AFL Report: Four Met Prospects that are Heating up the Desert

By, Steve Sica

As we enter week three of six in the Arizona Fall League season, some Met prospects are faring better than others in the desert. The team the Mets are representing, the Scottsdale Scorpions are on top of the AFL standings at 11-5. Let’s take a look at which prospects are raising their stock in their last taste of professional ball until March.

OF Nick Morabito: 

After finishing off September with Double-A Binghamton on a bit of a hot streak. He batted .295 with an OPS of .756 in the last two weeks of the Eastern League regular season, Morabito then played a key role in winning the Rumble Ponies their first Eastern League title in over a decade. Three weeks later, he found himself in Scottsdale, where he’s continuing to tear the cover off the ball. 

The Mets’ #16 prospect has been one of Scottdale’s best hitters so far this season. He’s batting .324 with an OPS of .824. He’s been patient at the plate, drawing six walks to eight strikeouts, and is showing off his speed with a team-leading eight stolen bases. 

Their second round pick back in 2022, the Mets saw Morabito take the next step in 2025 with a successful season in Double-A. Now, he’s continuing to rake against some of the best MiLB pitchers in the game. Morabito has long been a dark horse prospect in the Mets’ system, but after the season he’s put together in Binghamton and now in Arizona, he could be a frontline prospect by the time Spring Training 2026 arrives.

C/LF Chris Suero:

Suero brought his power to the desert as he’s taken advantage of the thin air Arizona has to offer this time of year. He’s mashed three home runs in his first eight games of the season and leads all Met prospects in OPS at .851. While these numbers might give him a shot to compete in the AFL home run derby around season’s end, Suero has struggled with making contact. His average sits at .242 and his strikeout total is at 16, including a four-strikeout night on Sunday October 26th. 

Suero swings hard and when he makes contact the ball does go far. He’s the perfect hitter for the Arizona Fall League as the dry and cool desert air helps balls travel far. However, he’s not able to play all his games in this environment. There’s a lot of potential around Suero as he’s progressed nicely this season through MiLB, but he’ll need to improve his strikeout radio, and start taking a few more pitches to reach the next level.

Chris Suero stands in left field, a position he's been getting more reps at in the AFL

RHP Brett Banks:

One of the Mets’ best MiLB relievers in 2025, Banks' numbers in the AFL are deceptive. He started out strong, not allowing a run in his first three bullpen appearances. In his fourth appearance he allowed four earned runs which ballooned his ERA up to 9.00 in four innings total.

Outside of one rocky start, Banks has looked as good as advertised during his time in Arizona. He has eight strikeouts and just two walks in those four innings of work. We’ll see how much more work he gets in during these next two weeks, but he’s proving that he should be considered in the Mets’ future bullpen plans down the line.

RHP Austin Troesser:

Drafted by the Mets in the fourth round in 2023, the Mets didn’t get much of a chance to see Troesser on the mound in 2025 due to him spending most of the season on the IL. Enter the Arizona Fall League. Now fully healthy, Troesser is starting to show signs on why the Mets took him in the earlier rounds of the MLB draft.

In 4 and ⅔ innings thus far, Troesser’s ERA stands at 3.86, along with four strikeouts. On the downside he also has four walks, but isn’t allowing a lot of contact with just three hits given up this season. He was drafted as a starting pitcher, but in the short time he was healthy over the summer the Mets’ only used him as a reliever. That trend has continued in the AFL as all four of his appearances have come in relief.