IN FOCUS: Mack's #3 Mets Prospect - Félix Bautista, Everson Pereira, Darryl Strawberry, Jonathan Santucci, Juan Soto, Nats Firings, Randy Guzman,

 

We continue with my countdown of Mets prospects with… 

      #3           CF           Nick Morabito

Nick Morabito is a promising outfield prospect in the New York Mets organization, known for his speed, athleticism, and strong batting performance in the minor leagues. Here's a detailed overview based on available information:  

Full Name: Nicholas Anthony Morabito

Born: May 7, 2003, in McLean, Virginia

Height/Weight: 5'10", 185 lbs

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Draft: Selected by the Mets in the 2nd round (75th overall) of the 2022 MLB Draft from Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. The Mets offered him a $1 million signing bonus, roughly $125,000 over the slot value, convincing him to forgo his commitment to Virginia Tech.

Baseball Family: His father, Brian, played at James Madison University, and his uncle, John, was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1987.

High School Career         Morabito had a standout senior year at Gonzaga College High School, hitting .545 with 10 doubles, 6 triples, 12 home runs, and 52 stolen bases. He led his team to Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and D.C. State Athletic Association titles, earning Washington D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year honors. 

Initially under-scouted, his performance in his senior year propelled him up draft boards. 

Professional Career2022After signing with the Mets, Morabito debuted with the Gulf Coast League (GCL) Mets, appearing in 6 games but struggling, hitting .091/.167/.136 with 2 walks and 14 strikeouts.

2023       Morabito showed significant improvement in his first full professional season, splitting time between the Florida Complex League (FCL) Mets and Low-A St. Lucie Mets.

FCL Mets (30 games): .324/.437/.432, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home run, 11 stolen bases, 20 walks, 22 strikeouts.

St. Lucie Mets (27 games): .286/.403/.378, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run, 10 stolen bases, 14 walks, 27 strikeouts.

Combined: .306/.421/.407, 9 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, 21 stolen bases in 25 attempts, 34 walks, 49 strikeouts. 

His ability to maintain a high on-base percentage (.41) and hit over .300 highlighted his potential as a contact hitter with speed.

 2024       Morabito started the season with Low-A St. Lucie and was promoted to High-A Brooklyn after a torrid start.

St. Lucie (24 games): .397/.530/.513, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home run, 11 stolen bases, 18 walks, 18 strikeouts.

Brooklyn (94 games): .294/.373/.374, 15 doubles, 3 triples, 3 home runs, 48 stolen bases, 42 walks, 80 strikeouts.

Combined: Led all Mets minor leaguers in batting average, on-base percentage, stolen bases (59), and hits (110). He set Brooklyn Cyclones single-season records for stolen bases and hits.

Morabito was named the Mets' Minor League Player of the Year for 2024 and a South Atlantic League All-Star.

He ranked 7th in stolen bases and 13th in batting average among full-season minor leaguers, becoming the first Mets minor leaguer since Brian Cole (1999-2000) to hit .300 with 50+ stolen bases. 

2025       Playing with Double-A Binghamton, Morabito has continued to perform well.

Notable performance: On July 2, 2025, he hit a go-ahead 3-run home run, his 4th of the season, raising his season line to .300/.368/.450 over 70 games.

AA stats through

Playing Style

Batting:                Morabito has a quick, direct right-handed swing with minimal wasted movement, producing solid contact but a high groundball rate (43.7% in 2023, 53.5% in 2024 with St. Lucie). His exit velocities averaged 90.7 MPH in 2024, with a peak of 102.1 MPH. He excels at hitting to the opposite field but needs to pull the ball and lift it more to maximize power potential. 

Speed:                  Graded 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale for speed, Morabito is a prolific base stealer (59 in 2024) and uses his plus speed to leg out hits and cover ground in the outfield.

    Defense:              Drafted as an outfielder, Morabito has primarily played center field, leveraging his above-average range. His arm strength is below-average, ruling out a return to shortstop (where he played in high school) or a move to right field. He has adapted well to center field with roughly 1,000 professional innings. 

Versus Pitch Types:         Morabito has had success against fastballs, breaking balls, and off-speed pitches, with most extra-base hits coming off fastballs.

     ETA: Projected to reach the majors in 2027.

