Carson Benge. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

When Juan Soto was asked after the regular season finale why New York Mets fans should be confident the team can turn things around next year he said, “Carson Benge.”

MLB Pipeline named the 23-year-old outfielder to its All-Rookie Team late Tuesday, with A.J. Ewing and Nolan McLean earning Second Team honors.

Benge started slow, he was slashing .179/.235/.263 on May 2, but the Mets let their 2024 first-round pick ride it out and he showed that their faith was warranted. A five-game hitting streak started the next day and he was off. He finished the year hitting .282/.346/.430 with 20 homers and 22 stolen bases.

He is the first Met rookie with a 20-20 season and 18th in MLB history, joining a club that includes Tommie Agee, Carlos Beltrán, Bobby Witt Jr. and Mike Trout. He is a Rookie of the Year candidate.

A pitcher in college, he showed a great arm, too, leading the league with assists from right field with 10. SNY broadcaster Ron Darling said during the season that his throws reminded him of Dwight Evans, a Red Sox right-fielder known for his arm who won eight Gold Gloves.

Ewing wasn’t in the Mets’ original 2026 plans, but an injury to Luis Robert Jr. opened the door and he was called up on May 12. The 22-year-old hit .252/.324/.376 with 11 homers and 25 stolen bases. It seems like the Mets have two-thirds of their outfield set for awhile.

McLean debuted with eight strong starts in 2025, but maintained rookie status this season and delivered again. He went 12-10 with a 3.16 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. He struck out 194 and walked 70 in 179 2/3 innings. The strikeouts and innings pitched totals both ranked 14th in baseball.

McLean was the first Met rookie to start 31 games since Jae Weong Seo in 2003. Before that, it was Darling and Dwight Gooden in 1984.

To see the full All-Rookie teams, click here. Selections were based on 2026 MLB performance, not future projections.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

After a minor-league season largely spent working back from injury, both Boston Baro and Calvin Ziegler appeared in their first Arizona Fall League games October 4. Baro roped a 99.7 mph single to drive in a runner while Ziegler threw a scoreless inning in relief.

Boston Baro was taken in the eighth round of the 2023 draft as an over-slot high school signing. He is an athletic defender with a good hit tool and limited power that could develop into a utility player some day.

Unfortunately, since being drafted Baro has largely struggled in the minors with his best season taking place in 2024, mustering only a .748 OPS. He struggled heavily in 2025 and was injured for most of 2026. Ideally, Baro will be able to utilize the AFL to springboard into a healthy 2027 season.

Calvin Ziegler was taken in the second round of the 2021 draft and has only pitched a full season once, which was in 2022. Since then he has been injured each season including a torn quad and Tommy John surgery but has persevered. He came back at the end of 2026 and his stuff looked better than his results. He did not strike anyone out in his sole inning of relief but his velocity was there. The best thing to come out of the AFL would be for Ziegler to end it healthy and ready for 2027.

Ziegler joins Peyton Prescott and Irving Cota in a successful first pitching performance in the AFL while Baro joins Cole Mathis in getting his first AFL hit. So far the Mets’ prospects, playing for the Surprise Saguaros, have won both of their AFL games.

Sammy Stafura. Photo Credit: Brooklyn Cyclones

Fresh off a 2025 championship, the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Mets’ Single-A affiliate, entered their 25th season with high expectations.

Alas, frequent injuries to key players and uneven first-half production proved to be the club’s undoing. Despite gaining reinforcements from the Mets’ deadline sell-off, the club ended 2026 with a 57-74 record, plunging to 27 games out of first place in the South Atlantic League.

The change in personnel extended to the skipper’s seat. After racking up 137 wins during two years at the helm, Gilbert Gomez received a well-deserved promotion to fill the major-league club’s first-base coach vacancy.

Brooklyn named Eduardo Nunez – no, not that 2019 Met – as Gomez’s replacement early in the year. Nunez made it clear from the beginning that while winning is always important, it comes secondary to development.

“Of course, you want to win, but at the end, this is a process of developing”

His Opening Day roster contained 25 players in various stages of their professional development. Mitch Voit and Antonio Jimenez represented the cream of the crop of the Mets’ 2025 draft class. Meanwhile, Cyclones stalwarts Noah Hall and Colin Houck, the latter a former Mets’ first-round draft pick, anchored the team’s veteran core.

Yet, despite the high draft picks augmenting the club’s lineup, the starting nine fell flat in the first half.

Voit remained a bright spot in Brooklyn’s otherwise tepid lineup. It took two months for him to find his stride, but as the summer heated up, his bat followed. In June, Voit posted a .906 OPS, a particularly impressive figure given the pitcher-friendly reputation of the Cyclones’ home ballpark of Maimonides Park.

On the mound, the aforementioned Hall eclipsed Jaison Vilera as Brooklyn’s all-time starts and strikeouts leader, surely becoming an answer to a trivia question in a dingy Brooklyn bar in the process. For the third consecutive season, the season’s opening frame belonged to the former Gamecock. With a sparkling June, he earned South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Month honors and, as an award, was quickly given the bump to Double-A.

