Reminiscent of the early 2010s, the Mets are once again loaded with high-end prospect talent, especially at starting pitcher. With Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong leading the way, the Mets are trending towards a potentially dominant rotation in the very near future. When you factor in impact bats like Carson Benge, Ryan Clifford, and Jett Williams, the Mets have a young core ready to make a splash in the National League East.
New York Mets Top Prospects
The Top Tier
1) Nolan McLean, SP, Age: 24
2025 Stats (AA/AAA): 113.2 IP | 2.45 ERA | 27.2% K% | 10.7% BB%
2025 Stats (MLB): 48 IP | 2.06 ERA | 30.3% K% | 8.5 BB%
McLean took a significant step forward in 2025, his second full season as a pitcher. The former two-way player obliterated hitters at Double-A, pitching to a sub-2.00 ERA and earning a promotion after just one month. His success continued at Triple-A Syracuse, posting a sub-3.00 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .576 OPS in an utterly dominant fashion. The most impressive feat may have been lowering his walk rate at the highest level of the minors, where walks typically skyrocket with the ABS, and the hitters are traditionally more patient.
McLean then carried his momentum to the majors, where he was the Mets’ best pitcher over the final two months of the season. It was a near-30% strikeout rate with a 33.3% CSW in just under 50 innings for the 24-year-old, flashing elite swinging strike rates with three of his five pitches. When he wasn’t missing bats, McLean generated an absurd 60.7% ground-ball rate. He enters 2026 as the consensus #1 pitching prospect in baseball and the ace of the Mets’ rotation for years to come.
Nolan McLean, 84mph Sweeper and 97mph Two Seamer, Individual Pitches + Overlay
Sweeper= 21 inches of break
Two Seamer=19 inches of run.THIS IS RIDICULOUS. 😳 pic.twitter.com/ZoE8uZ9pyL
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 20, 2025
2) Carson Benge, OF, Age: 22
2025 Stats (A+/AA/AAA): .281 AVG | .385 OBP | .472 SLG | 15 HR | 22 SB | 17.7% K% | 13.1% BB%
Oddly enough, Carson Benge is also a converted two-way player, only he took the positional player route following his collegiate career at Oklahoma State. In his first season as a pro, Benge reached Triple-A. Benge dominated early on, dominating pitchers at High-A and Double-A, but struggled in a small sample for AAA Syracuse. Overall, it was an excellent debut for Benge, who produced a 150 wRC+ in 116 games and showed a very strong blend of elite offensive production and above-average defense.
At the plate, Benge is well above-average with his bat-to-ball skills and quality of contact metrics. He has produced excellent exit velocities throughout his career, including a 92.1 mph average and 105.4 mph 90th percentile EV. The one potential pitfall in his profile is that Benge doesn’t pull the ball in the air as much as you want from a middle-of-the-order hitter. Still, the power metrics look strong, and he still got to double-digit homers even with an all-fields approach. Benge is a dark-horse candidate to open the season with the Mets as a primary outfielder, likely in a corner.
3) Jonah Tong, SP, Age: 22
2025 Stats (AA/AAA): 113.2 IP | 1.43 ERA | 40.5 K% | 10.6 BB%
2025 Stats (MLB): 18.2 IP | 7.71 ERA | 25.3% K% | 10.3% BB%
Tong entered 2025 firmly on everyone’s radar, already considered among the better pitching prospects in baseball. His stock climbed even higher with a historic performance across two levels, although most of his work came at Double-A. Tong logged 11 2/3 scoreless innings over two Triple-A starts before debuting with the Mets on August 29th. Among MiLB starters with at least 110 innings, Tong led in strikeouts (179), strikeout rate, strikeouts per nine (14.17), and K-BB rate (29.9%).
Numerous injuries and overall poor performance forced the Mets to promote Tong before he was a finished product, and the results showed. Forgetting the MLB sample, Tong elevated his game to the next level last season. His strikeout rate jumped over 6% while maintaining a comparable walk rate and lowering his ERA by two full runs. As we approach 2026, Jonah Tong is a consensus Top-10 pitching prospect and figures to play an essential role for the Mets in the second half of the season.
4) Ryan Clifford, 1B/OF, Age: 22
2025 Stats (AA/AAA): .237 AVG | .356 OBP | .470 SLG | 29 HR | 7 SB | 25.6% K% | 14.7% BB%
The Mets have an heir apparent to Pete Alonso in the form of slugging first baseman Ryan Clifford. The left-handed masher has three consecutive seasons with double-digit homers, including a career-best 29 this season. Included in that were five at Triple-A in a sample of just 114 at-bats. Clifford is also an excellent run producer, having driven in a total of 252 runs in just over 400 career games. His batting average has fluctuated over the years, but he’s likely to be an average drain in fantasy.
