Reports were the Houston Astros were reticent to include Ryan Clifford in the trade for Justin Verlander. The very first time we got to see Clifford as a member or the New York Mets organization, we got a glimpse why.
Clifford was assigned to the Brooklyn Cyclones after the trade. He batted third behind Jett Williams and Alex Ramirez. With Williams-Ramirez-Clifford atop the lineup, it’s no wonder Brooklyn got off to a fast start.
Williams walked and stole second. He scored on Ramirez’s double. Then, Clifford would homer in his first ever at-bat as a member of the Mets organization:
This was the start of a big day for Clifford and the Cyclones. The three run first set the Cyclones well on their way to a 6-3 victory.
Clifford was a big reason for that. On the day, he was 2-for-3 with two runs, a homer, two walks, and two RBI.
When Clifford was acquired, he was seen as a bat-first player who has natural power who could hit 20+ homers in the majors. He should surpass that plateau in his first year playing for a full season affiliate. That homer was his 19th of the year.
So far this season, his 18 homers in the South Atlantic League is good for fourth overall. He now has a .927 OPS which ranks second. His .562 SLG is the best in the league.
Clifford has been red hot since June 2. Over the 41 game stretch, he has hit 13 homers with nine doubles.
One interesting note is Clifford played first base in the game. While he was drafted as an outfielder, the belief is he will be a first baseman due to his defensive limitations.
Clifford is a prospect on the verge of top 100 status. Games like this only reinforces the possibility we will see him in the rankings next season.