Noah Hall. Photo by Bella Dunning of the Brooklyn Cyclones

Hall joined first baseman Corey Collins, outfielder John Bay, and relief pitcher Garrett Stratton as Cyclones to take their talents north to Double-A Binghamton.

As the quartet exited the Brooklyn clubhouse for fresher pastures on the other side of the Tappan Zee Bridge, a slew of prospects new to the organization took their place on the roster, including four top-30 prospects.

Shortstop Sammy Stafura, after a breakout first half in the Pirates’ system, headlined the club’s package of prospects.

Stafura’s acquisition received the most publicity out of all of the Mets’ deadline deals, and for good reason: it’s no secret why he was so excited to join the Mets.

Stafura popped 14 home runs in an 18-game span in the two weeks prior to the deal, and while it would be foolhardy to expect that level of production in the future, his midseason swing change primes him for sustained power numbers in 2027. In 21 games with Brooklyn, Stafura procured a .244/.357/.415 triple-slash.

In addition to Stafura, the club acquired center fielder and fellow hobbyist, Aidan Smith, as part of their deadline haul. Smith may not have made as drastic swing adjustments as Stafura, but still posted a .938 OPS in Brooklyn, 300 points higher than his OPS with the Rays.

Aidan Smith. Photo Credit: Brooklyn Cyclones

In 2025, Smith was in the discussion for national top-100 prospect lists, but his offensive production ultimately kept him out of the rankings. Now, if he can replicate his .930 OPS in 2027, those conversations may begin anew.

Stafura and Smith were far from the only impactful position player additions. John Spikerman (Brooks Raley deal) provided a litany of up-the-middle defensive highlights to the Coney Island faithful. Third baseman Cole Mathis (David Peterson deal) fought through an injury-marred campaign. He will continue his season as part of the Mets’ Arizona Fall League contingent.

As the club inched closer to the South Atlantic League playoffs in August, the organization called up Aiden Robbins and Elian Pena from Single-A to reinforce the club’s lineup. Both players are relative newcovers to the organization.

Elian Pena. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Robbins was drafted with the 91st pick of the 2026 draft. He posted a .273/.371/.455 with four dingers in Single-A, earning an expected promotion to Brooklyn.

Meanwhile, Pena, the Mets’ highest-ranked player from their 2025 international free agent class, earned the nod after recovering from a frigid start to his professional career, where, in 2025, he started out 0-for-34 in rookie ball. Despite the unfortunate streak, the 18-year-old eventually found his footing. At the time of his promotion to Brooklyn, Pena’s season slash line sat at a league-average .271/.388/.397 with a .354 wOBA/.297 xwOBA.

He faltered down the stretch with Brooklyn, but Pena is expected to highlight the club’s 2027 Opening Day roster.

On the pitching side, the club ended the season with arguably the best starting-5 in the system.

Daviel Hurtado, Emilio Obispo, and Nicolas Carreno all quietly enjoyed excellent campaigns. The southpaw Hurtado ended the year with the second-best ERA in the South Atlantic League. He posted the best start of the season for Brooklyn on August 15, shutting out division rivals Jersey Shore Blueclaw over seven magnificent frames.

The club brought in Luke Gabrysh in the Brooks Raley deal to complement the young guns; the 23-year-old quickly earned a promotion to Double-A.

Rafi Vazquez and Irving Cota both starred out of the bullpen, producing two of the most underrated years in the system, powering the club’s backend with a 2.41 ERA and 0.73 ERA, respectively.

Injuries waylaid Randy Guzman for the majority of the season, but when he was healthy, riders on the nearby Cyclone rollercoaster had to take cover. The aforementioned 2025 third-rounder Antonio Jimenez and backstop Daiverson Gutierrez deployed midseason swing changes and parlayed the adjustments into much improved second-half OPSs. Calvin Ziegler and Wyatt Hudepohl both made triumphant returns to the hill.

To echo Nunez’s earlier point, Single-A success is not dictated by on-the-field record. From a developmental standpoint, the season could be deemed a success. Throughout the season, oodles of Cyclones made intentional changes to fulfill a certain developmental goal.

Teams ending the year with their farmhands’ skills stuck in concrete indicate that the organization has taken a rudderless approach towards player development. That did not epitomize the Brooklyn squad, who brought their best Frankstein impression to the ballpark every day.

Stafura, Jimenez, and Gutierrez made swing changes to produce more pop. Pitchers procured peculiar pitches, seemingly on the daily.

One example: the Mets challenged Gabrysh to throw a ‘triangle of fastballs,’ a technique mastered by Yankees’ ace Cam Schlittler.

Lower levels of minor-league baseball, especially High-A, are always used as a platform to mold and form a team’s future core. Record always takes second fiddle.

The proof is in the pudding. Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Nolan McLean, and Zac Thornton, homegrown big leaguers on the Mets’ roster, all made stops at Brooklyn during their minor-league journey. None of them were on the roster for Brooklyn’s championship series last year.

And while gripes can rightfully be made about the Mets’ 2026 campaign, few can argue that the steps made in the lower levels of the minors led to the conundrum. Instead, the infusion of youth has primed the Mets for sustained success at the Major League level.