Clifford has some of the most prodigious power in the minors and has flashed it in all three seasons as a pro. His ability to get to power, particularly on the pull side, is a staple of his profile. The limited batted-ball data from Triple-A showed an average EV of over 93 mph with a max of 111 mph, which also included a 53% hard-hit rate. With immense power has come a considerable amount of strikeouts, though he did cut his rate by 5% this season. His overall contact skills aren’t horrible; it’s equal parts swing-and-miss and passivity. Clifford had a called strike rate of 19% this season, contributing to the inflated strikeout rate. The outstanding plate discipline has also manifested itself in an excellent walk rate and OBP. There is a high probability that Clifford competes in spring training to be the everyday first baseman this season in Queens.
5) Jett Williams, SS/OF, Age: 22
2025 Stats (AA/AAA): .261 AVG | .363 OBP | .465 SLG | 17 HR | 34 SB
What Williams lacks in size, he makes up for with skills. The 2022 first-rounder is just 5’7″ and 145lbs, significantly undersized by today’s standards. Despite a lack of physical stature, Williams continues to produce at a high level in the minors. After an injury-plagued year in 2024, he bounced back with a stellar 2025, which concluded at Triple-A. Williams has now posted two seasons with at least a .260 average, 13 homers, and 34 steals, not to mention a wRC+ of at least 136.
The profile has its share of strengths and weaknesses. Williams excels with his plate skills and has flashed above-average speed. He rarely chases, shows advanced pitch recognition, and finds the barrel with regularity. The biggest unknown is how the power will translate. Williams has produced decent power output in the minors, but his raw data is underwhelming, and his path to double-digit homers as a pro will be considerably more difficult. The other issue is that he’s not a great defender at any of the three positions he plays, leaving him without a long-term defensive home. Based on current roster construction, Williams is a possibility to break camp with the Mets, or at least impact their MLB roster at some point in 2026.
6) Jacob Reimer, 3B, Age: 21
2025 Stats (A+/AA): .282 AVG | .379 OBP | .491 SLG | 17 HR | 15 SB | 21.5% K% | 11.1% BB%
Reimer missed a large portion of the 2024 season with a hamstring injury, playing in just 25 games. He briefly returned in the AFL last fall, but performed poorly in a small sample. His 2025 season can be easily classified as a breakout, as Reimer had a dazzling stat line across two levels. Playing in 122 games, he reached double-digit homers and steals, posting a 157 wRC+, the highest of any Mets’ minor leaguer. Reimer succeeded at the plate and in the field, making great strides in his range and improving his overall play at the hot corner. Beyond McLean, no player in the Mets system improved their stock more than Reimer in 2025.
Throughout his time in the minors, the one constant in Reimer’s profile has been plate discipline. Until 2025, he had walked as often as he’d struck out at every level in his career. Those skills have generated a career OBP of .386 and serve as the foundation for his offense. Reimer found his power stroke this season, lifting the ball more often, especially to his pull side. That was never more evident than in his 39.4% ground-ball rate, a near-10% decrease from his career norms. He also saw a big jump in his BABIP and batting average, climbing over .270 for the first time in his career with a BABIP of .338. If the power gains can stick entering 2026, Reimer is a guy who should rise into the Top-50 prospects in baseball.
7) A.J. Ewing, SS, Age: 21
2025 Stats (A/A+/AA): .315 AVG | .401 OBP | .429 SLG | 3 HR | 70 SB | 18.6% K% | 12.1% BB%
Fresh off an outstanding debut at the Complex and A-ball in 2024, AJ Ewing continued his ascent up the prospect ranks this season. In 124 games between three levels, Ewing had a 147 wRC+ with an organizational best 70 stolen bases and 87 runs scored. Although his power didn’t show itself in the numbers, Ewing posted league-average EVs, including a 103.6 mph 90th percentile and 110 mph max. The lone blemish was a spike in his strikeout rate to 22% following his move to Double-A.
Physically, Ewing is a small, wiry kid. At 5’11”, 170lbs, his frame is still projectable with room to add additional muscle, which will ideally result in more in-game power. His bat-to-ball skills are outstanding, sitting at an 80% overall contact rate with a sub-9% swinging-strike rate on the season. Ewing is very athletic with above-average straight-line speed that wreaked havoc on the bases. Scouts hung a 60-grade on his run tool, giving Ewing a legitimate chance to post 25+ steals in the majors annually. Everything will come down to Ewing’s power. With his ability to hit for a high average with above-average stolen base output, adding 10-15 homers per season makes the difference between him being an MLB regular or serving in a super-utility role.
MiLB prospects under 21 with .400+ SLG & > 30% LD% in ’25:
– Konnor Griffin (PIT)
– Rodny Rosario (CLE)
– AJ Ewing (NYM)📹None of them had a K% over 22% on the year. Three young, well-rounded bats to watch in 2026! pic.twitter.com/WpQWtFrrGo
— Tobey Schulman (@tschulmanreport) October 26, 2025
Prospects Dynasty Managers Should Know
8) Elian Peña, SS, Age: 18
2025 Stats (DSL): .292 AVG | .421 OBP | .528 SLG | 9 HR | 21 SB
Pena was one of the premier signings from the 2025 J-15 Class, nabbing an incredible $5M bonus from the Mets. The 18-year-old responded by starring in the Dominican Summer League, mashing nine homers with 21 steals. The 5’10” shortstop showed a bit of everything, including strong plate discipline, above-average power metrics, and excellent defense at his position. It’s still very early in his career, but Pena appears to have an exciting set of tools at his disposal.
