Playoff Preview: Brooklyn Cyclones and St. Lucie Mets

By, Steve Sica

While we still have three weeks until the postseason begins for MLB teams, the MiLB playoffs are set to start tonight, with High-A Brooklyn and Low-A St. Lucie going to their league’s respective postseasons. Let’s take a look at how they stack up heading into their first round matchups.

Brooklyn Cyclones (72-59) First Half South Atlantic League Champions

The Cyclones celebrate clinching the SAL North First-Half Division Title in Aberdeen.

The Cyclones used a dominant first half, going 46-20, to win the SAL North first-half division title. In the first two months of the season, Brooklyn’s roster boasted some of the Mets' best MiLB talent with names like Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Jacob Reimer, and Jesus Baez all in the same lineup. Those players have since either been promoted to higher levels or, in the case of Jesus Baez, traded away.

Brooklyn's second half of the season wasn’t as successful, as the team ended it with a record of 26-39. The team is now led by prospects like Marco Vargas and Ronald Hernandez, who’ve been in Brooklyn for the full season. Other names contributing to the offense are Trace Willhoite and John Bay, two undrafted free agents recently promoted from St. Lucie.

Vargas leads the active Cyclones’ roster in hits with 85, and he also rules the basepaths with 38 stolen bases. Ronald Hernandez provides a bit of pop with six home runs and 52 RBIs. Both players were traded to the Mets in 2023, in a deal that sent David Robertson to the Marlins. Vargas isn’t the only speedster in Brooklyn; the Cyclones are second in the league overall in steals with 257 and have only been caught 59 times. They lead the league in triples with 44. 

After finding success in Low-A St. Lucie, feel-good story and undrafted free agent, Trace Willhoite, joined the Cyclones in mid-August. He’s provided a nice jolt to the offense already, collecting two home runs, seven RBIs, and three doubles. John Bay, a similar story to Willhoite, will also look to fortify the offense heading into the playoffs, after putting up an OPS of 1.057 in 17 games with St. Lucie.

On the mound, the Cyclones have enjoyed a career year from Noah Hall, the undisputed ace of the staff. Hall leads the team in just about every pitching stat, including strikeouts (115), ERA (2.72), and innings pitched (112). The team is second overall in the league in strikeouts with 1,309 and second in ERA, putting together a 3.31 ERA on the season.

Joel Diaz has also been a steady presence in Brooklyn's rotation this season, pitching to the tune of 3.80 ERA with 98 strikeouts, in his first full High-A campaign.

The Brooklyn bullpen has been lights out with Dakota Hawkins and Hoss Brewer closing out games. Hawkins has an ERA of 2.44 in 23 appearances with 50 strikeouts. Banks has similar numbers, boasting an ERA of 2.49 in 23 appearances and a WHIP of just 1.19.

While the Cyclones aren’t as lethal a team as they were in the first half, with elite prospects, expect this team to use speed, good starting pitching, and a strong bullpen to try to win the club’s first championship since 2019. They’ll start their playoff series tonight in Greensboro, NC.

St. Lucie Mets (77-53) First and Second Half Florida State League Champions

The St. Lucie Mets went 77-53 to win the FSL's East first and second half titles.

St. Lucie won both the first half and second half titles, putting up a record of 43-22 and an overall record of 77-53. The offense is led by red-hot outfielder Randy Guzman, who has been one of the best hitters in the Mets’ system since his promotion to Low-A. Guzman is batting .330 with an OPS of .977 and 20 RBIs in his first 25 games with St. Lucie. He fits right in with the rest of the St. Lucie offense, who are second in the FSL in RBIs at 583. 

The Mets make up for their lack of power (79 home runs) with their speed. Like Brooklyn, St. Lucie relies on lighting up the basepaths as they’ve collected 282 stolen bases. They also play a smart brand of baseball, drawing 616 walks, and are second in the FSL in hits with 1,030.

Trey Snyder leads the team in stolen bases with 41 and shows great patience at the plate, drawing 70 walks to 95 strikeouts. In the second half, new draft picks Mitch Voit and Antonio Jimenez have also contributed to the Mets. Voit, the Mets’ first-round pick this season, has put up 20 stolen bases in his first 22 games. Antonio Jimenez, the Mets' third-round selection, has 25 hits and 14 RBIs in his first 25 professional games. 

St. Lucie lost their best pitcher in July when the Mets traded away Wellington Aracena to Baltimore for Gregory Soto. But they’ve seen fast development from a couple of starters who were promoted over the summer from the Florida Complex League.

Daviel Hurtado has arguably been St. Lucie’s best starting pitcher in the second half. In seven Low-A starts across 46 innings, Hurtado has an ERA of 2.70 and 50 strikeouts. He was especially dominant in August, posting a 1.31 ERA in five starts. 

Jonathan Jimenez has had a similar path this season as Hurtado. He was promoted to St. Lucie from the FCL in late July. In his first six Low-A starts, Jimenez has posted a 3.00 ERA in 24 innings pitched with 20 strikeouts. 

The St. Lucie Mets have put together the best record in the Florida State League because of their strong pitching. They lead the league in team ERA at 3.59, are second in strikeouts with 1,240, and have allowed a league low 60 home runs on the season. While St. Lucie, like all MiLB teams, has undergone plenty of roster changes this season, they’ve consistently won all season. A nod to the Mets’ impressive farm system.

St. Lucie will start its first-round series tonight in Daytona against the Tortugas, the Reds' low-A affiliate. The team is trying to win its first FSL Championship since 2022.