Bruin Agbayani. Photo Credit: Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Peyton Prescott recorded five outs for the win, Cole Mathis went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a walk, and Bruin Agbayanimade a pair of errors at second base Saturday in the Surprise Saguaros’ 9-3 victory over the Scottsdale Scorpions in an Arizona Fall League opener. A full box score can be referenced here.

Prescott, in an opener role, allowed no runs on two hits, two walks, and struck out one for the win. He threw 20-of-37 pitches for strikes. The 22-year-old was a fifth-round pick in 2025 out of Florida State University. He appeared in just one game for Single-A St. Lucie this season, coming off Tommy John surgery. The Mets drafted the right-hander after the surgery.

Mathis, 23, who got the start at first base, was acquired from the Cubs for David Peterson. Chicago selected him in the second round of the 2024 draft from the College of Charleston and he posted an .860 OPS in 25 games for High-A South Bend before the trade. He was injured when he joined the Mets’ organization and played in only seven games for High-A Brooklyn, going 2-for-24.

Agbayani went 0-for-4 with a run scored, a walk, and two strikeouts. The 19-year-old came to the Mets with Billy Amick in the A.J. Minter deal with the Twins. He also dealt with an injury this season and played in only 13 games.

Three other Met prospects pitched: Irving Cota allowed three runs (two earned) on one hit and two walks and struck out one. Brendan Girton recorded one out and allowed a hit and a walk. Ryan Lambert threw a scoreless inning, struck out two and walked one.

The Saguaros (1-0) are a combination of Mets, Guardians, Phillies, Rangers, and Royals prospects. Shortstop Welbyn Francisca (Guardians) went 5-for-5 with a home run, a double, a walk and a stolen base to lead the offense.

Bruin Agbayani. Photo Credit: Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The New York Mets are sending three position players to the Arizona Fall League, which starts play on Saturday and runs through Nov. 14. The AFL is a six-team league made up of minor leaguers from the 30 MLB teams. The Mets will join prospects from the Guardians, Phillies, Rangers and Royals to form the AFL’s Surprise Saguaros.

New York will also send five pitchers, which was covered on Monday here.

Cole Mathis

Cole Mathis, 23, was a second-round pick of the Cubs in 2024 out of the College of Charleston who came to the Mets in the David Peterson trade. He posted an .860 OPS and hit three homers, nine doubles, and two triples in 25 games for High-A South Bend before the trade. He was injured at the time of the deal and went 2-for-24 in seven games for High-A Brooklyn. MMO’s Mike Mayer ranked him No. 16 on his list of Met prospects.

Mathis has had recurring elbow issues since undergoing Tommy John surgery after he was drafted, which has affected his ability to play third base, moving him largely to first. His exit velocities since returning from the injured list were unavailable, but they will be in the AFL and power is a big part of his game.

Things to Watch: Exit velocities and arm strength

Bruin Agbayani 

The 19-year-old son of Benny Agbayani, Bruin, came to the Mets with first baseman Billy Amick in the A.J. Minter trade with the Twins. Minnesota selected him in the sixth round of the 2025 draft out of a Honolulu High School. Mayer ranked him No. 35.

Bruin Agbayani‘s game is plate discipline and hitting to the gaps. He needs to pull the ball more, and more would be once as far as pulling the ball in the air. He did not pull one in the air this season in 64 plate appearances. Like Mathis, he was injured (shoulder) at the time of the trade. He went 2-for-12 with five strikeouts in three games for Single-A St. Lucie to end the year.

Things to Watch: Plate discipline and pull fly-ball rate.

Boston Baro 

The Mets selected Boston Baro, 22, in the eighth round of the 2023 draft out of a Southern California High School, luring him away from a commitment to play for UCLA. He posted a .602 OPS and stole 28 bases in 30 tries in 103 games for Brooklyn (High-A) in 2025, but injuries limited him to 11 games this year.

Baro is a contact over power hitter. In his 33 plate appearances for St. Lucie after an injured list stint, he didn’t barrel a ball or hit one over 96.6 mph. The Mets will want to see his exit velocities improve and his max exit velocity in the 104-105 mph range, where they were prior to a shoulder injury.

Things to Watch: Barrel rate and exit velocity.

Irving Cota. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The Arizona Fall League begins on Saturday October 3, and the New York Mets have a strong cohort of players attending. Teams will use the Arizona Fall League for a number of reasons. From getting players who spent most of the year on the injured list more work, to getting a look at potential 40-man adds, and even giving players more run to work through late season mechanical changes.

Here are the pitchers the team is sending:

Irving Cota

Irving Cota had a fantastic start to his 2026 season throwing 31 1/3 innings to a 2.30 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. He made it all the way to Double-A but went on the injured list in early June and did not return until September 1. He only pitched two innings in September so the AFL will allow him to increase his season’s workload for him to build upon in 2027.

Cota throws four pitches, with his high-spin curveball arguably being his best pitch. He added 2,000 rpm of spin to the pitch in 2026 and throws it 79 mph. His sinker only comes in at 94 mph but that was roughly a 1.5 mph jump from 2025. He pairs that sinker with an 85 mph changeup that generates 16 inches of arm-side movement.