9) Brandon Sproat, SP, Age: 25
2025 Stats (AAA): 121 IP | 4.24 ERA | 22.1% K% | 10.4% BB%
2025 Stats (MLB): 20.2 IP | 4.79 ERA | 20.2% K% | 8.3% BB%
Sproat cruised through the low minors in 2024 but hit a roadblock upon reaching Triple-A. His struggles carried over into this season, as he’s unable to consistently miss bats, leading to a nearly 6% drop in his strikeout rate. His MLB debut wasn’t much better, and now the team is considering a permanent move to the bullpen for the 25-year-old.
10) Jack Wenninger, SP, Age: 22
2025 Stats (AA): 135.2 IP | 2.92 ERA | 26.4% K% | 7.6% BB%
One of the more pleasant surprises in the system this season was right-hander Jack Wenninger. The 23-year-old was rock solid at Double-A, pounding the zone and getting whiffs at a high rate. Wenninger has a big frame built for durability and a splitter that falls off the Earth. His stock is rising very quickly in the prospect world.
11) Jonathan Santucci, SP, Age: 22
2025 Stats (A+/AA): 117.2 IP | 3.06 ERA | 28.7% K% | 8.5% BB%
Santucci is a fast-rising left-hander who flashed excellent stuff in his first pro season. His fastball/slider combination was incredibly effective, missing bats at a 16.4% clip and limiting hitters to a .625 OPS. If Santucci can continue the development of his changeup, he has the upside of a #3 starter.
12) Christopher Suero, C/OF, Age: 21
2025 Stats (A+/AA): .233 AVG | .379 OBP | .407 SLG | 16 HR | 35 SB
Suero has incredible athleticism for a catcher and has also shown the ability to play a corner outfield position and first base. After a strong offensive showing in the AFL, Suero’s stock is at an all-time high as he enters his age-22 season.
13) Mitch Voit, 2B, Age: 21
2025 Stats (A): .235 AVG | .343 OBP | .294 SLG | 1 HR | 20 SB | 24.2% K% | 13.1% BB%
Voit had a strong showing in a very brief 22-game sample following the draft, swiping 20 bases and reaching base at a .343 clip. The University of Michigan product has incredible speed and found his power stroke in his final collegiate season. It will be interesting to watch his development this spring.
14) Zach Thornton, RP, Age: 23
2025 Stats (A+/AA): 72.2 IP | 1.98 ERA | 28.5% K% | 4.0% BB%
The 6’3″ left-hander was incredible in 2025, posting a sub-2.00 ERA with 78 strikeouts against 11 walks. His command is elite and has been since debuting in 2024. Thornton uses a strong feel for pitching, and a six-pitch mix to keep hitters guessing and profiles as a back-end starter in the majors.
15) Randy Guzman, 1B, Age: 20
2025 Stats (Complex/A): .302 AVG | .375 OBP | .524 SLG | 10 HR | 2 SB | 19.1% K% | 7.4% BB%
After two below-average seasons in the DSL, Guzman had a strong showing in his domestic debut. The power-hitting first baseman cut down his strikeouts significantly this season, making more consistent contact and flashing his raw power in games. Despite being a bit old for the level, Guzman’s sudden rise shows the development the Mets were hoping for.
The Next Five
16) Will Watson, SP, Age: 23
2025 Stats (A/A+/AA): 121.1 IP | 2.60 ERA | 28.5% K% | 11.6% BB%
The talented 6’4″ right-hander has seen big bumps in velo as a pro, and if he can rein in his command, he’s a mid-rotation type.
17) Eli Serrano III, OF, Age: 22
2025 Stats (A+): .222 AVG | .332 OBP | .358 SLG | 7 HR | 9 SB | 20.1% K% | 13.1% BB%
Serrano is a big, physical outfielder who currently profiles as a hit-over-power type, though his batted-ball data suggests he could add more pop in the future.
18) Nick Morabito, OF, Age: 22
2025 Stats (AA): .273 AVG | .348 OBP | .385 SLG | 6 HR | 49 SB | 23.4% K% | 6.9% BB%
Morabito is a speedster who popped off during the Arizona Fall League and was added to the 40-man roster this fall. Expect him to debut early in 2026.
19) Edward Lantigua, OF, Age: 19
2025 Stats (Complex): .288 AVG | .433 OBP | .399 SLG | 3 HR | 13 SB | 14.9% K% | 17.0% BB%
Rangy centerfielder who walked more than he struck out in the Complex League while showing above-average EVs and batted-ball data.
20) Jonathan Pintaro, SP, Age: 28
2025 Stats (AA/AAA): 82 IP | 4.28 ERA | 29.0% K% | 14.2% BB%
2025 Stats (MLB): 0.2 IP | 27.00 ERA | 16.7% K% | 33.3% BB%
Signed as a free agent out of the Independent League, Pintaro has been a nice development for the Mets. If the walk rate can improve, he can contribute to the MLB team this summer.
