, Scott has shown the ability to pitch on back-to-back days and in close proximity to other outings.

He throws from a three-quarters arm slot, with a long arm action through the back. There is a bit of effort in his arm, there is a head whack, and his landing is a bit stiff, negatively impacting his control. Scott is far from wild, but his control is far from precise as well. In the past, his walks have come in bunches depending on how well he is repeating his mechanics and the feel for his stuff on any given day.

Scott mainly relies on a two-seam fastball, which ranges from 92-96 MPH, averaging 94 MPH. The pitch has a lot of arm-side and sinking movement, making it difficult for batters to square up on. It is not much of a swing-and-miss strikeout pitch, but rather, induces poor contact. Interestingly, in 2022, Scott had a 44.7% ground ball rate and 30% infield fly ball rate, meaning that his two-seam fastball elicited almost as many weak fly balls as it did ground balls.

His slider is his main strikeout pitch. The offering sits 82-85 MPH, averaging 83 MPH. Averaging 2465 RPM by Statcast technology in St. Lucie, the pitch has an average spin rate, flashing above average at 2640 RPM. The pitch tunnels well with his fastball and has sharp, late two-plane bite, with anywhere between 1-7 inches of horizontal movement and 36-43 inches of vertical drop. He mainly throws it to his glove side, getting right-handers to chase down and away although he does also use it against left-handed hitters as well, backfooting it against them.

Scott also throws a changeup, but the pitch is still developing. The pitch sits in the low-to-mid-80s, 82-84 MPH and is very firm. It does show some potential, as it tunnels well with his fastball and Scott is able to keep his arm speed well. The pitch is almost primarily used against left-handers, and generally only throws it a handful of times per game, relying almost 50/50 on his fastball/slider combo.

Hayden Senger, C

Hayden Senger was a standout athlete at Lakota East High School. In addition to lettering four times in baseball, he lettered three times in football. After graduating, he attended Miami University of Ohio, making the Redhawks’ baseball team as their starting catcher. In 2016, his first year there, he hit .269/.336/.431 with 5 home runs, 1 stolen base in 3 attempts, and an 8:17 walk:strikeout ratio. He played for the Lakeshore Chinooks in the Northwoods League that summer and then returned to Miami University of Ohio for his second season, where he suffered a sophomore slump. In 41 games, the backstop hit .172/.281/.242 with 2 home runs, 1 stolen base in as many attempts, and a 13:30 walk:strikeout ratio. He played for the Cincinnati Steam of the Greak Lakes Collegiate League that summer but bounced back this time after the season ended. In his junior year, he hit a career-best .344/.429/.511 in 48 games with 3 home runs, 8 stolen bases in 14 games, and an even 19:19 walk:strikeout ratio. With their 24-round selection in the 2018 MLB Draft, the Mets selected Senger, signing him to a $125,000 bonus, the highest allowable sum a post-tenth round draftee can receive without the sum being counted against a team's draft bonus pool.

The Mets assigned the catcher to the Kingsport Mets following his addition to the organization and he spent roughly a month there from mid-June to mid-July, going 14-35 in 10 games. He was promoted to Brooklyn following his brief stop in the Appalachian League and went 17-68 in 22 games there, giving him a .301/.411/.417 batting line on the season with 1 home run and a 13:31 walk:strikeout ratio in 32 games. The 22-year-old was promoted to the Low-A Columbia Fireflies for the 2019 season and he spent the entire season there, hitting .230/.324/.345 in 90 games, slugging 4 home runs, drawing 25 walks, and striking out 64 times. He would have likely been assigned to the High-A St. Lucie Mets in 2020, but the season never took place, as the COVID-19 pandemic prompted Minor League Baseball to cancel the season. When the 2021 season began, he was indeed assigned to the Mets’ High-A team, but this time he went back to Brooklyn, as Cyclones became the Mets’ High-A affiliate in the revamped Minor League System. He spent roughly a month there, going 13-43 in 11 games with 8 extra base hits, and was promoted to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies for the remainder of the season. In 50 games with the Ponies, the 24-year-old Senger hit .254/.337/.387 with 3 home runs and a 16:62 walk:strikeout ratio.

That winter, despite being Rule 5 eligible, he was not placed on the Mets’ 40-man roster. He went unclaimed and began 2022 in Binghamton. He spent the majority there, save a brief promotion to Syracuse in early June, and hit a combined .240/.309/.358 in 83 games, 77 with Binghamton and 6 with Syracuse. He hit 5 home runs, stole 3 bases, drew 21 walks to 106 strikeouts and threw out 20% of the 80 runners that tried to steal off of him.

Senger stands tall and open at the plate, holding his hands high and wrapping his bat behind his head. He swings with a moderate leg kick and has a long-levered swing. He flashes average raw power in batting practice but has yet to really tap into that during in-game situations thanks to his swing and occasional difficulties staying balanced and keeping his lower and upper halves in sync. He uses the entire field, spraying groundballs and flyballs to all fields with almost equal percentages.

While his offense is still developing, Senger shines behind the plate. His arm is only average-to-above-average, but the catcher has a career 30% caught stealing rate thanks to above-average pop times, a quick transfer, and accuracy. He is a solid receiver, blocking and framing the ball well, though there is a noticeable difference between his ability to block and frame balls for right-handers and his ability to do the same for southpaws.

Daniel Silva, C

Daniel Silva was signed by the Mets at the beginning of the 2022 international free agent signing period out of Caracas, Venezuela, just a few days after his 17th birthday. He made his professional debut with the DSL Mets later in the year and went 3-12 in 7 games with no extra base hits, no steals, and 3 walks to 5 strikeouts.

Silva is well built for a 17-year-old, standing 6’2" and weighing 200 pounds. A switch-hitter, Silva logged all of his hits from the left-side and went hitless as a right-handed hitter. He stands slightly open at the plate, holding his hands high and wrapping his bat behind his head. He swings with a slight leg kick and has raw power relative to his age and level from both sides of the plate. Behind the dish, Silva stands out with above-average arm strength and should be able to stick as a catcher for years to come.

D’Andre Smith, SS

A native of Diamond Bar, California, D’Andre Smith attended San Dimas High School. Between 2017 and 2020, the four years he attended, the San Dimas Saints went 77-17 overall and 30-2 in Valle Vista League games, claiming league championships in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and Smith was a major reason why. A versatile player able to man positions all over the field but mainly played shortstop, he hit a cumulative .362 with 29 doubles, 4 triples, and 2 home runs over the course of his career there. He went undrafted in the COVID-shortened 2020 MLB Draft and honored his commitment to the UNC.

Smith only appeared in 13 games for the Trojans in 2021 due to a back injury, but he made the most of the time he did get on the field, hitting .342/.471/.366 with 0 home runs, 5 stolen bases in as many attempts, and 10 walks to 4 strikeouts. That summer, he played for the Burlington Sock Puppets- formerly, the Burlington Royals- in the newly reorganized Appalachian League and hit .294/.383/.412 in 14 games with 1 home run, 5 stolen bases in 6 attempts, and 6 walks to 19 strikeouts. The shortstop returned to UNC fully healthy and appeared in 52 games for the Trojans, hitting .286/.380/.471 with 8 home runs, 4 stolen bases in 8 attempts, and 24 walks to 44 strikeouts. A draft-eligible sophomore, the right-hander entered the NCAA transfer portal at the conclusion of the 2022 season following the termination of USC head coach Jason Gill, but the move would prove moot as the Mets selected him in the 5th round of the 2022 MLB Draft. Smith signed for $379,100, the MLB-recommended slot value, and was assigned to the FCL Mets for a pair of games, but was promoted to the St. Lucie Mets to finish off the season, where he hit .256/.327/.512 in 13 games with 2 home runs, 1 stolen base in 2 attempts, and 3 walks to 13 strikeouts.