Worth noting, the above velocities and spin readings come from his rehab appearances at the end of the season. So, it is possible in High-A and Double-A he was throwing even harder. That will be something to monitor in the AFL.

Continuing to add velocity will be key to his future success and development. He does not have wipeout stuff, but he attacks the zone and limits hard contact. He does not walk many batters which should allow him to go deep into games. As a command and control based starter without a huge movement profile, getting those pitch velocities closer to league average could go a long way.

Things To Watch: Pitch velocity and spin rates.

Peyton Prescott

Peyton Prescott was drafted in the fifth round of the 2025 draft with the knowledge he recently had Tommy John surgery. This allowed the Mets to draft him later in the draft than he would have gone fully healthy. He made it into one game at the end of 2026 and flashed that upside. The AFL will give him the opportunity to get more reps in before his full professional season.

In that single outing Prescott ran his fastball up to 96.5 mph from a lower slot with good movement and spin. His cutter came in at 91.4 mph with good glove-side movement while both his slider and curveball looked like they could pair well together as big breaking pitches. His changeup looks like an average pitch but gives him an arm-side tool to work with.

Overall, this was a very impressive first look for a very exciting pitching prospect that could end up being a standout from the 2025 draft.

Things To Watch: Pitch command.

Brendan Girton. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Brendan Girton

Brendan Girton had a bit of an up-and-down season initially struggling as a starter but performing better as the season went on as a reliever. By season’s end he had a 6.72 ERA and 1.66 WHIP, which is tough to look at but there were some positive takeaways from his season.

Girton, as a reliever, had one bad outing at the end of the season where he gave up four runs but the other 13 appearances he pitched to a 2.08 ERA. During this span he attacked the zone at a much higher rate, cut down his walk rate, and generated a high number of ground balls. He focused on pitch to contact utilizing his high spin rates to generate weak contact on the zone.

It will be interesting to see if they keep him as a reliever in the AFL or if they use this time to stretch him back out as a starter and give him another shot in the rotation in 2027.

Things to watch: Role (starter or relief pitcher).

Ryan Lambert

Ryan Lambert showed up to spring training throwing triple digits and bewildering fans and reporters alike with his stories of drinking excessive amounts of raw eggs to increase his velocity. He looked like he could force his way onto the Opening Day roster or at the least be a big contributor across the 2026 season. Unfortunately, things did not go that way.

He struggled with injuries, never hit 100 mph, and pitched to a 7.71 ERA and 1.91 WHIP across 25 2/3 Triple-A innings. He is not Rule 5 eligible until after the 2027 season so the Mets still have time to right the ship. Lambert pitching in the AFL could be a way to clean up his mechanics and get some more work in with the hopes he can contribute in 2027. Velocity was a big need for the Mets bullpen in 2026 and likely will be again in 2027.

Lambert is known for his fastball because of the velocity, but his best pitch may actually be his slider. It is a tight, high-spin slider that comes in around 2,600 rpm and he can ramp it up to the high 80 mph range. It profiles very similarly to Shohei Ohtani’s slider and in Triple-A that pitch generated a 47.2% whiff rate. His fastball is also a high whiff pitch with a plus-movement profile but he needs to keep that velocity consistent.

Lambert’s biggest issue is controlling his pitches. There are effectively wild pitchers like Edwin Díaz and then there are ones that are just wild. Unfortunately, Lambert falls into the second category. These control issues led to an extreme 22.4% walk rate in 2026. He will need to drastically improve that to have a real shot at making the majors in 2027.

Things to watch: Velocity and control.

Calvin Ziegler

Calvin Ziegler was drafted in the second round of the 2021 draft but since then injuries have limited him to only 53 2/3 innings. Specifically, 46 2/3 of them came in 2022. Ziegler pitched 13 1/3 innings in 2026 and while the results were not good at a 7.43 ERA and 2.70 WHIP, he flashed plus-stuff and it was just good to see him on the mound.

He also ended in Double-A. It could have been just to get more innings but it will be interesting to see what level he starts his 2027 season at. He will now have time in the AFL to increase that inning count heading into 2027.

Ziegler amazingly did not look like his stuff lost anything from his injuries. He was still throwing close to 96 mph, his curveball flashed plus spin rates, he paired his sinker and changeup well, and his tight slider looked like it could mix well with the curve. His control was nonexistent with a 31.2% walk rate in the minors in 2026, but that is to be expected after going so long without throwing in a professional game.

It will be interesting to see in the AFL how deep they let him go into games. In 2026 he did not throw more than 1 1/3 innings in any outing despite largely being used on a starter’s schedule.

Things to watch: Pitch count and control.

Yovanny Rodriguez. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Catcher Yovanny Rodriguez was the star of the Florida Complex League Mets this year, leading the team in homers and batting average and earning a selection to the All-Star team.

The 19-year-old from Venezuela hit .280/.389/.460 with seven homers and 34 RBIs in 49 games before he was promoted to Single-A St. Lucie where he hit six homers in 25 games and posted a .765 OPS.

The Mets signed Rodriguez for $2.85 million in 2024 and he was considered the best catching prospect and No. 7 overall prospect of that international class. MMO’s Mike Mayer ranks him the organization’s No. 30 prospect and MLB Pipeline has him at No. 25.

