IN FOCUS - Ryan Helsley, Roster Moves, Trade Deadline Grade, Rocco Maniscalco, Franlin Gomez, Carson Benge, Brendan Girton, Nate Dohm, Frank Elissalt, Ronnie Mauricio, WAR By Team,

 

Pitch Profiler                     @pitchprofiler

The Mets didn't get a demon... they got a MONSTER

New York Mets                                 @Mets

We have made the following roster moves

 

MLB trade deadline grades

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6527576/2025/08/01/mlb-trade-deadline-grades-2025/

New York Mets

Grade: A-

Key takeaways: Among the contending teams, the Mets did the best job of building bullpen depth, adding three former closers in Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers and Gregory Soto, who collectively bring a wide variety of deliveries, arm angles and stuff. Incorporating the trio into the bullpen should allow the Mets to shorten games and better set up their closer, Edwin Díaz. The Mets weren’t able to add length to their rotation, but they made up for it by emphasizing the bullpen. I also liked their decision to trade three minor-league relievers for center fielder Cedric Mullins, who despite his low batting average, is still a 20-homer, 20-steals player and a strong defender. Mullins, and his high energy, will fit nicely in the Mets’ clubhouse.

 

Rocco Maniscalco

https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb-draft/mlb-draft-rocco-maniscalco-reclassifies-2026/

Highly-touted shortstop Rocco Maniscalco announced his reclassification into the 2026 class, bolstering an already impressive prep infield crop. Prep Baseball Alabama was the first to report the news on Thursday morning.

Hailing from Oxford High in Alabama, Maniscalco ranked amongst the best prep bats in the 2027 class. He’s been a mainstay within the USA Baseball ranks, playing third base in every game with the 15U National Team in 2024. He was one of several 2027s to attend Phase 1 of USA’s 18U National Team Training Camp, though he was not listed on the Phase 2 roster released last week.

A true switch-hitting prospect, Maniscalco’s offensive output has been trending up for some time. It’s currently hit-over-power and should project that way in professional ball, though he has great bat speed from both sides of the dish and should grow into some more pop as he physically matures.

The contact rates are solid, as he’s direct to the baseball with an adjustable swing plane, plus he seldom chases offerings out of the zone. It’s a mature approach, albeit somewhat passive. He will draw a healthy number of walks.

Both swings are made more for line drives, especially given the flatter plane. Maniscalco does have good strength and twitch in his lower half, though he can get inconsistent with his lower-half usage and leverage. For now, his power will play best to the gaps, and he’ll utilize his above-average speed to steal extra bases.

On the defensive side, there are not many prospects that are better at the “six” than Maniscalco. It’s Billy Carlson-esque. The operation is smooth, buttery, and collected in the dirt. He covers plenty of ground with significant range, allowing him to gobble up groundballs hit in his direction. Add in advanced footwork, soft hands, and a great internal clock, and you’ve got a recipe for success. 

Maniscalco has excellent arm strength across the diamond, too. The strengths of the glove will give him a higher floor as a prospect.

Given the defensive prowess, budding offensive tools, age, and projection, Maniscalco will be coveted heavily by teams during this cycle. He will be featured prominently on Just Baseball’s Top 50 2026 Prep Prospects list when it debuts.

                Remember you read this name here first…

 

Isaac                                      @isaacgroffman

In my opinion, Franklin Gomez is the best left-handed pitching prospect in the Mets system and one of the most underrated overall

I have him as the Mets #6 pitching prospect while pipeline does not have him ranked at all

Just turned 20, up to 96, has five pitches, and shows promising spin characteristics. His slider already grades out well

I see similarities to Framber Valdez in the delivery, body type, and sinker/changeup shape. He could likely add a Framber-style curveball as well

Finding 20-year-old lefties with arsenals this advanced is rare

Many will point to Jonathan Santucci as the top lefty in the system. While Santucci has a higher floor, Gomez has the higher ceiling as a potential number three or four starter in MLB.

Carson Benge Remains Piping Hot

https://baseball-america-prospect-report.beehiiv.com/p/carson-benge-remains-piping-hot?s=03

Carson Benge, OF, Mets: Benge has been one of the best players in the sport in recent weeks. In July, he's been particularly molten. That trend continued on Tuesday, when he went 2-for-4 with a walk and a home run in his team's series-opener against Harrisburg. The homer was his sixth since reaching Double-A. Overall in July, Benge is hitting .375/.467/.656 with five longballs and just 10 strikeouts in 75 plate appearances.