At the plate, D’Andre Smith stands slightly open with a wide base, holding his hands high and wrapping the bat behind his head. He swings with a slight leg kick or toe tap mechanism and has sneaky pop for a 5’9", 180-pound middle infielder, particularly to his pull side, when his upper half and lower half stay in sync. During his time in St. Lucie, he averaged an 86.78 MPH exit velocity on all balls put in play, and a 93 MPH exit velocity on all hits. Far from selling out for power, he has strong bat-on-ball skills and his swing-and-miss rates have not particularly spiked since going pro. On the basepaths, Smith is far from a burner on the basepaths, possessing fringe-average-to-average speed, but he makes the most of it.

Defensively, Smith should be able to handle shortstop in the near future but may be better suited at second base as a professional in the long term future. He plays the position aggressively with a high amount of energy, but many scouts and evaluators believe that he has peaked defensively in the present as a result and will not be able to handle the position as he ages. While he shows enough range for short, his grapeshot arm is not the most accurate, his actions are a little stiff, and he is prone to making errors due to his high-energy style of play. These faults are not from a low baseball IQ, but rather, from his desire to leave everything on the field and do everything in his power to help his team win.

Tyler Stuart, RHP

Tyler Stuart was a three-sport star at Herscher High School in Illinois. On the baseball diamond, he was an ace pitcher and slugger. On the gridiron, he was an excellent receiver. On the hardwood, he was a force to be reckoned with. He posted a 1.06 ERA with 117 strikeouts and hit .466 with 6 home runs in his senior season but went undrafted in the 2018 MLB Draft and went on to attend the University of Southern Mississippi.

Stuart redshirted in 2019, and then redshirted again in 2020 after undergoing Tommy John Surgery. He was finally able to return to the mound in 2021 but was up-and-down and ineffective. Appearing in 13 games in relief, the big right-hander posted a 7.16 ERA in 16.1 innings, allowing 16 hits, walking 7, and striking out 9. That summer, he played for the Bourn Braves of the Cape Cod League, and it was there that everything seemed to click in place for Stuart. Appearing in 4 games and logging 6.0 innings, he did not allow a run, scattering 4 hits, walking 4, and striking out 6. More importantly than the surface stats, he felt good before, during, and after his appearances and his fastball returned to its velocity prior to Tommy John. This past season, his redshirt sophomore season, head coach Scott Berry put his trust in Stuart and the right-hander responded. Starting 4 games and appearing in 22 total, the 22-year-old posted a 3.38 ERA in 40.0 innings, allowing 34 hits, walking 13, and striking out 38. The Mets selected Stuart in the 6th round of the 2022 MLB Draft and signed him for $220,000, slightly under the MLB-recommended slot value of $288,700. He made three appearances at the end of the season, 1 for the FCL Mets and two for the St. Lucie Mets and posted a 9.82 ERA in 3.1 innings, allowing 4 hits, walking 3, and striking out 7.

The 6’9", 250-pound right-hander throws from a three-quarters arm slot with an arsenal that includes a four-seam fastball that sits 93-98 MPH, a sinker that sits in the mid-90s, a mid-80s changeup and a low-80s slider. Tall pitchers often have trouble keeping their mechanics in sync and Stuart is no exception. His control suffers as a result and his pitches are not as effective as they could potentially be. The sinker is his bread-and-butter pitch, generating a high amount of ground balls but it is not a bat-misser. Indeed, this is the biggest knock on Stuart; nothing in his arsenal is a true bat-misser at present. His slider flashes average, and may eventually become a strikeout pitch, but needs more consistency. The pitch sits in the low-to-mid-80s, ranging 81 to 86 MPH, but does not have a high spin rate and thus, does not have much bite. His fringy mid-80s changeup may one day as well, but that pitch is even further behind in its development. Stuart is better working glove-side than arm-side, and as a result, is more comfortable with his sinker and slider rather than his changeup.

Joander Suarez, RHP

Joander Suarez was born in Marigüitar, a small town about 20 miles west of the Venezuelan coastal city of Cumana. With his cousin José Guevara, a pitcher in the Minnesota Twins system, Suarez began pitching semi-professionally for a local team at the age of 14, and then began working out at former pitcher Nestor Delgado's Cuyaco Sport baseball academy. He developed relatively quickly under Delgado's tutelage, and in May 2018, the Mets inked him to a $10,000 deal. He played for their Dominican Summer League teams that year, posting a combined 4.35 ERA in 20.2 innings split between their two teams. The Mets brought him stateside in 2019, assigning him to the GCL Mets, and the 19-year-old posted a 1.79 ERA in 40.1 innings, allowing 27 hits, walking 16, and striking out 47.

The 21-year-old Suarez was promoted to St. Lucie in 2021, but the season turned out to be a lost year for Suarez. He made six starts before landing on the disabled list and needing Tommy John surgery in June and posted a 7.66 ERA in 24.2 innings with 28 hits, 16 walks, and 26 strikeouts. He returned to the mound in almost a year to the day, pitching his first rehab game with the FCL Mets on July 14, 2022. After making a handful of rehab starts in the Florida Complex League, he was promoted to the St. Lucie Mets, where he allowed 8 earned runs in 10.0 innings while allowing 17 hits, walking 6, and striking out 13.

Suarez's 6’3", 225-pound frame is well proportioned and athletic. He throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action through the back. His pitching mechanics are simple and repeatable. Prior to Tommy John surgery, Suarez's fastball sat in the low-90s, touching 93, 94 MPH. During his time with St. Lucie, he showed no regression in that regard, as the pitch sat 92-94 MPH, averaging 93 MPH, with a 2264 RPM spin rate, roughly league average.

His changeup projects to be an average pitch, sitting 85-88 MPH, averaging 87 MPH, and featuring anywhere between 29-32 inches of vertical drop and 13-17 inches of horizontal movement. His curveball also projects to be an average pitch, though it was a bit further behind in its development. Averaging 80 MPH, it features a pedestrian spin rate, sitting between 2020 and 2600 RPM, averaging 2295 RPM. The pitch was very inconsistent and can break anywhere from 35-63 inches vertically and 0-12 inches horizontally, generally featuring more vertical and horizontal break in conjunction. Prior to his Tommy John surgery, the pitch was little more than a get-me-over pitch but was his most effective pitch in his limited innings post-surgery, with a 20% whiff rate and 35% called strike + whiff rate as opposed to his fastball, which resulted in a 14% whiff rate and 19% called strike + whiff rate, and his changeup, which resulted in a 13% whiff rate and 30% called strike + whiff rate.