“Rodriguez’s best tool remains his throwing arm from behind the plate, and he’s a threat to throw out nearly 30 percent of attempted base-stealers because of that strength,” read a scouting report before the season on Baseball Savant. “His game-calling drew early praise too.”

He threw out 25 percent of runners trying to steal for FCL Mets, but just two of 37 (five percent) at St. Lucie.

The Mets went 24-32, finishing third in the East Division. Out of 15 FCL teams, they were tied for 13th in runs scored with 269 (4.8 runs per game) and 10th in ERA at 6.24.

Camden Lohman, an eighth-round pick in the 2025 draft out of a high school in Missouri, led the team in innings pitched with 43. The 19-year-old right-hander struck out 53, but had control issues, walking 33 and pitching to a 6.28 ERA and 1.79 WHIP. He was promoted to St. Lucie, where he gave up three runs in four innings.

Bohan Adderley, a 19-year-old from the Bahamas, also earned a promotion after hitting .270/.323/.391 with four homers over 53 games. His .714 OPS was a major improvement over 2025, when it was .559 over 49 FCL games. Adderley got off to a nice start at St. Lucie, going 14-for-45 (.311 batting average) over 13 games. The outfielder stole 35 bases in 38 attempts combined at the two levels.

Coaching Staff

• Manager – Lino Diaz
• Hitting coaches – Alejandro Diaz, Ruben Sosa
• Pitching coaches – Garrett Baker, Wander Cabrera
• Bench coach – Buddy Fultz

MMO Top Prospect

• No. 30 C Yovanny Rodriguez

Team Batting Leaders

• Games: Bohan Adderley, 53
• AB: Adderley, 174
• Runs: Adderley, 33
• Hits: Adderley, 47
• 2B: Adderley, 9
• 3B: Yeider Mindiola, Wyatt Vincent, 3
• HR: Yovanny Rodriguez, 7
• RBI: Rodriguez, 34
• BB: Josmir Reyes, 27
• SO: Anthony Frobose, 61
• SB: Vladi Gomez, 33
• CS: Gomez, Vincent, 5
• BA (Qualified): Rodriguez, .280
• OBP (Qualified): Rodriguez, .389
• SLG (Qualified): Rodriguez, .460
• OPS (Qualified): Rodriguez, .849

Team Pitching Leaders

• W: Eris Albino, Yoralbert Cadiz, 4
• L: Jean Brito, 5
• ERA (min 25 IP): Brito, 4.78
• G: Cadiz, 18
• GS: Camden Lohman, 10
• SV: Albino, 2
• IP: Lohman, 43
• HR allowed: Julio Gonzalez, 9
• BB: Albino, 34
• SO: Lohman, 53
• WHIP (min 25 IP): Brito, 1.22
• OPP AVG (min 25 IP): Brito, .168

Jonathan Santucci. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies played two completely different halves of a season in 2026. After finishing the first half with the worst record in the Eastern League, 15 games under .500, manager Michael Collins’ team surged to a .500 record in the second half, largely thanks to the talent the Mets brought in at the 2026 trade deadline.

The Binghamton first half was marked by injury and underperformance. Coming off a season in which he put up a .870 OPS with 17 homers, infielder Jacob Reimer struggled to stay on the field in the first half, posting a .643 OPS in April and appearing in only eight games in June. Reimer’s slow start was a microcosm of the larger issues for Binghamton as they struggled to get anything going in the first half.

The team scored just 283 runs in the first half, which came out to an average of just 4.1 runs per game. Their 283 runs scored were the lowest of any team in the Eastern League, and they were the only team to not cross the 300-run threshold. Their negative-52 run differential was the second worst of any team in the Eastern League, only to the Altoona Curve’s negative-68.

The league’s-worst offense mixed with a mediocre pitching staff was a recipe for disaster for Binghamton, but the impending sell-off by the major-league team at the 2026 trade deadline would end up being the source of great relief for the Rumble Ponies, and it was almost enough to propel them into the playoffs.

After finishing 28-43 in a disappointing first half, Binghamton was able to rally in the second half to the tune of a 34-34 record. Up in Queens, the Mets were selling off valuable deadline pieces leading up to the August 3rd deadline, and the Mets were able to bring in a new group of prospects to infuse into their farm system, with a great number of them heading to Binghamton.

Infielders Émilien Pitre, Billy Amick, and Jefferson Rojas were added to the heart of Collins’ lineup, starter Gary Gill Hill was added to the rotation, and pitcher Luke Gabrysh joined as well. Not only did the Mets add talent, but they added high-end talent with a top-100 prospect in Rojas, a potentially soon-to-be top-100 name in Pitre, and one of the most pure power bats in the minor leagues in Amick.

After the infusion of talent, the team ripped off a 34-32 run, a 17-game-over-.500 difference from how they ended their first half. It did not end up being enough to secure them a spot in the playoffs, as they did lose some of those key additions to Triplw-A Syracuse, but it showed the level of impact talent that the Mets were able to bring in.

