We are at the midway point of the MLB season, with the All-Star festivities, game, and draft behind us. It is a perfect time to examine specific players’ performances from the New York Mets farm system during the first half of the season. We will highlight notable prospects that stood out and underperformed at each level.
Let us take a look:
TRIPLE-A SYRACUSE METS (35-50)
The Syracuse Mets are in last place in the International League East standings and 20 games back from first-place Norfolk Tides. Syracuse is 2-9 in their last 11 games to begin the second half. While the Mets’ top prospects, Francisco Álvarez and Brett Baty, received early promotions, the team still showcased offensive talent in the lineup that Mets fans are familiar with.
Mauricio has been one of the top hitters in the minor leagues this season. He leads the International League with 97 hits and is in second with 25 doubles. The 22-year-old was scorching hot to begin the season. By the end of May, he slashed .344/.385/.563, a .948 OPS with seven dingers, 33 RBIs, 22 doubles, two triples, and nine stolen bases. The switch-hitting middle infielder has lowered his strikeout rate to 16.2% compared to 23.1% last season. MLB Pipelines’ recent Top 100 Prospect List ranked Mauricio as the 59th-best prospect in the minors.
Mauricio has predominantly played shortstop in his minor-league career. The Mets finally decided to give him a pathway to playing time if he got called up to the big leagues by logging time at second base (39 starts) and left field (11 starts).
23-year-old Vientos crushed Triple-A pitching during the first half. He posted a slash line of .311/.391./636, with 16 homers and 49 RBIs in 55 games. His 1.027 OPS is fifth-best in the International League, and his 147 WRc+ ranks him seventh.
The Mets recalled Vientos on May 17th when Pete Alonso suffered a wrist injury. In 49 plate appearances with the big club, he hit a mere .178/.224/.244 with a 14 to 3 K/BB rate. Once Alonso returned from the injured list, the Mets felt it was best to option Vientos back to Triple-A and for him to get back on track. Since then, he has been sporting a .265 average with three homers, 12 RBIs, and seven doubles in 17 games.
Raise your hand if you predicted Ritter would lead the Mets system in home runs. The 5-foot-11 infielder has smashed 20 home runs combined between Double-A- and Triple-A. The 26-year-old went on a power surge in June and was named Eastern Player of the Week from June 5-11. Ritter clubbed seven home runs in a seven-game span and capped it off with a three-homer game on June 11th. A big flaw in Ritter’s game is he strikes out 42.5% of the time. In four minor league seasons, his career slash line is .224/.331/.409/ with a .740 OPS and 53 homers.
23-year-old Vasil has struggled a tad in his four starts for Triple-A Syracuse. The right-hander owns an 8.53 ERA, 18/10 K/BB rate across 12 2/3 innings. Before his promotion to Syracuse, Vasil was dominant at Double-A Binghamton over ten starts posting a 3.71 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 1.4 BB/9, 10.1 K/9, and held opponents to a .187 average. Vasil was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Month for May after pitching lights out, putting up a 2.52 ERA, 21/4 K/BB rate in four starts. The 2021 eight-round pick out of the University of Virginia participated in the 2023 Future’s Game tossing 1/3 of an inning, walking a batter, and recording a punch out. Vasil has been a bit homer-prone serving up 12 long balls between Double-A and Triple-A.
Lavender thrived in the pen during the 2022 campaign posting a 6-3 record notching three saves, a 1.70 ERA, and a 12.7 K/9 in 47 2/3 innings across two minor league levels. The 23-year-old has put up similarly impressive numbers in the first half.
At the start of the season, the Mets assigned Lavender to Double-A Binghamton, and he was outstanding there in seven appearances. The lefty hurler posted a 1.74 ERA, 0.77 WHIP with four saves and fanned 19 batters in 10 1/3 innings earning himself a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse at the beginning of May. However, in 15 games out of the bullpen for Syracuse, Lavender has yet to look as dominant, posting a 4.08 ERA and issuing 5.6 BB/9. The 2021 14th-round draft pick from Illinois could still get a look out of the pen as he sports an absurd 15.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
Entering the 2023 season, Butto looked like a solid starting pitcher depth piece for the Mets. However, things have turned out poorly for Butto at Syracuse. He has posted a 5.72 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP across 12 starts. The 25-year-old walk numbers are alarming early on. During his four-year minor league career, Butto averaged 2.5 BB/9 and has seen it rise to 4.9 BB/9 this season. Left-handed hitters have also tagged the right-hander to a 914 OPS, and he has given up eight homers.
Matt Rudick, Photo by Rick Nelson
DOUBLE-A BINGHAMTON RUMBLE PONIES (38-42)
The Binghamton Rumble Ponies are 38-42 and are in third place in the Eastern League Northeast standings. The Rumble Ponies’ needed more production during the first half. The team hit around .230 and slugged .375, and the staff had a bottom-third team ERA of 4.63 on the pitching side.