    Strengths and Areas for Improvement

Strengths: Elite speed, high batting average, excellent on-base skills, and improving defensive instincts in center field. His athleticism and contact ability make him a potential leadoff hitter or fourth outfielder at the MLB level.

Areas for Improvement: Needs to reduce his groundball rate and develop more power by pulling the ball and lifting it. Struggles against left-handed pitching (.221 in 2024) must be addressed.

Personal Notes                 Morabito has embraced life in New York, enjoying Brooklyn's culture, including its pizza scene (e.g., Joe’s on Carmine Street and Emily’s Detroit-style pies). He has adjusted well to the fast-paced environment of the city.

Despite his standout performance, Morabito remains under the radar, focusing on daily improvement rather than seeking attention.

Outlook               Morabito’s combination of speed, contact hitting, and defensive potential makes him a rising star in the Mets' system. His 2024 season was a breakout, and his early 2025 performance in Double-A suggests continued growth. If he can add power to his game and improve against left-handed pitching, he could become a valuable MLB contributor, potentially as a leadoff hitter or dynamic fourth outfielder.

His next challenge will be handling advanced pitching Triple-A by late 2025 or 2026.

Trade Targets

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6467560/2025/07/02/mlb-trade-deadline-predictions-alcantara-naylor/

Félix Bautista, RHRP, Orioles

The Orioles claim they’re not going to sell and instead will try to buy pitching. However, their best play might be to trade Bautista for multiple young starting pitching prospects to quickly reboot for the 2026 season.

Bautista has tallied 16 saves with a 2.73 ERA over 30 appearances in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. He’s struck out 43 in 29 2/3 innings. He is under team control through 2027, which increases his trade value significantly.

Best Candidates for a Change-of-Scenery Trade

https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/mlb-best-change-of-scenery-trade-deadline-candidates/

Everson Pereira – OF – New York Yankees (AAA)

2025 MiLB Stats: .245/.335/.455, 12 HR, 109 wRC+

Pereira is 24 but has not been able to crack the roster. He only has 103 underwhelming MLB plate appearances to his name. He does have some pop and could turn into at least a platoon option, so he carries some intrigue.

Jim Koenigsberger                                  @Jimfrombaseball

"Here I am, a baseball superstar, falling into the pits, having everybody write you off, and then having God say, 'I'm going to use your mess for a message.'

How beautiful is that?"

Darryl Strawberry

 

Ernest Dove                                       @ernestdove

Mets LHP prospect Jonathan Santucci since May 16th in High A Brooklyn Cyclones

46.2 inn               29 H       7 ER       15 BB     54 K

Last night was still topping 95 in the 6th.

Jonathan Santucci is a left-handed pitcher in the New York Mets organization, drafted in the second round (46th overall) of the 2024 MLB Draft from Duke University. Born on December 28, 2002, in Leominster, Massachusetts, Santucci is a 6’2”, 205-pound athletic southpaw with a promising but injury-marred career thus far. He signed with the Mets for $2,031,700, the slot value for his draft position.

Background and Career

Santucci attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, where he was a standout two-way player, hitting .322 and showing promise on the mound. He went undrafted in 2021 and honored his commitment to Duke University. At Duke, he transitioned from a hybrid reliever/starter role as a freshman (2022: 2-3, 4.17 ERA, 58 K in 41 IP) to a weekend starter. His sophomore year (2023) was cut short by elbow surgery to address bone chips, limiting him to seven starts (2-2, 4.30 ERA, 50 K in 29.1 IP). In 2024, as Duke’s Friday night ace, he posted a 3.41 ERA over 58 innings with 90 strikeouts but struggled with control (14% walk rate) and missed time due to a rib injury.

In 2025, Santucci has pitched for High-A Brooklyn, showing improvement after a rough start.

Pitching Repertoire

Santucci’s arsenal is a three-pitch mix with high upside, though his command issues limit its effectiveness. Here’s a breakdown:

Fastball:               Sits 93-95 mph, touching 97 mph, with above-average riding life due to his low-three-quarters arm slot. It’s effective up in the zone but lacks elite velocity, and his below-average control (40-grade) leads to walks and high pitch counts. The Mets are considering adding a sinker or cutter to generate more early-count contact.

Slider:                   His best pitch, an 83-85 mph offering with tight, two-plane gyroscopic break. It’s a platoon-neutral weapon with a whiff rate above 50% in college, effective against both left- and right-handed hitters.