Beyond the talent brought in at the trading deadline, the Ponies played host to a few incredible prospect developments this year, with perhaps none bigger than the trio of starter Jonathan Santucci and infielders Nick Lorusso, and Mitch Voit. Santucci would go on to lead the minor leagues in strikeouts this year, marking the second consecutive season that a Met took home that honor (Jonah Tong). In 19 Double-A starts before his promotion, the Duke product posted a 3.57 ERA with 120 strikeouts. Even though he authored just 90 innings, he finished in a tie for seventh in the league in strikeouts.

Lorusso’s professional career seemed to be on life support entering June, and he responded by posting a resounding 1.014 OPS with five homers in June and a .826 OPS with four homers in July. His positional versatility makes him an appealing prospect, as does the fact that he handled right-handed pitching significantly better than he did lefties, with a .795 OPS against righties and a .708 against lefties.

For Voit, he earned consecutive player of the week honors to bookend July and August, and would eventually be the Mets’ Player Development Player of the Year, thanks in large part to an explosion in the second half.

The 2025 first-round selection mashed over a 25-game stretch that began on July 24 with the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones and ended on August 30 with Binghamton, posting a 1.097 OPS with 12 doubles, two homers, a triple, and a slash-line of .401/.491/.606. Entering that stretch, the Michigan product had just a .738 OPS in the Southeastern Atlantic League.

Émilien Pitre. (Credits: MLB Pipeline on X)

Coaching Staff

Manager – Michael Collins

Bench Coach – Mariano Duncan

Hitting Coach – Rachel Folden

Assistant Hitting Coach – Jake Hager

Pitching Coach – Matt Carasiti

Athletic Trainer – Joe Parrillo

MMO Top Prospects (Min. 30 GP/30 IP)

• 5 – LHP Jonathan Santucci
• 12 – INF Jacob Reimer
• 22 – C/OF Chris Suero
• 31 – RHP R.J. Gordon
• 34 – INF Marco Vargas
• 41 – INF Nick Lorusso
• 47 – OF Jose Ramos

Team Batting Leaders

• Games: C Chris Suero (114)
• AB: C Chris Suero (403)
• Runs: C Chris Suero (75)
• Hits: C Chris Suero (81)
• 2B: INF Jacob Reimer (21)
• 3B: INF Marco Vargas (4)
• HR: INF Nick Lorusso (19)
• RBI: INF Nick Lorusso (55)
• BB: C Chris Suero (80)
• SO: C Chris Suero (145)
• SB: C Chris Suero (37)
• CS: C Chris Suero (9)
• BA (Qualified): OF Jose Ramos (.218)
• OBP (Qualified): C Chris Suero (.347)
• SLG (Qualified): C Chris Suero (.395)
• OPS (Qualified): C Chris Suero (.742)

Team Pitching Leaders

• W: RHP Douglas Orellana (9)
• L: RHP R.J. Gordon (7)
• ERA (min. 60 IP): LHP Jonathan Santucci (3.57)
• G: RHP Douglas Orellana (45)
• GS: RHP R.J. Gordon (21)
• SV: RHP Garrett Stratton (7)
• IP: RHP Bryce Conley (93)
• HR (allowed): RHP Bryce Conley (17)
• BB: RHP Brendan Girton (57)
• SO: LHP Jonathan Santucci (120)
• WHIP (min. 60 IP): LHP Jonathan Santucci (1.25)
• AVG (min. 30 IP): LHP Gabriel Rodriguez (.194)

Ryan Clifford. Photo Credit: James Farrance

The 2026 Syracuse Mets finished with an 81-68 record, good for a tie with Charlotte for second in the International League East overall and fourth in the International League as a whole.

It was a tale of two halves for the Syracuse Mets. In the first half of the season, they went 38-37, but improved in the second half, going 43-31. Syracuse would go on to barely miss out on the playoffs, coming down to the last day of the season where they were eventually eliminated by the Rochester Red Wings.

Part of the reason that Syracuse excelled in the second half was a large influx of talent, both internally and externally. Between the promotion of pitching prospect Jonathan Santucci, and deadline trades that brought in other prospects like Billy Amick, Émilien Pitre, and Zach Franklin, the team looked very different in the second half of the year.

The 2026 Syracuse Mets were a very interesting roster to look at. For the most part, many of the large contributors were a core of more veteran players with major-league experience. Specifically, players like MJ Melendez, Cristian Pache, and Vidal Bruján. These players are necessary to fill roster spots, potentially fill in for major league injuries (like we saw with Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto), and ultimately help win games. However, the most important aspect is the continued development and final test for prospects before they play for the New York Mets.

For the latter point, we saw Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns be very aggressive with prospects in 2026, in regards to the Syracuse Mets. Carson Benge, Mets rookie phenom, played 24 games at Syracuse in 2025, and bypassed continued time in 2026 to jump directly to the Majors. His counterpart, A.J. Ewing, played only 12 games this year in Syracuse before getting called up to the Mets. Zac Thornton put himself on the Mets radar by pitching well at Binghamton (Double-A), then was called up in the latter half of the year after throwing well enough at Syracuse. These types of development stories are critical for sustained success at the major league level.