Outfielder Rudick has made notable strides in his third season of professional ball and was one of the bright spots on the Binghamton Rumble Ponies club until an injury shelved him on June 21st. The Mets’ 13th-round pick in 2021 posted a slash line of .236/.361/.349 in 90 games last year. The 25-year-old leads the Eastern League with a .435 OBP and is third in OPS (.913) and wRC+ (155). In 251 plate appearances in the first half, Rudick put up a .289 batting average, clubbed nine homers with 31 RBIs, and stole 12 bases. Rudick has a keen eye at the plate, leading to 46 walks compared to 36 strikeouts.
Third baseman Peroza is quietly having a solid season for the Rumble Ponies. He leads the club with 18 doubles and is seventh in the Eastern League with an exceptional .873 OPS. His 134 wRC+ ranks him fourth in the organization. Peroza has been in the Mets system since 2017, is now 23 years old, and is looking to bounce back after a few mediocre seasons.
Hawaiian-born Young got off to a cold start for Binghamton hitting a paltry .200/ .330/.247 at the end of May. Overall, Young has a .612 OPS with two homers and 18 RBIs. The 23-year-old has some encouraging numbers, as he has compiled 42 bases on balls and stole 12 bags in 75 games. Young appeared to be a promising prospect when the Mets drafted him in the 15th round out of Pepperdine in 2021. Known for excellent contact ability, Young slashed a respectable .270/.369/.383 with seven homers and 42 RBIs last year. He also posted a superb .352 average and an .883 OPS in a 19-game stint at Triple-A.
Hamel, the Mets Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2022, looked poised to have another outstanding year. The 24-year-old has had an uneven first half. He recorded a 2.18 ERA in his first five starts with a 27/13 K/BB rate across 20 2/3 innings. Then in his subsequent five appearances, he allowed 22 runs with a 27/5 K/BB rate in 22 1/3 innings. The six-foot-two right-hander is fourth in the Eastern League with 91 punchouts for a 12.1 K/9.
Right-hander Scott has looked great after missing the first month of the season due to an injury and is putting himself on the map. The 24-year-old out of Florida pitched terrific in six starts for the Brooklyn Cyclones. He posted a 2.28 ERA, punched out 27, walked four, and had a 50.9% ground ball rate across 23 2/3 innings. Scott continued that success in his first three starts for Binghamton and was 3-0 with a 1.37 ERA. Scott now sports a 3.11 ERA, a .197 batting average against, and has walked just 11 batters in 55 frames between three minor league levels in the first half.
The Mets No. 17th prospect Santos has struggled this year for Binghamton. Santos has been getting pummeled and surrendered the most hits in the Eastern League (97). In 15 starts, he carries a 6.54 ERA, a 4.60 FIP, and a .896 OPS allowed. The 21-year-old has yet to progress in the Mets system enormously. Overall, he has an 18-32 record with a 4.72 ERA, a 1.48 WHIP, and 7.4K/9 in his five-year minor league career.
Kevin Parada, Photo by Ed Delany of MetsMinors
HIGH-A BROOKLYN CYCLONES (39-41)
The Brooklyn Cyclones are looking to turn things around in the South Atlantic League after posting a 28-37 record in the first half. So far, they started the second half 11-4. The Cyclones have a fantastic 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation, led by Blade Tidwell and Tyler Stuart. Brooklyn’s pitching staff ranks in the top four in ERA (3.48), WHIP (1.32), strikeouts (840), and opponents’ batting average (.220) in the Sally League.
With Álvarez and Baty in the major leagues, Parada is considered the best prospect in the system. The Georgia Tech product is producing a solid first full year after a slow start. In his last 30 games for Brooklyn, he is hitting .297 with five homers and 17 RBIs. The 21-year-old is fifth in the South Atlantic League with 17 doubles and sixth with 73 hits. Parada has 29 extra-base hits and a .803 OPS. It has been a rough go defensively for the young backstock. He has committed seven errors and allowed six passed balls, and has only caught 16% would be base stealers.
Alex Ramírez
The Mets No. 4 and best outfield prospect has slumped a bit after a hot start in April, hitting a .294 clip with one homer, 12 RBIs, three doubles, four stolen bases, and a .342 OBP. Since then, he has seen his batting average dip to .227. The 20-year-old five-tool prospect leads the Cyclones club with 35 RBIs. Ramírez will look to turn things around in the second half after slashing .281/.346/.436 with 11 homers, 71 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases last year.
De Los Santos had a breakout year last season at Low-A St. Lucie, with 117 hits, slugging 16 homers, and swiping 70 bases which tied for the most in all of the minor leagues. The 23-year-old has had a disappointing first half for High-A Brooklyn. The speedster continues to be a threat on the basepaths as he leads the South Atlantic League with 32 stolen bases. There are some faults in De Los Santos’s game as he has struck out a whopping 36.9% (second highest in the system) and is at the bottom in the system with a 4.4% walk rate, a .255 OBP, and a .548 OPS this season.
