We discussed the Baby Mets in our last post and what they may contribute to the 2024 season.
There are a number of player prospects that could add their talents both to the later portion of the upcoming season, but definitely to the 2025 season.
They are:
1B/OF Ryan Clifford
2B Luisangel Acuña
2B/SS Jeremiah Johnson
C Kevin Parada
OF-2B Jett Williams
OF Drew Gilbert
SP Dom Hamel
SP Mike Vasil
SP Blade Tidwell
SP Christian Scott
SP Tyler Stuart
RP Nate Lavender
This is a lot of new potential members of the 26 man roster.
By now you should understand why I say this team should target themselves to 2025. This crew plus the baby Mets could create a majority of team controlled players on the 26.
Couple that with the loss of dead money and you should have enough to go after Juan Soto and still have the team salary below the penalty line.
Lose on him and there is always Vlad Jr. the following year.
Which of these will become stars? Well first, you won't see me feature stupid things like minor league stats. They come from different levels with different baseballs and strike zones and pitchers asked to . with batters still being taught things like launch angles.
My spin will be different than yours but my guess right now is Williams, Gilbert, and Tidwell could star in this game. Williams would make for a great partner with Francisco Lindor, Gilbert will excel defensively at any of the three outfield positions while producing Nimmo like numbers, and Tidwell, when he is harnessed, could be close to an ace other mound.
The home run hitter will be Clifford (could not reach Queens until 2026) and the position he plays will be dependent on whether the Mets stick with Pete Alonso on first. First is Clifford's natural position though he is quite capable in a corner outfielder role.
Past that is still in the developmental stage. The Mets still need to figure out what position Acuña will play plus all the other starters will need another year to develop. Only Lavender seems to have a chance to start off 2024 on the parent team.
Still, this team has a future 2025 lineup of:
1B. Clifford
2B. Mauricio
SS. Lindor
3B. Baty
C. Alvarez
DH Vientos
LF McNeil
CF Gilbert
RF. Williams
SP. Kodai Senga
SP Blade Tidwell
SP. Christian Scott
SP. Tyler Stuart
SP Hamel/Vasil
That 2025 line up would be remarkable, if it were to happen. A lot would have to go right.
ReplyDeleteAcuna, IMO, needs to be in there somewhere, perhaps in McNeil's place as Jeff turns 33 in early 2025. Maybe Jeff is a super sub getting 450 plate appearances in 2025. Also, in my opinion, Clifford is 2026 or, at best, late 2025. He only turns 21 in late July 2024 and struggled in Brooklyn at the end of 2023. But, hey, you never know.
Several more could be knocking at the doorstep in 2026.
We just have to get past "competitive" 2024.
Let's hope none of those pitchers becomes the next Jordan Humphreys, who looked great in the minors several years ago, then ran into injuries. It would be really nice if we had all these guys stay healthy. That they all were healthy in 2023 is a positive sign.
ReplyDeleteThe Humphreys story truly was a sad one
DeleteA local reader of the site too
Mack, this is a piece that really makes me think. Some perception:
ReplyDeleteThis team is too raw. You need to mix veterans with kids. I don’t know that Williams is capable of being a right fielder, but if Marte is healthy, he is in great shape always and could still be productive.
McNeil seems like the odd man out. His value is much more than a utility player and likely to be moved. Mauricio may be a stud but may have contact issues. Acuna has more tools than Mauricio and I give him the leg up on second base. To me, it’s Baty and Mauricio for the hot corner with Vientos and Baty for first base. Clifford needs to advance a bit more for consideration.
Lastly, Alonso needs to be taken seriously. We all know that power hitters decline after the age of 32 or so, but what he did this week was very telling. He accepted a contract that was less than his anticipated arbitration salary, and that throws a real monkey wrench into the perception that he hired Boras to get the biggest contract. Maybe he did, but that wasn’t the message he sent this week. Alonso has worked hard on his defense, and it shows. He has it in him to become a well rounded hitter if the power isn’t as dominant, and I hope he can be. The Mets would be better with him than without him.
This is only my spin on a potential lineup if no one is added from the outside
DeleteThere are surely more AAAA players and bottom 25% players looking for jobs and will take minimal wages.
ReplyDeleteAnd if they are out there the Mets will bring them to camp
DeleteThis is NOT how big market or successful teams operate
DeleteFrankly it's embarrassing
Stearns was even hedging on the fact that bullpens morph as seasons progress. I'd like to tell him that thin bullpens, like the one the Mets have now, have put Mets seasons behind the eight ball early, on multiple occasions.
ReplyDeleteIt almost sounded like he hoped the starters would stay healthy this year and Megill and Lucchesi would become pen arms until needed. Risky business. I'd rather overstock than understock and hope, which was a fine Wilpon tradition.
Love our future. And there's a bunch of talented players behind this group.
ReplyDeleteTwo guys that have not gotten much press lately that hopefully will force their way back into the discussion:
ReplyDeleteMatt Allan. Not yet 23 (until April 2024). Can he recover from all the injuries and once again become the prospect that he was before his TJ? Here's one guy hoping that he can get it going again in 2024.
Matt Rudick. It is funny how fast an injury can make people forget you. He was having a very strong 2023, then being on the shelf watching Williams, Gilbert and Acuna come thru leading the Ponies into the EL championship series must have been tough. I will be rooting for him to pick up where he left off.
In the context of who could be where in 2025, this is right on the money with the exception of my favorite prospect JT Schwartz who always gets left off because of his perceived lack of power.
ReplyDeleteIn the context of powerful playoff-ready teams in 2025, this is not what it will look like. These prospects all have great pedigrees and minors numbers to support them, but the cold, hard reality is that many prospects hit a wall in their progression to MLB stars and never get there. Some of these guys will, others will become fringe or worse - we just don't know which ones.