The Top 30 Mets Pitching Prospects

isaacgrofman@substack.com

7. Brendan Girton

FF: 60/60 | SW: 60/60 | CH: 45/50 | Control: 50/55 | Arsenal: 40/50 |Uniqueness: 60 | FV: 45

An Oklahoma native who spent his senior year at the University of Oklahoma after three years at Texas Tech, he was selected by the Mets in the 10th round of last year’s draft. Just looking at his raw stuff, it’s not the profile of a typical 10th-rounder,he tops out around 98 mph with above-average IVB from a 5.3-foot release height.

In college, he was mostly a two-pitch guy: a plus fastball and a more vertical slider that didn’t show much sweep. But in his three starts at St. Lucie, he flashed a real sweeper at 84 mph, faster than the average sweeper with plenty of horizontal movement. He also maintained his college fastball shape, giving him what now looks like an elite pitch combination.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he’s been dominant in Brooklyn this year. In 14 games (10 starts), he’s posted a 2.87 ERA, 2.88 FIP, and a 30% strikeout rate. He likely fell to the 10th round due to his age, now 23, but he’s clearly outperforming that draft slot and seems poised for a promotion to Double-A.

 

The Top 30 Mets Pitching Prospects

isaacgrofman@substack.com

8. Nate Dohm

FF: 55/60 | SL: 50/55 | CH: 55/55 | CB: 45/50 | SI: 50/55 | Control: 45/50 | Arsenal: 45/50 | Uniqueness: 55 | FV: 45

Dohm was an intriguing prospect at Mississippi State, working from a lower arm slot with plus IVB and fastball velocity that touched 98. His fastball averaged 17.9 inches of induced vertical break from a 5.6-foot release height, well above average and a big part of what gives him an above average fastball. Encouragingly, that IVB has held up in pro ball. In a 28-inning sample at Low-A Port St. Lucie, where we had full Statcast data, his fastball sat 93.7, and he flashed two above-average breaking balls: a tight slider and a depthy curveball. The slider's movement profile varied at times and didn’t miss a ton of bats, but he limited both runs and hard contact — a trend that has continued in Brooklyn. There’s real mid-rotation upside here.

 

The Top 30 Mets Pitching Prospects

isaacgrofman@substack.com

9. Frank Elissalt

FF: 55/60 | FC: 55/55 | SW: 55/55 | CH: 55/55 | Control: 45/50 | Arsenal: 55/55 Uniqueness: 55 | FV: 45

A D2 product and 19th round draft pick, Elissalt has impressed in low A with his flashy stuff and polished arsenal. His mid to high 90s 4-seam gets above average ride from his 5.3 slot he also has what looks 3 breaking balls in a true cutter, gyro slider, and sweeper. He has excelled at limiting hard contact in low A and looks like he could be another high leverage reliever with a deep arsenal or MLB rotation piece.

Ronny Mauricio

https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/ronny-mauricio-mets-greatest-surprise-as-of-late/

Look at the season-long averages for Ronny Mauricio, and you are seeing a player who is truly holding his own against MLB pitching. Mauricio is hitting .252/.320/.441 with an OPS of .761 and a 118 OPS+. However, across his first 16 games in the majors this season, he hit just .185 with a .575 OPS.

Since June 24, Mauricio’s season has turned around. In 57 at-bats since, his average lies at .316, while he is reaching base at a nearly 40% clip. He also has four doubles, three home runs, and a .934 OPS.

In that same window, Mark Vientos is hitting .214 after returning from his own IL stint, while Tyrone Taylor is hitting just .111. In a lineup that has struggled mightily this season in terms of getting production from the bottom of the order, it is Mauricio who is helping lengthen the starting nine.

Since the All-Star break, the Mets’ big hitters have scuffled. Pete Alonso is 4-for-34, Francisco Lindor is 6-for-41, and Juan Soto is 5-for-33.

Nonetheless, the Mets have won seven of nine out of the midseason intermission, including seven in a row, prior to a loss last night. A big piece of the recent winning ways is signs of life from the bottom of the order. In a 5-3 win over San Francisco on Sunday, the top four hitters in New York’s lineup went a combined 2-for-19. Meanwhile, the bottom five lineup spots went 10-for-18.

Leading this charge was, you guessed it, Ronny Mauricio, who out of the nine-spot went 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two RBIs, and a game-tying home run into McCovey Cove off 2025 All-Star Randy Rodriguez. During the Mets’ winning streak, Mauricio is 6-for-10.

 

Thomas Nestico                               @TJStats

WAR by Team

 

Mets Prospect Group                     @bkfan09

MPG EXCLUSIVE  -   My UPDATED 2026  METS Signing Class .

METS Have  The $2M  Back From The Josue Chacoa signing to spend.

 

 New York Mets                                 @Mets

We have made the following roster moves.