21-year-old Lugo has regressed at the plate after having a solid 2022 campaign when he hit .263/.347/.432 with 25 doubles, 14 dingers, and 64 RBIs. This year, Lugo has struggled versus righties, hitting .196/.271/.345 in 168 at-bats. Against lefties in a smaller sample size (37 at-bats), he’s had more success hitting .270 with a .823 OPS. Overall in 57 games for Brooklyn, he’s posted a subpar .656 OPS and slugged seven homers.
The most promising hurler in the Mets organization is Tidwell and his performance this year has been stellar of late. Tidwell has fanned a whopping 97 batters and allowed only 44 hits in 64 2/3 innings. The 6-foot-4 right-hander’s final two starts before the break stood out as he racked up back-to-back 11-strikeout performances. Over his last 26 innings, he’s yielded four runs on 16 hits, issued five walks, and struck out 37 batters.
6-foot-9, 250 pound Stuart is making a name for himself with a breakout first half. The 2022 6th-round draft pick out of Southern Mississippi leads all minor league pitchers with a 1.55 ERA. His best pitching performance in the first half was on June 22nd against the Hudson Valley Renegades. In that contest, Stuart tossed 7 2/3 innings, yielding one run on four hits and racked up 11 strikeouts.
Overall, Stuart owns a 4-0 record with 84 strikeouts and limited opponents to a .203 average. The thing to watch in the second half is what the Mets do with Stuart’s workload. Stuart’s high mark was 46 1/3 combined innings pitched last season between Southern Mississippi and three appearances in the Mets system. Already halfway through the year, the righty has blown way passed that at 75 2/3 innings of work. He was just promoted to Double-A Binghamton.
In the first half, Geravse has been lights out in the bullpen for Brooklyn. The big right-hander has been tough on hitters in the Sally League. In 34 2/3 innings, he’s yielded 15 hits, striking batters out at a 35.5% rate, and owns a sparkling 1.04 ERA. The 23-year-old does have to work on throwing strikes, as he’s issued 29 walks.
Jett Williams, Photo by Ed Delany of Mets Minors
ST. LUCIE METS (27-52)
The Florida State League champs from last season have stumbled out the gate this year and have lost the most games (52) among the Mets affiliates. The St. Lucie Mets are in fourth place (14.5 games back) in the FSL East standings. They had an 8-19 record in May and lost nine games in a row. The team has hit just .227/.333/.358 with a .691 OPS, all near the bottom of the league.
At a 5-foot-6 frame, Williams hasn’t hit much in his first full season at Low-A St. Lucie, batting .224 with four homers. The 19-year-old is one of the youngest players in the league. While the batting average is poor, Williams does sport an impressive on-base percentage (.401), the fourth-best in the Florida State League. Williams has shown an excellent eye at the plate drawing 54 walks in 65 games. He is also 25-for-31 in stolen base (second in the system) attempts in 65 games.
Reimer, the Mets’ fourth-round pick in 2022, rebounded after hitting just .239 and a .676 OPS at the end of May. In June, he was on fire and put together a 365/.467/.556, a 1.023 slash line with six doubles, two home runs, and 13 RBIs for St. Lucie. Reimer’s .408 OBP ranks him second in the Florida State League. The 19-year-old has a solid approach at the plate and doesn’t chase pitches out of the strike zone, with 34 walks compared to 51 strikeouts in 63 games.
6-foot-3 Ovalles pitched solid in June, posting a 1.77 ERA in 20 1/3 innings, fanning 23 batters while only walking two. The 20-year-old has been up to 98 mph with his fastball and has some of the best spin rates in the Mets system.
Orellana was a 2021 International Free Agent signing from Venezuela in July 2021. The 21-year-old right-hander was terrific in his first two appearances tossing eight scoreless frames, scattering two hits and three walks with eight strikeouts. Outside of a rough patch in June, posting a 5.87 ERA, allowing 18 hits, ten walks, and three homers in four appearances (one start), he has been reliable in the St. Lucie pitching staff.
Atencio had a nightmare first half for St. Lucie as things went sideways for the young lefty. The 21-year-old pitched ineffectively and surrendered 39 runs on 48 hits and 29 walks in 35 2/3 innings, leading to a 9.84 ERA. Lefty hitters walloped Atencio, slashing .413/.517/.652 and a 1.169 OPS.
Honorable Mention Junior Tilien:
I highlighted Tilien as one of my just missed on MMN Top 30 prospect lists before the start of the season. The 20-year-old repeated St. Lucie and performed well upon his recent promotion to High-A Brooklyn. Tilien is tied for fourth in the Met system with 17 doubles. Between Low-A and High-A, he’s swatted nine homers and driven in 40 runs.