Joe Suozzi, OF

Born in Glen Cove, where his father was elected mayor, Joe Suozzi attended Chaminade High School in Mineola, a private Catholic high school that his father also attended. He started his prep career bright, being named Chaminade's Most Valuable Player in his freshman year, but injuries in his sophomore and junior years reduced him to an afterthought. Cut from the team, he fought his way back into relevancy in his senior year, and while he did not necessarily stand out necessarily, he was named the Most Improved Player. After graduating in 2016, he attended Boston College, where he was interested in trying out for their baseball team. Despite Boston College being his father's alma mater and being from a well-connected family, Suozzi was not gifted a spot on the Eagles. After his tryout, Boston College coach Mike Gambino informed the youngster that there were was no room on the Boston College baseball team. Understandably disappointed but unperturbed, Suozzi spent the year getting in better shape and improving his baseball skills. His gambit worked, as he made the team in his sophomore year. While he made the team, he did not have a particularly important role on it, appearing in 25 games and hitting .250/.316/.368. He worked hard to improve and expand his role on the team and was rewarded by Coach Gambino by having his playing time virtually double in his junior year. Appearing in 48 games, Suozzi hit .282/.363/.423. While scouts had begun to take notice, he went undrafted in the 2019 MLB Draft, prompting him to return to Boston College for his senior year. Named team captain in 2020, he hit .414/.471/.638 in 15 games before the NCAA shut down all sporting activities due to COVID-19.

With the 2020 MLB Draft severely shortened, he went undrafted in the draft but was signed by the Mets shortly thereafter- the same team that he grew up rooting for. For what it's worth, the Wilpon family donated to Tom Suozzi's 2016 campaign for the United States House of Representatives and Saul Katz lives in a 12-acre mansion in Glen Cove, where Ralph Suozzi, Joe's first cousin once removed, is mayor. The 23-year-old began his professional career with the St. Lucie Mets in 2021 and he hit the ground running. In 30 games, Suozzi hit .292/.372/.381 with 2 home runs, 13 stolen bases in as many attempts, and 10 walks to 33 strikeouts. He was promoted to the Brooklyn in mid-July and finished the season there but really crashed back down to earth. In 23 games with the Cyclones, he hit .175/.266/.351 with 1 home run, 1 stolen base, and 5 walks to 27 strikeouts. He remained with the Cyclones for the entirety of the 2022 season and did not improve much, hitting .221/.325/.390 in 75 games with 8 home runs, 8 stolen bases in 12 attempts, and 24 walks to 86 strikeouts.

At the plate, Suozzi stands tall and slightly open, holding his hands high and wrapping his bat slightly behind his head, swinging with a slight leg kick. His swing is long and stiff, a product of below-average bat speed, but the athletic, 6’2", 200-pound outfielder shows solidly average raw power during batting practice and has the ability to run into pitches in-games. He does not have a quick first step out of the box and is a fringe-average runner out of the gate, but once he picks up steam, he is a solidly average runner, taking extra bases when the situation presents itself. In the field, Suozzi can play all three outfield positions but is a below-average defender in left, right, and center. With more reps, he may improve, but he is unlikely to ever stand out. Suozzi true strength are the bonds he has forged with his coaches and teammates thanks to his strong work ethic and drive to succeed. The outfielder is well-respected by his peers and is considered a leader both on the field and in the locker room.

Sammy Tavarez, RHP

Originally signed by the Yankees in January 2018, right-handed pitcher Sammy Tavarez spent two years in the organization but never actually appeared in a professional game for them. After having his contract voided, the Dominican pitcher signed with the Mets on July 2, 2020, what should have been the beginning of the 2020-2021 international signing period had it not been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He made his professional debut in 2021, appearing in 24 games for the St. Lucie Mets. The 22-year-old posted a 5.81 ERA in 31.0 innings, allowing 22 hits, walking 34, and striking out 52. He was promoted to the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2022 and took some important steps forward in some regards, but some steps back in others. Appearing in 32 games for Brooklyn as an important member of their bullpen, the right-hander posted a 2.88 ERA in 40.2 innings, allowing 19 hits, walking 33, and striking out 56.

The 6’7", 225-pound right-hander throws from a three-quarters arm slot, using a leg lift and a long arm action through the back. His four-seam fastball that sits in the upper-90s, occasionally hitting triple digits, and his two-seam fastball has just as much velocity with added sink. In addition to his fastball, Tavarez's arsenal includes a high-70s curveball, and a high-80s changeup. At times, he simply overpowers hitters with velocity and completely relies on his fastball, but generally mixes in his curveball and changeup at roughly a 7:3 ratio.

Willy Taveras, RHP

The Mets signed Willy Taveras to a contract at the end of the 2015-2016 free agent signing period out of the Dominican Republic. He pitched in the Dominican Summer League in 2016 and 2017 to good results before making his stateside debut in 2018 with the GCL Mets. In four starts there, he posted a 1.23 ERA, allowing 15 hits, walking 8, and striking out 25. He was promoted to the Kingsport Mets in mid-July and posted a 2.93 ERA in 43.0 innings there, allowing 37 hits, walking 6, and striking out 32.

He skipped over Brooklyn and was assigned to Columbia for the 2019, and the results were disappointing. In 119.0 innings, he posted a 5.14 ERA, allowing 136 hits, walking 24, and striking out 99. Converted to relief near the end of the season, he was considerably better in his new role, posting a 2.78 ERA in the bullpen as opposed to a 6.16 ERA as a starter. After missing the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taveras began the season with the St. Lucie Mets, was promoted to the Brooklyn Cyclones in mid-July, and was promoted one final time to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in mid-September. He was effective out of the bullpen on all three teams and posted a combined 2.45 ERA in 47.2 innings, allowing 38 hits, walking 6, and striking out 60. He remained in Binghamton in 2022, but this time struggled. In 45.0 innings, he posted a 5.40 ERA, allowing 58 hits, walking 9, and striking out 36. In particular, he struggled with the long ball, giving up 12 on the season, an unsightly 2.40 HR/9 rate.

Taveras throws across his body from a three-quarters arm slot. There is some effort in his delivery, with upper body torque that occasionally flies open. Though 5’11", 160 lbs., he has a slight frame and there is little projection left in his body. His fastball sits in the low-90s, with slight armside run. He can command the pitch, busting hitters inside and throwing it away and changing eye levels. He trusts the pitch enough to challenge hitters, though in the future it may not be a good enough pitch to get swings-and-misses on a consistent basis. He complements the pitch with a breaking ball that morphs between a curveball and a slider. When he is throwing it more as a curveball, the pitch sits in the high-70s and features 11-5 shape. When he is throwing it more as a slider, the pitch sits in the low-to-mid-80s. Taveras can command the pitch, spotting it against batters of both handedness.

Dylan Tebrake, RHP

A native of Cold Spring, Minnesota, Dylan Tebrake attended Rocori High School, a school in Cold Spring named after the three local towns it served: Rockville, Cold Spring, and Richmond. He was a three-year letterwinner during his time there and attended Creighton University after going undrafted in the 2018 MLB Draft. In his first season there, Tebrake posted a 3.90 ERA in 30.0 innings, allowing 26 hits, walking 6, and striking out 16. That summer, he pitched for the Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League, posting a 8.79 ERA in 14.1 innings with 24 hits allowed, 7 walks, and 8 strikeouts. The right-hander returned to Creighton for his sophomore year and was named the Bluejays’ fright night starter by coach Ed Servais. The move paid off, as Tebrake was excellent in the limited innings he threw prior to the NCAA cancelling the rest of the season due to COVID-19. In 26.1 innings, the right-hander made 5 starts and posted a 2.05 ERA with 18 hits allowed, 5 walks, and 24 strikeouts.

