Photo by Ed Delany of Mets Minors

The New York Mets announced on Friday that they have released one of their longtime prospects, centerfielder Alex Ramirez.

The Mets signed, the then 18-year old, Ramirez in July 2019 as a free agent and he has spent the past six years with the organization. He was once considered one of the best outfield prospects in the organization and was the organization’s highest-ranked outfield in the farm system.

2022 was Ramirez’s peak season, where he split the year between St. Lucie and Brooklyn and batted .281/.346/.432. He hit 30 doubles, seven triples, 11 home runs, and had 71 RBIs and 62 runs scored, along with 21 stolen bases. Heading into the 2023 season, he was ranked as the Mets’ No. 4 prospect.

However, since 2022 Ramirez has struggled to a .212 batting average, striking out in 25% of his at-bats.

Prior to being released by the Mets on Friday, he was hitting .222/.304/.298, with a .602 OPS with Double-A Binghamton. He had hit seven doubles, two home runs, and had 14 RBI with 23 runs scored.

The Mets also released right-handed relief pitcher Grant Hartwig and left-handed pitcher Alex Young.

With Ramirez and Hartwig being released, that now opens two spots on the 40-man roster as neither were arbitration-eligible.