On the mound, it was a weird year for some of the Mets’ top prospect arms. Jonah Tong took a big step back from his dominant 2025 and did not pitch well for most of 2026, however he finished strong and eventually got called up to the majors. Jack Wenninger experienced a very similar story, he was not able to follow up on a great 2025 in Binghamton. However, Syracuse also saw successful development from Santucci and a potential bullpen arm in Nate Lavender. As a team, Syracuse ranked 10th in ERA, ninth in strikeouts, and 10th in WHIP out of 20 International League teams.

At the plate, much of the Mets offense was carried by Melendez, Ronny Mauricio, and outfield prospect Nick Morabito. Fellow prospect Ryan Clifford experienced a very rough 2026, posting career lows in batting average, on base percentage, slugging, and OPS before eventually being put on the development list. He did play much better after coming back. Syracuse also got brief introductions to Amick, Pitre, and No. 1 prospect Jefferson Rojas at the end of the season, providing a well needed boost to the offense.

As a team, Syracuse ranked 14th in batting average, 15th in on-base percentage, eighth in slugging, 10th in OPS, and seventh in home runs out of 20 International League teams.

Jefferson Rojas. Photo Credit: Syracuse Mets

Coaching Staff

• Manager – Dick Scott
• Pitching Coach – A.J. Sager
• Assistant Pitching Coach – Troy Miller
• Hitting Coach – Nate Irving
• Bench Coach/Assistant Hitting Coach – John Nogowski
• Head Athletic Trainer – Austin Dayton
• Assistant Athletic Trainer – Joshua Jackson
• Strength and Conditioning Coach – Drew Skrocki
• Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach – Max Aronwold
• Baseball Technology and Video Associate – Pedro John

MMO Top Prospects (Min. 30 GP/30 IP)

• 3 – RHP Jonah Tong
• 5 – LHP Jonathan Santucci
• 7 – LHP Zac Thornton
• 8 – RHP Jack Wenninger
• 13 – 1B/COF Ryan Clifford
• 14 – OF Nick Morabito
• 21 – LHP Nate Lavender
• 32 – RHP Jonathan Pintaro
• 33 – RHP Dylan Ross
• 50 – RHP Ben Simon

Team Batting Leaders

• Games: Ryan Clifford – 115
• AB: Nick Morabito – 425
• Runs: Nick Morabito – 73
• Hits: Nick Morabito – 108
• 2B: MJ Melendez – 20
• 3B:  Cristian Pache – 4
• HR: MJ Melendez – 20
• RBI:  Ronny Mauricio – 57
• BB: Nick Morabito – 27
• SO: Ryan Clifford – 174
• SB: Nick Morabito – 42
• CS: Jihwan Bae/MJ Melendez – 6
• BA (Qualified): Nick Morabito – .254
• OBP (Qualified): Nick Morabito – .355
• SLG (Qualified): Nick Morabito – .388
• OPS (Qualified): Nick Morabito – .743

Note: Syracuse had two qualified hitters: Ryan Clifford and Nick Morabito.

Team Pitching Leaders

• W: Brian Metoyer/Ben Simon/Jonah Tong/Jack Wenninger – 5
• L: Jack Wenninger – 8
• ERA (min. 60 IP): Xzavion Curry – 3.36
• G: Dylan Ross – 45
• GS: Jonah Tong – 23
• SV: Dylan Ross/Anderson Severino – 5
• IP: Jack Wenninger – 115
• HR (allowed): Jonah Tong – 22
• BB: Jack Wenninger – 68
• SO: Jonah Tong – 126
• WHIP (min. 60 IP): Xzavion Curry – 1.19
• AVG (min. 30 IP): Tobias Myers – .180

2027 should be a very exciting year for Syracuse. Several of the Mets top prospects like Jefferson Rojas, Mitch Voit, Jonathan Santucci, Jack Wenninger, and Émilien Pitre will all likely begin with the team. Other prospects like Nick Morabito and Jonah Tong will be competing for a majoraleague roster spot. These players all can play roles in the near future for the New York Mets, and hope to turn it around from the disappointing year of 2026.

Wandy Asigen signing. Photo via MLB

The Mets’ two Dominican Summer League teams combined to go 49-63 this year, but Wandy Asigen looked worthy of the hype, Cleiner Ramirez showed power and speed, and right-hander Abner Meza is someone to keep an eye on.

Asigen slashed .279/.470/.525 with three homers, two triples, and two doubles in 23 games for Mets Orange, which went 29-27 to finish fifth in the DSL South Division. He stole six bases in 10 tries.

The shortstop from the Dominican Republic turned 17 in August and MMO’s Mike Mayer has him ranked as the organization’s No. 9 prospect. MLB Pipeline has him at No. 5 with a 2031 ETA. The Mets signed him for $3.9 million in January after he backed out of an agreement with the New York Yankees.

The only flaw in Asigen’s game this summer was on defense. Scouts believe he can handle short, but he committed nine errors in 20 starts there.

Ramirez, 17, of Venezuela was named the Mets’ DR Academy Player of the Year. He hit .241/.357/.462 with a team-leading seven home runs and 11 doubles in 171 plate appearances for Mets Orange. He stole 18 bases in 19 attempts.

Mayer ranked him No. 37 and MLB Pipeline puts him at No. 20. The Mets signed him for $1.3 million in January. He started eight games at short, seven in center, two at second, and 23 at designated hitter. Scouts think his future is likely in the outfield.