When the 2021 season finally began, Tebrake picked up right where he left off. The right-hander posted a 2.72 ERA in 72.2 innings, allowing 59 hits, walking 24, and striking out 75. He was named to the All-Big East First-Team and was named Big East Pitcher of the Year. He played for the Frederick Keys of the newly formed MLB Draft League that summer and posted a 0.82 ERA in 11.0 innings, allowing 5 hits, walking 5, and striking out 12. Despite the excellent numbers with Creighton and with the Keys that season, he went undrafted in the 2021 MLB Draft, and returned to school for his senior season. The reigning Big East Pitcher of the Year didn't miss a beat, posting a 2.71 ERA in 93.0 innings, allowing 73 hits, walking 33, and striking out 115. The right-hander won his second-consecutive Big East Pitcher of the Year honors, the first pitcher since Aaron Heilman in 2000 and 2001 to win the award in back-to-back years and the first since Chris Lambert in 2002 and 2004 to be given the honors twice.

In June, the 23-year-old announced that he had entered the NCAA transfer portal and was transferring to LSU as a graduate student. The Mets selected the right-hander with their 8th round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft and signed him to a $136,430 bonus, a few thousand less than the MLB assigned slot value of $181,800. Tebrake did not pitch much after going pro, appearing for two games with the FCL Mets and two with the St. Lucie Mets, combining to pitch 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing 5 hits, walking none, and striking out 8.

The 6’3", 225-pound right-hander has a solid frame for pitching and has already demonstrated he can log innings, pitching roughly 85 and 95 in 2021 and 2022. He throws from a three-quarters arm slot and is able to command all of his pitches, an expansive five-pitch repertoire. None of Tebrake's pitches are much better than average on the scouting scale, but he has a high pitching IQ and is able to maximize his stuff by being more than just the sum of his individual parts.

His four-seam fastball sits in the low-90s, touching as high as 96 MPH. The pitch has a high spin rate, averaging 2493 RPM and maxing out as high as 2600 RPM, giving it rising life. His two-seam fastball has a similar velocity and spin rate, though it has heavy downward angle. He complements his fastballs with a cutter, slider, and a curveball. His slider is the best of his secondary pitches, sitting in the low-80s and flashing average, eliciting the majority of his swings and misses. The pitch is sometimes thrown hard enough to be considered a cutter, sitting just shy of 90 MPH with a slider-ish 2700 RPM spin rate. His curveball, generally considered a below-average pitch, sits in the mid-70s and features lollypop break. Tebrake also occasionally uses a mid-80s changeup, but the pitch was considered below-average when he was a collegiate athlete and he did not use the pitch in a single recorded at-bat with the Mets.

Rhylan Thomas, OF

Rhylan Thomas played varsity baseball for four seasons at Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, California, earning All-Marmonte League honors as a sophomore, junior and senior and All-County honors as a senior. Considered a follow by scouts and evaluators, he ended up not being drafted in the 2019 MLB Draft and honored his commitment to the University of Southern California.

His 2020 freshman season was abbreviated due to the cancellation of the season due to COVID-19, but in the limited time that he was able to play, he impressed, hitting .356/.412/.422 in 15 games with 0 home runs, 2 stolen bases in 3 attempts, and 4 walks to 5 strikeouts. He returned to USC the next year as a redshirt freshman appeared in 49 games for the Trojans, hitting .296/.343/.398 with 2 home runs, 9 stolen bases in 14 attempts, and 13 walks to 14 strikeouts. That summer, he had a strong showing at the Cape Cod League. Appearing in 12 games for the Orleans Firebirds, he hit .408/.442/.469 with 0 home runs, 3 stolen bases in 6 attempts, and 3 walks to 4 strikeouts. This past season, the 22-year-old redshirt sophomore had his best season to date, hitting .363/.422/.444 in 53 games with 2 home runs, 8 stolen bases in 12 attempts, and 19 walks to 17 strikeouts. Thomas was selected by the Mets in the 11th round of the 2022 MLB Draft and signed for $180,000, over the post-tenth-round maximum and forcing the team to dip into their bonus pool slightly, signaling that the team had high hopes for outfielder. He began his professional career with the FCL Mets and spent roughly a month with them before being promoted to the St. Lucie Mets in late August and finishing his first professional season with them. All in all, he appeared in 16 games and hit a combined .208/.333/.229 with 0 home runs, 2 stolen bases in 3 attempts, and 8 walks to 5 strikeouts.

Thomas stands square at the plate, holding his hands high. He swings with a slight leg kick and has impressive bat-to-ball skills and an advanced understanding of the strike zone. Thomas doesn't have much power, and even though he is a lean 6’, 170-pounds, he is unlikely to add much muscle mass to his frame. That said, he is still filling out and should add enough in-game power to make him a viable player in the modern game. His above-average speed helps him on the basepaths, swiping bases and turning hits into extra bases. It also has defined him in the outfield, and as USC's centerfielder, Thomas had plenty of range and effortlessly tracked down balls with long, smooth strides.

Junior Tilien, SS

Signed during the 2019-2020 international free agent signing period, 17-year-old Junior Tilien impressed when working out in the Dominican Prospect League in front of scouts and eventually signed for $185,000, a bit less than scouts and evaluators first believed he would. He continued impressing after signing, showing a better hit tool than first believed, and the Mets were aggressive in his first professional assignment, which came in 2021 because of the cancellation of the 2020 season due to coronavirus. Tilien was assigned to the FCL Mets in his first professional season and struggled, hitting .165/.223/.233 in 32 games with 0 home runs, 0 stolen bases, and 6 walks to 24 strikeouts. Tilien impressed Mets evaluators in spring training and the team opted to assign him to St. Lucie in early May. Initially, the 19-year-old infielder was extremely impressive, hitting .260/.317/.466 with 7 home runs, 2 stolen bases, and 11 walks to 29 strikeouts in the first half, but slowed down in the second half, hitting .245/.311/.370 with 5 home runs, 1 stolen base, and 19 walks to 53 strikeouts. All in all, his season was slightly above-average, as he hit a cumulative .248/.312/.406 in 84 games with 12 home runs, 3 stolen bases, and 30 walks to 81 strikeouts.

Tilien stands square at the plate, holding his hands high, swinging with a slight leg kick. His bat speed is only average, but the right-hander has excellent wrist strength and hand-eye coordination, allowing him to make good contact and put the ball in play even when taking bad swings or finding himself fooled and off-balance. In 227 recorded batted ball events in 2022, he averaged an 85.7 exit velocity; 31 had recorded exit velocities of 100 MPH or higher and 5 had recorded exit velocities of 105 MPH or higher. His 52 singles averaged 87.5 MPH, his 13 doubles averaged 97.2 MPH, his 1 triple averaged 96.4, and his 12 home runs average 100 MPH. Tilien is still tall and lanky and should continue adding muscle mass, and with it, more power.

The Mets were higher on Tilien's defensive ability more so than other amateur and professional scouts and evaluators, signing him as a shortstop and keeping him up the middle. The organization believes that he will be able to stay at the position in the long term due to his average speed and above-average arm, giving him the necessary range and arm to play short. Other external sources believed that he will be forced to move to third base or even the outfield as his body as his body matures and he loses explosive, quick-twitch muscle speed, but he has yet to show the need.