 

Changeup:                          Mid-80s with armside fade and vertical tumble, showing above-average potential but used sparingly (9% in 2024). It needs refinement to become a consistent third pitch.

Outlook and Challenges               Santucci’s electric stuff gives him first-round potential, but his injury history (elbow surgery in 2023, rib injury in 2024) and poor command create reliever risk. The Mets, known for strong pitching development, are optimistic about his athleticism and three-pitch mix, hoping to refine his control and develop his changeup. He’s currently ranked as the Mets’ No. 11 prospect for 2025 by Amazin’ Avenue, with concerns about efficiency and durability lingering

 Top 10 Biggest 2025 MLB All-Star Snubs

https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/top-10-biggest-2025-mlb-all-star-snubs/

1. Juan Soto, New York Mets

Earlier, we mentioned how Fernando Tatis Jr. did not deserve to make this year’s All-Star over another NL outfielder. That outfielder is the $765 million man, Juan Soto.

While the season did not start off great for Soto, he has surely made up for lost time over the past five weeks. The NL Player of the Month for June has been on a heater for the Mets, which suddenly has him just behind James Wood for the NL-lead in wRC+ among outfielders.

By the end of the season, no one would be surprised if Soto turns in the best offensive campaign among any of the outfielders in the National League, as he has homered 12 times in his last 33 games played.

It is yet another season where Soto is rocking an on-base percentage right around .400, while he continues to walk more than he strikes out. Now that the power has returned, the sky’s the limit for Soto in the second half. But unless he is announced as a replacement, one of the game’s brightest stars will be absent at this year’s All-Star Game.

 

Nationals Shake Up Front Office, Fire GM and Manager

https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/washington-nationals-news-mike-rizzo-dave-martinez-fired/

Late Sunday evening, the Washington Nationals announced that they have decided to move on from both their President of Baseball Operations/General Manager, Mike Rizzo, and their manager, Dave Martinez.

Final Thoughts

Winning a World Series makes the eventual rebuild more acceptable, for lack of a better term. Fans have experienced the mountain top and in the end it was all worth it. However, the downward trend eventually needs to reverse direction and we did not see that change with the current staff.

Martinez and Rizzo will have a legacy in Washington that can never be taken away. Although fans are not happy with them now, they will forever hold a place in Nationals history. They gave the great people of the D.C. area a championship, something their other sports teams have struggled to do.

Where the Nationals go from here is crucial. Abrams and Gore are both getting closer to free agency, giving the Nationals a shorter window to turn this around and start flirting with a Wild Card spot as early as next season. A team with this level of talent as their core should be an attractive destination both in the front office and in the dugout. These hires are going to determine the Nationals trajectory for the next decade. Don’t screw it up.

 

Daniel Wexler                   @WexlerRules

Randy Guzman with a granny (7th HR of the year) which ties him for the FCL league lead with recently promoted Cardinals phenom Rainiel Rodriguez

Randy Enmanuel Guzman is a 20-year-old outfielder in the New York Mets' minor league system, currently playing for the Florida Complex League (FCL) Mets, a Rookie-level affiliate. Born on April 19, 2005, in Tenares, Dominican Republic, Guzman is a right-handed batter and thrower, standing at 6'4" and weighing 215 pounds. He was signed by the Mets as an international free agent in September 2022 at age 17, with reports noting he is the brother of former MLB player Ronald Guzmán.

In the 2025 season, Guzman has shown promise in the FCL, tying for the league lead with 7 home runs, including a grand slam, and amassing 30 RBIs, nearly double that of his closest teammate. He’s also tied for second in the FCL with 6 home runs earlier in the season and ranked ninth in RBIs with 22, indicating a strong offensive performance in his first stateside season. His 2023 and 2024 seasons included stints with the Dominican Summer League (DSL) Mets Blue and Orange teams, where he moved between the two affiliates.

 

Guzman’s physical profile and power at the plate make him a notable prospect, though he remains in the early stages of development. Fans and analysts on X have highlighted him as a potential candidate for promotion to the St. Lucie Mets in 2026

 

Binghamton Rumble Ponies                       @RumblePoniesBB

The Rumble Ponies welcome Jonathan Santucci & RJ Gordon