Mets Top Prospects: 30-26 Led By Wenniger

Mets Top Prospects: 25-21 Loading up Behind the Dish

Mets Top Prospects: 20-16 Infielders Galore!

15. SS/3B Boston Baro

B/T: L/R               Age: 20
Ht: 6’0″                 Wt: 170 lb
ETA:  2028
Acquired: 2023 8th Round Selection
2024 Stats: .278/.358/.390

Boston Baro spent the entire 2024 season at the Single-A level, mostly with St. Lucie until his late season call-up to High-A Brooklyn. He was good in Low-A, with a .288/.368/.399 slash, with 24 extra base hits (four home runs), 42 RBI and eight stolen bases. While he has yet to tap into his power, he continues to show good recognition of the strike zone, drawing walks and limiting his strikeouts. Upon his brief 49 plate appearance trip to Brooklyn, he finished with a .205/.286/.318 slash line at the level with 4 extra base hits and a 5/10 BB/K ratio.

Baro exhibits a line drive swing that at its peak could leave him in the 10-15 home run range with average speed that he uses well when stealing bases as shown by his 90% success rate thus far in his minor league career.

His true value is in his positional versatility, having played 18 games or more at each second base, shortstop and third base. He profiles best as a second baseman, but with experience if he can be average at shortstop that would only help his chances. Considering that he will play the majority of the season at 20 years old, he already has some exciting tools that provide him a solid floor. Boston Baro will likely open the season playing for the Brooklyn Cyclones and looking to keep his prospect stock trending upward.

14. RHP Blade Tidwell

B/T: R/R       Age: 23
Ht: 6’4″         Wt: 207 lbs
ETA:  2025
Acquired: 2022 2nd Round Selection
2024 Stats: 3-13, 4.86 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 8.9 K/9

Blade Tidwell’s 2024 season should really be viewed in two parts – his return to Double-A which saw him improve on his 2023 metrics, and his forgettable introduction to Triple-A that saw him with an ERA near 6 and 53 walks aver 85 innings. Overall, Tidwell had a forgettable year that showed him unable to adapt to Triple-A hitters who would not swing at his pitches out of the zone, forcing him to throw more in the zone which led to 18 home runs allowed – 17 of which happened in Syraucse.

Tidwell works from a solid five-pitch mix with his fastball/slider combination being his real bread and butter. He also offers a cutter, a change up and a curveball – all of which are geared at neutralizing left-handed hitters and, at the moment, are works in progress. If Tidwell wants to succeed as a starter, he is going to have to harness his control. Without that, he could be on a fast track to a bullpen role where his two best pitches could shine. The Mets pitching development lab could even look into refining his curveball or scrapping it all together since it can look like his slider when he’s off with it.

13. LHP Jonathan Santucci

B/T: L/L    Age: 22
Ht: 6’2″       Wt: 205 lbs
ETA: 2027
Acquired: 2024 2nd Round Pick

Santucci, the Mets 2024 first round pick had a good career at Duke University that saw him improve his strikeout rate every season while slightly improving his control. The question with Santucci has been durability, as the 2024 season saw itself derailed by an injury that only allowed him to notch 58 innings. However, in those 58 innings Santucci struck out a remarkable 90 batters.

Santucci currently uses a three pitch mix of a fastball, slider, changeup. His fastball is 92-96 MPH from a high-arm slot that has it running away from hitters. His slider is a true slider, with huge two-plane movement. His changeup is a work in progress, but considering how good his fastball/slider combo have been, it shouldn’t be difficult to see him develop a cutter or possibly a kick-change up to give him another look against right-handed hitters.

Santucci was assigned to the FCL Mets in August, but did not throw a pitch for them. Whether the Mets will be aggressive and send him to full-season ball is to be seen, but maybe a brief stint with the FCL Mets will do Santucci some good.

12. 2B/3B Ronny Mauricio

B/T: S/R      Age: 23
Ht: 6’3”       Wt: 166 lbs
ETA: 2025
Acquired: 2017 International Free Agent
2024 Stats: DNP (Recovery from ACL Reconstruction)

Mauricio was on the cusp of a role with the 2024 New York Mets prior to his unfortunate injury in the Dominican Winter League that saw him tear his ACL. A clean-up procedure and a longer-than-expected recovery saw him miss the entirety of the 2024 season. Mauricio has just recently resumed baseball activities and the Mets are expected to bring him along slowly. However, Mauricio offers 20/20 upside with high exit velocities and questionable swing decisions.

If Mauricio can remain healthy, there is an avenue for him to play somewhere on the 2025 Mets – but his 2025 season should begin with the Syracuse Mets, focusing his defense on 2B/3B/OF.

11. SS Jeremy Rodriguez

B/T: L/R     Age: 18
Ht: 6’0″       Wt: 170 lbs
ETA: 2027
Acquired: 2023 Trade With Arizona Diamondbacks
2024 Stats: .282/.355/.400

Jeremy Rodriguez was a steal the Mets were able to secure in the 2023 Tommy Pham trade and his 2024 season showed much of the same things that make him such an interesting prospect. Rodriguez is one of the few Mets middle-infield prospects who project to remain at shortstop thanks to his smooth actions in the field. Offensively, Rodriguez has above-average speed and a great eye at the plate, with 15 extra base hits over 195 at-bats.

Rodriguez played the entirety of the 2024 season at 18 years old and a full-season assignment could be seen as aggressive since he only has 419 professional plate appearances. However, Rodriguez has the tools to be this years Jesus Baez if he can get some power out of his 6’0″ frame and turn some of the doubles into home runs in St. Lucie.