Jonah Tong, RHP

A native of Markham, Ontario, Canada, Jonah Reid Tin Chee Matthew Tong grew up in a family of athletes. His father, Alex, played hockey and volleyball in high school. His mother, Karen, played softball, field hockey, and volleyball. Jonah has two sisters, and both are athletes as well, with older sister Morgan competing in gymnastics for Central Michigan University and younger sister Montana playing softball and baseball. In 2021, the right-hander pitched at Bill Crothers Secondary School in Markham, and then transferred to the Georgia Premier Academy for his senior season in 2022. He also pitched for the Frederick Keys of the MLB Draft League in 2022, making four appearances and three starts. He posted a 10.80 ERA in 11.2 innings, allowing 14 hits, walking 10, and striking out 14. Tong had a commitment to North Dakota State University but ended up signing with the Mets after they drafted him in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft and offered him a $225,800 signing bonus, exactly slot value.

The 6’1", 180-pound right-hander throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot with a long action through the back. He drops and drives off the mound well, giving him good extension on his pitches. There is some effort in his delivery that impacts his command and control but does not appear to be a major red flag at the present.

His fastball sits in the lot-to-mid-90s and has an above-average backspin rates, giving it rising action. He complements his fastball with a curveball and a changeup. His curveball, which sits in the high-70s, flashes above-average thanks to its high spin rate, which has been measured as high as 2800 RPM. He sometimes telegraphs the pitch, throwing it at a higher arm slot than normal in order to get on top of it and give it better 12-6 drop. His changeup, which sits in the low-80s, still lags far behind his curveball, but the pitch flashes potential, as it has induced a high number of swings-and-misses not against not just fellow high school competitors, but against older, college-aged hitters in the MLB Draft League.

Jeremy Vasquez, 1B

Jeremy Vasquez had a very productive career at Martin County High, a high school in Stuart, Florida. Though he was considered one of the top prep first basemen in the state of Florida- he hit .524 with four home runs in his senior year- he had a strong commitment to the University of Florida and went undrafted in the 2014 MLB Draft. His first two years with the Gators were uneventful, as his playing time was limited- the incumbent first baseman, Pete Alonso, was not yielding any time when he was healthy and able to get on the field- so he transferred to Nova Southeastern University in his junior year, a private college in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He hit a career best .317/.453/.614 with 15 home runs at the Division II school and was drafted by the Mets at the end of the year, selected in the 28th round of the 2017 MLB Draft.

The first baseman was played for the Kingsport Mets and the Brooklyn Cyclones that summer and hit a combined .266/.368/.430 in 67 games with 8 home runs, 0 stolen bases, and 37 walks to 60 strikeouts. He continued putting up excellent numbers in 2018, hitting a combined .280/.369/.421 in 125 games with 10 home runs, 0 stolen bases in 1 attempt, and 62 walks to 91 strikeouts. Vasquez's power output slowed down a bit after being promoted from Columbia to St. Lucie, and that trend continued in 2019. He spent the majority of the season with St. Lucie and hit .277/.359/.378 with 5 home runs, 3 stolen bases in 6 attempts, and 55 walks to 76 strikeouts. He was promoted to Binghamton at the end of the season and struggled, and his woes in the upper minors would continue. After missing the 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic, Vasquez began the 2021 season in Binghamton and struggled to the point that he was demoted a level. In 32 games with the Rumble Ponies, he hit .171/.273/.238 with 1 home run, 0 stolen bases, and 15 walks to 33 strikeouts. He hit an improved .273/.371/.491 in the 51 games he spent with the Cyclones and hit a cumulative .232/.325/.388 in 88 games including a brief stint with St. Lucie at the end of the season, with 8 home runs, 1 stolen base in 3 attempts, and 42 walks to 71 strikeouts. The 25-year-old was promoted back to Binghamton in 2022 and once again struggled, hitting .238/.323/.318 in 104 games with 3 home runs, 0 stolen bases, and 44 walks to 71 strikeouts.

Standing square at the plate, Vasquez holds his hands high and swings with a slight leg kick. His smooth left-handed stroke has shown a consistent ability to put the ball in play. His strong, quick wrists guide the barrel to the ball from a deep load with an easy flow. Vasquez has worked to adjust his swing and mechanics to generate more power, but the changes that he has made since becoming a professional have not had much of an impact; in 521 games over the course of his five seasons, Vasquez has a cumulative .382 slugging percentage and 34 total home runs, a power output that does not play at first base. Defensively, he has smooth actions around the first base bag with soft hands. Unlike most other first basemen, Vasquez has enough athleticism to pass in the outfield, but his best use there would be in emergency situations only, as he is a below-average runner and has below-average range.

Juan Veliz, LHP

Juan Veliz was signed by the Mets on the first day of the 2021 international free agent signing period out of San Antonio, Venezuela. He was assigned to the Dominican Summer League and made his professional debut in July, appearing in 10 games and posting a 1.08 ERA in 16.2 innings with 10 hits allowed, 8 walks, and 15 strikeouts. The left-hander missed the entire 2022 season with an injury.

The 6’1", 200-pound southpaw is well built and is unlikely to grow much more or add on too much more weight. He throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot, with a long, slingy arm action through the back. His fastball sits in the mid-to-high-80s, generally ranging between 86-89 MPH with sink, when he is able to stay on top of the ball and running action. He pairs the pitch with a rudimentary curveball that sits in the low-to-mid-70s and a firm changeup that sits in the low-80s. Between the movement on his pitches and an uneven release point, Veliz has so far struggled with his command as a professional despite being signed with the reputation of being a strike thrower.

Jordany Ventura, RHP

Jordany Ventura was signed out of the Dominican Republic on July 25, 2018 for $20,000 and made his professional debut a few weeks later, getting assigned to the DSL Mets. The 17-year-old appeared in just three games that year, and his professional career began in earnest in 2019. He began the season on the DSL squad, but for a second season, his time there was extremely limited, as he made just four starts before being promoted to the GSL Mets. He spent the majority of the summer at the complex and posted a 4.36 ERA in 33.0 innings, allowing 27 hits, walking 8, and striking out 34. At the end of August, he was promoted to the Kingsport Mets in order to fortify their rotation and appeared in two games with them, giving up one earned run in 8 innings while allowing 3 hits, walking 6, and striking out 9.

Ventura missed the entire 2020 season when the year was cancelled due to COVID-19, and then missed the 2021 season due to Tommy John surgery. He returned to the mound in June 2022, but unfortunately only lasted a month before being put on the injured list once again and missing the rest of the season, this time with a pectoral strain. In total, he made four abbreviated starts, throwing no more than 2.1 innings in each, one for the FCL Mets and three for the St. Lucie Mets. He posted a cumulative 4.15 ERA in 8.2 innings, allowing 4 earned runs on 7 hits, 2 walks, and 13 strikeouts.

Listed at an even 6’, Ventura is likely a bit taller now as he has put on a few pounds of muscle and has matured as his thin frame and broad shoulders from years ago suggested he could. He throws from a high three-quarters arm slot with a simple, repeatable motion, one reason he has exhibited average-to-above-average command throughout his career.

When Ventura was able to pitch in 2022, he looked pretty good. His fastball ranged from 90 to 97 MPH, averaging 94 MPH, which is about where it was prior to Tommy John surgery, with an average of 2400 RPM, making it just above the major league average in terms of both velocity and spin rate.

Complementing his fastball are a curveball and a changeup. The curveball sits in the high-70s, 78-80 MPH, averaging 79 MPH. Featuring spin rates between 2500-2700 RPM, the pitch has 11-5 shape with 47-59 inches of vertical drop and 4-16 inches of horizontal movement. His changeup sits in the mid-to-high-80s, 84-87 MPH, averaging 86 MPH. The pitch features 1730-1930 RPM, averaging 1840 RPM, and has anywhere between 24-30 inches of vertical drop and 8-16 inches of horizontal movement. Before the 2022 season, both of his secondary pitches were rough and still very much developing pitches, with his curveball a bit more refined. In his brief innings in 2022, his changeup looked like the better pitch, eliciting more swing-and-misses than his curve.