Meza, named the Mets’ DR Academy Pitcher of the Year, went 5-2 with a 1.81 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over 49 2/3 innings for Mets Orange. The 19-year-old from Mexico struck out 50 and walked 10.

“Cleiner and Abner, they just started their journey,” Andy Green said after the season. “So they both had great starts to their journey this year and it’s exciting to see where their journey will take them.”

Mets Blue went 20-36 and finished in last place in the Southeast Division, but first baseman Jonnhan Sanchez was a bright spot. The 19-year-old Venezuelan hit .309/.459/.447 with three homers, 10 doubles, a triple, and stole 15 bases. He played 38 games for Mets Blue and 11 for Mets Orange. The aforementioned statistics combine the 49 games.

Some other notable DSL performances:

• C Cesar Acosta, .271/.398/.458, two homers, 11 doubles, five triples in 144 at-bats;
• CF Jhonael Cuello, .259/.332/.449, four homers, 11 doubles, six triples in 185 at-bats and 28 stolen bases;
• C Yadier Fuentes, .256/.389/.349, two homers, six doubles in 129 at-bats;
• SS Sebastian Toro, .250/.349/.337, one homer, seven doubles, three triples in 184 at-bats and 10 stolen bases;
• LF Henry Manrique, .288/.423/.407, one homer, 18 doubles in 177 at-bats and 13 stolen bases;
• CF Royner Bravo, .277/.402/.384, no homers, nine doubles and five triples in 177 at-bats and 15 stolen bases;
• RHP Olmedo Barria, 6-0, 2.00 ERA, 46 strikeouts, six walks, 45 innings pitched.

Coaching Staff

Mets Orange:

• Manager – Felix Fermin
• Hitting Coach – Jose Mena
• Pitching Coach – Miguel Alfonseca

Mets Blue:

• Manager – J.C. Rodriguez
• Hitting Coach – Dan Cataline
• Pitching Coach – Juan Martinez

MMO Top Prospects

• No. 9 – SS Wandy Asigen
• No. 37 – CF-SS Cleiner Ramirez

Team Batting Leaders

Mets Orange:

• Games: Jhonael Cuello, Sebastian Toro, 54
• AB: Cuello, 185
• Runs: Cleiner Ramirez, 42
• Hits: Cuello, 48
• 2B: Cuello, Ramirez, Cesar Acosta, 11
• 3B: Cuello, 6
• HR: Ramirez, 7
• RBI: Cuello, 33
• BB: Acosta, 30
• SO: Acosta, Toro, 47
• SB: Cuello, 28
• CS: Cuello, 8
• BA (Qualified): Acosta, .271
• OBP (Qualified): Acosta, .398
• SLG (Qualified): Ramirez, .462
• OPS (Qualified): Acosta, .856

Mets Blue:

• Games: Royner Bravo, Michalle Mercedes, 47
• AB: Mercedes, 162
• Runs: Henry Manrique, 40
• Hits: Bravo, 48
• 2B: Manrique, 17
• 3B: Dayron Oramas, 6
• HR: Mercedes, Emerson Estevez, 3
• RBI: Mercedes, 37
• BB: Johnderis Sanchez, 42
• SO: Estevez, 45
• SB: Sanchez, 24
• CS: Manrique, 6
• BA (Qualified): Jonnhan Sanchez, .336
• OBP (Qualified): Jonnhan Sanchez, .481
• SLG (Qualified): Jonnhan Sanchez, .487
• OPS (Qualified): Jonnhan Sanchez, .968

Team Pitching Leaders

Mets Orange

• W: Olmedo Barria, 6
• L: Randy Guzman, Yobanny Sanchez, 4
• ERA (min. 25 IP): Abner Meza, 1.81
• G: Frandy Lora, 17
• GS: Meza, 11
• SV: Lora, Alvaro Carrillo, 2
• IP: Meza, 49 2/3
• HR allowed: Isaac De La Cruz, 4
• BB: Derlin Rojas, 25
• SO: Meza, 50
• WHIP (min 25 IP): Barria, 0.93
• OPP AVG (min 25 IP): Maxgregori Harvey, .147

Mets Blue

• W: Aurelvys Batista, Randiel Vicente, 3
• L: Leyvi Rodriguez, 6
• ERA: (min. 25 IP): Jhoangel Marquez, 3.91
• G: Vicente, Cristopher Hernandez, 13
• GS: Rodriguez, 8
• SV: Vicente, 2
• IP: Sebastian Gomez, 29
• HR allowed: Vicente, Josbel Torrez, 6
• BB: Rodriguez, 32
• SO: Jhony Osoria, 36
• WHIP (min 25 IP): Marquez, 1.38
• OPP AVG (min 25 IP): Rodriguez, .204

Overall, Mets Orange ranked 43rd of 51 teams in runs scored (5.3 per game) and sixth in ERA (4.73). Mets Blue was No. 24 in runs scored (6.4 per game) and 48th in ERA (7.80).

Please note, there may be minor differences between statistics in the body of the article and team leader statistics because some players spent time with both Mets Blue and Mets Orange.