Zebulon Vermillion, RHP

Born in Vali, Colorado, Zebulon Vermillion and his family left the Centennial State moved to St. Joseph, Missouri when he was young, and it was there that he met Jake Randa, son of Royals third basemen Joe Randa. The two became friends and played on regional little league and travel ball teams for years. At the Randa's suggestion, the Vermillion's moved to Prairie Village, Kansas, where Zeb enrolled at Shawnee Mission East High School. A standout for head coach Jerrod Ryherd, Vermillion lettered three times and posted an impressive 1.41 ERA in 34.2 innings pitched in his senior year while hitting .375/.436/.562. Considered one of the best pitchers in Kansas thanks to his solid fastball and size, Vermillion ended up going undrafted after he graduated and honored his commitment to the University of Arkansas.

In 2018, his freshman season, the right-hander was used out of the bullpen sparingly, making 7 total appearances and posting a 4.82 ERA in 9.1 innings with 12 hits allowed, 0 walks, and 11 strikeouts. He pitched for the Sanford River Cats of the Florida Collegiate Summer League and then returned to Arkansas for his sophomore year, posting a 3.63 ERA in 22.1 innings, allowing 21 hits, walking 9, and striking out 21. That summer, he played for the Orleans Firebirds in the Cape Cod League, posting a 5.23 ERA in 10.1 innings over 9 games with 13 hits allowed, 8 walks, and 4 strikeouts. The 2020 season would have been Vermillion's junior season, but the NCAA cancelled the season in mid-March; for what it's worth, the 21-year-old did not allow a run in the 7.1 innings he pitched, having allowed 4 hits, walked 0, and struck out 12. He returned to Arkansas in 2021 as a redshirt junior and posted a 4.69 ERA in 40.1 innings split over 6 starts and 9 relief appearances. He allowed 41 hits, walked 15, and struck out 28. Vermillion returned to Arkansas this past season, his redshirt senior season, and posted a 2.39 ERA in 26.1 innings, all out of the bullpen, having allowed 22 hits, walked 10, and struck out 27. The Mets drafted the right-hander in the 10th round of the 2022 MLB Draft and signed him for $20,000, well below the MLB-assigned slot value of $152,400. He was assigned to the FCL Mets and appeared in a single game for the rest of the summer, throwing a scoreless inning.

Vermillion is a big, physical right-hander, standing 6’5" and weighing 250-pounds. Between when he first enrolled at Arkansas and the present, he put on roughly 60 pounds of weight, which he carries well. Though a starter for only a fraction of the time he pitched for the Razorbacks, his build should help him eat innings should he be used as a starting pitcher in the future. It also has allowed him to maintain his stuff further into games at higher pitch counts, though the right-hander rarely threw more than a single inning in 2022. The 23-year-old right-hander throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot. His delivery is a bit stiff and mechanical, but Vermillion generally has not had trouble maintaining his release point and commanding his pitches.

His fastball sits in the low-to-mid-90s, topping out at 93, 94 MPH. His is able to command the pitch to all four quadrants of the strike zone but works to his glove side and the top half especially well; Vermillion is primarily a fly ball pitcher who gets hitters to get under the ball. He complements his fastball with a mid-80s slider that sits between 81-86 MPH and features quick two-plane bite. He occasionally throws a get-me-over mid-70s curveball, but as a reliever mainly sticks with his fastball-slider combination. If used for roles in which he will be throwing more than an inning or two, he will need to refine the curve, but if he stays in a one-inning relief role going forward, his 1-2 punch is enough to get batters out.

Fernando Villalobos, C

In July 2017, the Cubs signed Mexican right-hander Florencio Serrano for $1.2 million. Shady accounting practices between Major League Baseball clubs, Mexico's Mexican League of Baseball clubs, and the Mexican players involved was exposed shortly after, setting in motion a chain of events that would eventually see that contract nullified by the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball and a freeze put on MLB ballclubs signing any players involved with LMB ballclubs. Caught in the limbo as the two sides negotiated to resume normal relations was Fernando Villalobos, a catcher who played with the Mexico City Red Devils and was expected to sign with the Brewers. Because he was unable to sign with them before the freeze was put in place, he was available to sign when it was lifted in March 2019. With their 2018-2019 international free agent bonus pool augmented by the $500,000 obtained from the Baltimore Orioles when Keon Broxton was traded to them in May 2019, the Mets were able to sign Villalobos before the 2018-2019 signing window closed for $450,000. The 17-year-old was assigned to the Dominican Summer League for the 2019 season and, playing for both Mets DSL squads, hit .195/.382/.232 in 30 combined games, stealing 5 bases, walking 22 times, and striking out 33 times.

After missing the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Villalobos was sent stateside in 2021, appearing in 14 games for the FCL Mets and hitting .132/.214/.237 with 1 home run, 0 stolen bases, and 3 walks to 13 strikeouts. He was promoted to the St. Lucie Mets in 2022 and spent the majority of the season there, making a brief cameo with the Brooklyn Cyclones in mid-June, and hit a combined .152/.346/.276 in 37 games with 4 home runs, 0 stolen bases, and 31 walks to 42 strikeouts.

Villalobos stands tall at the plate, slightly open and holding his hands high. Using a slight leg kick, his simple, smooth left-handed swing lets him get the barrel into the zone quickly. He uses the entire field and his game is currently centered around spraying line drives. He does not exhibit much power, averaging an 81 MPH exit velocity in 2022 and just 11 batted ball events with 95 MPH+ EVs in 55 total.

Behind the plate, Villalobos still has a lot of work to go, though this is nothing unusual for a young catcher. He was a pitcher and third baseman before being transitioned to catching, so he is even more raw than other 20-year-old catchers. He is mobile behind the dish but needs to work on his receiving techniques and framing. His arm is average behind the dish, and is augmented by slightly above-average pop times.

Kevin Villavicencio, INF

Like many Mexican ballplayers, Santa Rosalia native Kevin Villavicencio signed his right to a local professional team at an extremely early age, signing with the Diablos Rojos del Mexico of Liga Mexicana de Beisbol at the age of 13. On January 15, 2021, the first day of the 2021 international free agent signing period, the Red Devils sold his rights to the Mets, and Villavicencio joined the organization.

The 17-year-old was assigned to the Dominican Summer League in his first season with the Mets and appeared in 45 games, hitting .303/.373/.414 with 1 home run, 14 stolen bases in 17 attempts, and 15 walks to 17 strikeouts. He was given an aggressive assignment and began the 2022 season with the St. Lucie Mets, playing with them from late April until early June, when the Florida Complex League season began. Villavicencio understandably struggled with St. Lucie, hitting .235/.244/.353 with 1 home run, 0 stolen bases in 2 attempts, and 1 walk to 25 strikeouts. He performed much better with the FCL Mets, hitting .241/.359/.312 with 1 home run, 7 stolen bases in 11 attempts, and 20 walks to 30 strikeouts. He was promoted back to St. Lucie after the FCL season ended and performed solidly, going 2-7 in 4 games with 1 stolen base, 1 walk, and 1 strikeout.

Villavicencio stands crouched at the plate, in a wide, open stance, holding his hands high and wrapping his bat behind his head. He swings with a toe tap timing mechanism. Because of his size and stance, the infielder swings with a downward bat path. During his time with St. Lucie, Villavicencio averaged a 12.1 launch angle in 65 batted ball events, with 30 of them registering less than 10 degrees and 25 registering in the negatives. He averaged an 82 MPH exit velocity, with a single batted ball event registering an exit velocity over 100 MPH- a line drive single hit with a 9 degree launch angle. While Villavicencio is still developing as a hitter and has a limited upside, he has a high floor as a player thanks to his defense. A middle infielder, he has plenty of range, a smooth glove, and soft hands.

Josh Walker, LHP

A native of Otisville, a small village upstate about an hour from the New York/New Jersey border, Josh Walker grew up a Yankees fan, going as far to wear #21 in honor of Paul O’Neill when he played at Minisink Valley High School. In an odd twist of fate, the assistant principal of Minisink Valley High School when Walker attended- and still is to this day- was Dave Telgheder, who was drafted by the Mets in the 31st round of the 1989 MLB Draft and spent a few years pitching for them and the Oakland Athletics before retiring and getting into education.

Walker graduated in 2013 and initially attended the University of South Florida. He struggled in his time there, posting a 13.50 ERA in seven relief appearances, allowing 14 hits, walking 3, and striking out 3. He redshirted his sophomore season because of an injury, and, after being convinced by a friend, transferred to the University of New Haven to begin fresh. Getting back on the mound in 2016, he appeared in 7 games for the Charges, making six relief appearances and one start. In those 13.2 innings, he posted a 5.93 ERA, allowing 13 hits, walking 12, and striking out 8. He was much more successful in 2017, appearing in 20 games for New Haven, all out of the bullpen. In 30.0 innings, he posted a 2.40 ERA, allowing 25 hits, walking 10, and striking out 32. That June, the Mets selected the 22-year-old left-hander in the 37th round of the 2017 MLB Draft, making him the first player since Chris DeMorais in 2014 to be drafted out of that school.

The Mets assigned Walker to their Gulf Coast League team to finish out the season and then promoted him to Kingsport for the 2018 season. After a handful of games in the Appalachian League, he was promoted to Brooklyn, where he finished out the year. At both levels combined, he posted a 3.27 ERA in 41.1 innings pitched, those innings split almost evenly as a starter and reliever. He was set to be promoted to the St. Lucie Mets to start the 2019 season, but in April 2019, he was involved in a car accident that cost him most of the season. Less than a mile from the stadium in St. Lucie, a car made an illegal turn and smashed into Walker's car. His left side- his pitching side- took the brunt of the hit, and while he did not break anything, tests revealed that a nerve in his arm was damaged, causing pain in his forearm and necessitating surgery to alleviate. He only appeared in only two games late that summer, and then stayed in Florida over that winter to continue rehabbing. The decision may have saved his baseball career, as he was in camp in March 2020 when COVID-19 eventually shut down all baseball activities. His dedication and commitment to his profession and Mets coaches and executives seeing that may be what allowed Walker to survive the mass minor league cuts in the wake of the pandemic.

The left-hander began the 2021 season with the Brooklyn Cyclones, but after four strong starts, was promoted to Binghamton, where he continued to succeed, highlighted by throwing 2/3 of a combined no-hitter on June 22. In late July, after posting a 2.64 ERA in 44.1 innings with the Rumble Ponies, Walker was promoted to the Syracuse Mets, where he posted a 5.19 ERA in 50.1 innings. At all three levels, High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A combined, Walker posted a cumulative 3.73 ERA in 115.2 innings, allowing 89 hits, walking 29, and striking out 98. Injuries sustained prior to the start of the 2022 season kept Walker off the field for most of the season. He finally was back on the mound in the end of July, rehabbing with the FCL Mets and St. Lucie Mets before being activated and sent to Syracuse. He was used sparingly, all in relief, and posted a 6.91 ERA in 14.1 innings, allowing 18 hits, walking 7, and striking out 23.

The tall 6’6", 225-pound left-hander throws from a three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action through the back. His long limbs add some deception to his pitches, and his slingy delivery helps add some additional movement to them. His fastball sits in the low-90s, generally settling in around 92-93 MPH and can touch the mid-90s when it is aired out. He complements the pitch with a curveball and a changeup. His curve, which lives in the high-70s, roughly 77-80 MPH, has a lot of bend, but it's slow, loopy break makes it hittable. His changeup has good fade, especially down in the zone. Walker is most effective working north-to-south, getting hitters to strike out on his fastball above the zone or one of his secondary pitches below it. None of Walker's pitches grade out as being more than average, but his total package is augmented by his excellent control.

Kyle Wilson, RHP

A standout athlete at Raymore-Peculiar High School in Missouri who excelled in football and baseball, Kyle Wilson's performance with the Raymore-Peculiar Panthers led the Minnesota Twins to draft him in the 19th round of the 2015 MLB Draft. Intrigued by a fastball that hit the mid-90s and a nasty curve for a high schooler, the Twins attempted to get the right-hander to disregard his commitment to Crowder College, a junior college in southwestern Missouri, but were unable to come to terms by the signing deadline a few weeks later. He redshirted in his first year of college, somewhat uncommon in the NJCAA but still within the framework of their rules and bylaws, appearing in five games in early-to-mid-May and posting a 9.72 ERA in 8.1 innings with 9 hits allowed, 8 walks, and 12 strikeouts. He received more playing time in his redshirt freshman season in 2017 and the results were much better, as he posted a 2.27 ERA in 39.2 innings for the Roughriders with 33 hits allowed, 23 walks, and 58 strikeouts.

Eligible to be drafted in the 2017 MLB Draft, the Mets selected Wilson with their 35th round pick, the 1057th player selected overall. With only a handful of overslot signings during day one and day two and no chance to sign other high profile prep players such as C.J. Van Eyk or Jake Eder- both of whom are now top prospects and coincidentally underwent Tommy John surgery in late 2021- the Mets had some additional slot funds to extend to players and signed Wilson for $270,000, roughly $150,000 over the MLB-assigned slot value of $125,000. He was assigned to the GCL Mets to make his professional debut and pitched well that summer, posting a 1.50 ERA in 18.0 innings, allowing 13 hits, 7 walks, and 19 strikeouts. He was promoted to Brooklyn in 2018 and posted a 3.86 ERA in 53.2 innings there, allowing 49 hits, walking 14, and striking out 59. The right-hander began the 2019 season with the St. Lucie Mets and seemed poised for something of a breakout year, as he posted a 3.43 ERA in 76.0 innings, allowing 88 hits, walking 32, and striking out 48. He injured himself on July 4th and was limited to just six more appearances on the year, posting just 17.0 more innings. All in all, the right-hander would post a 3.80 ERA in 90.0 innings, allowing 106 hits, walking 41, and striking out 54.

After missing the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic cancelling the season, Wilson missed a second consecutive season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2021. After two-plus years off the field, Kyle Wilson finally returned to the mound on July 28, 2022, pitching a rehab inning for the FCL Mets. He pitched two more for the St. Lucie Mets, and was activated from his rehab assignment and sent to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. During his very first start with them, he twisted his left ankle awkwardly making a routine play at first and was removed from the game after just 2.1 innings. The right-hander left on his own power, limping slightly, and was placed on the injured list, ending his 2022 season.

Wilson throws from high three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action through the back. Outside of the legitimate injuries that Wilson has sustained over the years, there have always been concerns regarding the right-hander's stamina. At 6’1", 185-pounds, Wilson has a relatively small frame and labored through fatigue in many outings, only pitching six or more innings in a handful of games. While he has been used almost exclusively as a starter with the Mets, the right-hander has experience pitching out of the bullpen with Crowder.

Prior to his Tommy John surgery, his fastball sat in the low-90s, topping out at 93 MPH. Since returning to the mound in 2022, the fastball has averaged 93 MPH, ranging from 90-95 MPH. The pitch has a slightly above-average spin rate and is most effective up in the zone. Wilson also can cut his fastball, and the pitch has actually been very effective for him, generating a high number of swings and misses.

All of his secondary pitches projected to be fringe-average-to-average when he was drafted and because he has missed so much developmental time between the many injuries he has sustained over the years, all are still very rudimentary. His best is a 12-6 curveball that sits in the high-70s-to-low-80s, 78-81 MPH. The pitch has big downward bite when he is able to get on top of the pitch, but sometimes gets inconsistent and slurvy when he does not. His changeup, which sits in the mid-80s averaging 85 MPH, does not have much fade or tumble but was consistently thrown for strikes in the past.

Matt Winaker, OF

The son of a pair Stanford alumni, it only made sense that Matt Winaker also attend the school after graduating from San Ramon Valley High School in Danville, California. A standout on the baseball diamond and the football gridiron who was named the 2014 San Ramon Valley Athlete of the Year, it only made sense for him to attend Stanford University. Not only did the school have an exceptional baseball program with a legendary head coach, but was the school roughly an hour-and-a-half drive away and both his parents were alumni to boot.

In 2015, his first year at Stanford, Winaker hit a solid .268/.383/.380 in 52 games for the Cardinal. His 31 walks led the team, while his 26 RBIs and 10 doubles were good enough for second, and his batting average and on-base percentage ranked third. Though a former football player with excellent foot speed, coach Marquess elected to use the right-hander as a first baseman, owing to his history of favoring agile, sure-handed defenders at the corners. In his second year at Stanford, Winaker experienced a sophomore slump and hit .254/.356/.360 in 54 games, a slight step in the wrong direction compared to his contributions the year before. There were bright spots in his season- his four triples and 28 walks led the Cardinal, and thanks to some excellent defensive play at first base, was named to the All-Pac-12 Defensive Team- but overall, it was a down year. In his junior year, Winaker broke out, hitting .308/.432/.514 in 58 games. He struggled early on, but really heated up in March- from March 2 to April 2, he raised his batting average from .143 to .269. His power manifested in a way that it hadn't in the past, slugging nine home runs. All in all, he hit a cumulative .278/.393/.422 with 12 home runs, 4 stolen bases in 8 attempts, and 101 walks to 86 strikeouts.

Winaker was selected by the Mets in the 5th round of the 2017 MLB Draft and was signed for $280,000, slightly under the slot value of $307,800. He began his professional career in Coney Island and hit .268/.402/.282 in 21 games for the Cyclones, all at first base. He was assigned to the Columbia Fireflies for the 2018 season and thanks to some swing changes that added additional loft to his swing, was one of their most consistent outfielder, hitting .254/.370/.433 in 121 games with a career-high 13 home runs. He was unable to keep the momentum going in 2019 and ended up hitting a paltry .195/.299/.291 in 86 games for the St. Lucie Mets. Winaker's 2021 and 2022 seasons would be marred by various injuries, limiting his time on the field and how effective he was. In 2021, he appeared in 71 games for Brooklyn, Binghamton, and Syracuse and hit a cumulative .258/.404/.352 with 2 home runs, 1 stolen base in 2 attempts, and 41 walks to 54 strikeouts. In 2022, he appeared in 70 games for the FCL Mets and Binghamton Rumble Ponies and hit a cumulative .164/.318/.271 with 4 home runs, 2 stolen bases in 3 attempts, and 36 walks to 58 strikeouts.

Winaker stands square at the plate, holding his hands high. His swing utilizes a simple toe-tap timing mechanism and he keeps his body free of unnecessary movement from his load to his follow through. A Stanford ballplayer, he used a smooth level swing to make contact with the ball at the expense of power, but since becoming a professional, he has added some additional loft to his swing. Winaker has excellent pitch recognition skills and a good sense of the strike zone, making him a tough batter to strike out. An average runner thanks to his athletic frame, Winaker has split his professional career in both corner outfield spots and first base.

Wyatt Young, 2B

A Hawaiian, Wyatt Hee-Wah Asami Young attended Mid-Pacific Institute is a private, college prep school in Honolulu just south of the Koʻolau Range. He supplemented his baseball playing time by playing on a handful of travel ball teams and eventually began getting noticed by college recruiters. After graduating, he ended up choosing to attend Pepperdine University in Malibu, California due to the campus’ small, inclusive size and the city's similarities to his native Oahu.

Young had an excellent collegiate debut in 2019, earning All- West Coast Conference and being named to the All-West Coast Conference Freshman team by hitting .315/.351/.366 in 49 games with 2 home runs, 5 stolen bases, and 10 walks to 38 strikeouts. Following the conclusion of the season, he played for Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the Cape Cod League and had a lot of success in the wood bat league, hitting .338/.416/.446 in 39 games. He appeared in 15 games in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, hitting .299/.373/.299, and then appeared in all 45 games the Waves played in 2021, hitting .332/.405/.442 with 3 home runs, 6 stolen bases, and 22 walks to 23 strikeouts.

He was selected by the Mets in the 15th round of the 2021 MLB Draft and signed for $125,000. He was assigned to the FCL Mets for the remainder of the summer and hit an impressive .370/.426/.478 in 26 games for them with 0 home runs, 4 stolen bases in 6 attempts, and 9 walks to 21 strikeouts. Young began the 2022 season with the Brooklyn Cyclones, but was promoted to the Triple-A Syracuse Mets after less than a week, owing to an organizational need. He spent roughly a month there and performed better than anyone could have expected, hitting .352/.446/.437 in 19 games with 1 home run, 2 stolen bases in as many attempts, and 11 walks to 13 strikeouts. He was sent down to Binghamton in mid-May and remained there for the rest of the season, hitting 257/.353/.380 in 98 games with 6 home runs, 5 stolen bases in 7 attempts, and 56 walks to 89 strikeouts. All in all, he appeared in 122 games for all three teams and hit a combined .270/.369/.383 with 7 home runs, 7 stolen bases in 10 attempts, and70 walks to 104 strikeouts.

Wyatt is a diminutive 5’7", weighs 185-pounds and is unlikely to add much mass in the future. As a result, Young has well below-average in-game power. His game is entirely centered around making contact and putting the ball in play, utilizing a short, left-handed stroke. Most of his hits have been and will continue to be singles, but he does show gap doubles power and can occasionally turn on an inside pitch for a home run. His lack of in-game power will limit his upside, but thanks to an above-average hit tool and strong eye, Young has a higher floor than one might realize. He is extremely difficult to strike out, fights off pitches, and works counts. His fringe-average speed allows him to take occasionally take the extra base or steal a bag but is not really a liability or a strength.

Scouts and evaluators are split about his ability with the glove. Because of his limited range and below-average arm, some see a below-average defender limited to just second base. Because of his strong middle infield instincts and positioning from coaches, some see him as a passable, average defender at second who can fill in at shortstop in a pinch.