I promised all of you that, as soon as the season ended,
I would breakout and post my current Top 30 prospects.
This is performance based, not players that came to the
Mets full of promise but have only produced butterscotch pudding.
Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Jonah
Tong are not on this list. They have graduated.
I will post them in each of my weekly Observations and In
Focus posts… one player at a time… beginning with #30.
Today, we move to #27:
Colton Cosper is a left-handed
pitcher who signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets in July 2025
after a standout performance with the Williamsport Crosscutters in the MLB
Draft League.
Born on September 8, 2002, in
Carrollton, Georgia, he is 23 years old, stands 6'1", weighs 190 lbs, and
bats/throws left-handed.
Cosper played college baseball
at Mercer University, where he earned 2024 SoCon All-Tournament Team and
First-Team All-SoCon honors.
Pitching Repertoire
Cosper’s pitching arsenal, as
observed during his time with the Williamsport Crosscutters, includes:
Changeup: A mid-80s pitch that
mimics a fastball before dropping, making it difficult for batters to connect
solidly.
Slider: A mid-70s pitch with
significant lateral movement, starting on one side of the plate and sweeping
across, effective for generating swings and misses.
Fastball: While not explicitly
detailed, his ability to control games suggests a fastball with solid velocity
(likely low-to-mid 90s, typical for a left-handed prospect) and good command.
During his three starts with
the Crosscutters in 2025, Cosper posted a 0.53 ERA over 17 innings, allowing
just one walk and recording 20 strikeouts, showcasing his ability to dominate
with precision and movement.
2025 –
St. Lucie – 3-APPS,
0-1, 6.23, 1.38, 8.2-IP, 6-ER, 2.BB, 6-K
Syracuse - 2-APPS,
0-0, 0.00, 0.33, 3-IP, 0-ER, 0-BB, 2-K
Mack – Cosper didn’t impress anyone in St. Lucie, but he was a breath of fresh air at the end of the season for Syracuse. He was obviously used as a reliever, but I would make him a starter and have him start off in the AA-Binghamton roster.
These 9 Mets might as well pack their bags
DH/OF Jesse Winker
Jesse Winker is another guy the Mets acquired last season
who didn't exactly impress down the stretch, but excelled in October. He
quickly became a fan favorite and was re-signed on a one-year deal to be the
team's primary DH against right-handed pitching. Unfortunately, he had a .709
OPS this season and was limited to just 26 games all year due to injury.
Winker is an excellent clubhouse leader and clearly has a
knack for coming through in a big moment, but given the injury concerns and how
his season went when he was on the field, I'd be surprised if he was brought
back.
Letting him go would free up more DH at-bats for either
better options or even a guy like Juan Soto, who probably shouldn't be in the
field 150+ times annually.
NY Mets players most fans wouldn’t mind trading away
5) Luisangel Acuna
Not a popular Mets player, eh? You seem to forget 2024.
With Francisco Lindor sidelined due to a back injury, it was Luisangel Acuna
who stepped in to play shortstop more than anyone else. He posted a .966 OPS in
limited action while clobbering 3 big league home runs. Remember, those?
Acuna didn’t have quite the same luck in 2025. A season
which saw him start the year in the big leagues but go back to Syracuse and
later join a revolving cast of characters going back and forth, it appears the
Mets aren’t so sold on him as anything more than a late-season roster addition
for speed. Why would they think anything else? His bat isn’t doing a whole lot
in Triple-A or the majors.
There are only two realistic options for Acuna this
offseason. He either stays with the club with a bench role to begin the year or
they trade him. His final minor league option was eaten up this season, pushing
him to the point where the Mets might have to consider dealing him for a less
than satisfying return. So be it. He has been a less than satisfying player.
It’s unfortunate how Acuna was the top Mets prospect only
two seasons ago. Seemingly stuck in a spot where he’ll at best be a role player
in the majors, the best thing the Mets can do is swap him for someone they can
have a little more patience with even if that player doesn’t appear nor has he
ever had as high of a ceiling as Acuna.
Jim
Koenigsberger @Jimfrombaseball
"Everybody thinks, because you make a lot of money,
that you have a lock on happiness.
It's not true.
I most fear boredom and loneliness, life after baseball.
Life after baseball equals boredom and loneliness.
I don't want to be a 50-year-old guy sitting and drinking
beer in some pickup bar with younger people.
I've seen it. I don't want to be that."
Keith Hernandez
Sean Manaea trade
Looking ahead to the offseason, the Mets face some
critical roster decisions. In one trade prediction, they are linked to
acquiring Nolan Arenado from the Cardinals.
“Whereas Arenado was picky with who he was willing to
waive his no-trade clause for last winter, he's a bit more open this time
around. That, in turn, could be an opening for the Mets, who should also be
attracted to his burning desire to win,” Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer
wrote. “Sean Manaea: $50 million through 2027 Nolan Arenado: $42 million
through 2027 ($5 million paid by Colorado Rockies)”
This move would likely force Brett
Baty to the bench or require finding a new position elsewhere. However,
the Mets would gain a significant defensive upgrade.
Mets
Player Development
Check out the Mets prospects who made the updated MLB Pipeline
Top 100!
Ron Washington
“One reasonable replacement for Mike
Sarbaugh is former (Los Angeles) Angels and (Texas) Rangers manager Ron
Washington,” Powell wrote. “While many Braves fans are hoping Washington finds
his way back to Atlanta, assuming he isn't named a manager elsewhere, the
73-year-old could slide right into his old infield/third base coach role in
Queens.”
Washington lost his manager’s role in Los Angeles this
year after an illness ended his season early. But he earned the role after
serving as the third base coach for the Braves for several seasons, including
during the team’s World Series championship run four years ago.
“When Washington was an assistant on Brian Snitker's staff in Atlanta, the Braves
players praised his leadership and teaching style as an infield coach,” Powell
added. “He was also a fan favorite, and true confidant for Snitker. Washington
holds many of the Braves' secrets, whether it be hand signals or just the order
of operations. That alone makes him valuable to the Mets.”
At 73 years old, it’s unclear whether Washington is
looking for another big-league job. But with some new openings in Queens,
perhaps he will soon lend his expertise to an old division rival.
The
most disappointing player for every MLB team from the 2025 season
New York Mets: Mark Vientos,
3B
Vientos had a breakout 2024 season with 27 home runs, but
an early-season slump made matching those numbers difficult. While his power
has picked up in the second half, Vientos has only 16 home runs and a .739 OPS
as of early September.
SNY
Mets @SNY_Mets
Here are the Mets' projected arbitration salaries for
2026, according to MLBTR.com
David Peterson: $7.6M
Tyrone Taylor: $3.6M
Tylor Megill: $2.6M
Francisco Alvarez: $2.4M
Luis Torrens: $2.2M
Reed Garrett: $1.4M
Nick Madrigal: $1.35M
Huascar Brazobán: $1.3M
Max Kranick: $1M
Manaea: it is hard to trade away pitchers after the team-wide meltdown on the mound in 2025.. He would need to be replaced.
ReplyDeleteArenado? His hitting numbers were highly unimpressive in 2025. I’d rather see if our kids and young vets can do better in 2026.
Who over the past two seasons in 837 at bats had 44 doubles, 43 HRs, and 132 RBIs? Mark Vientos. Cohen may want better defense, but Vientos, flaws and all , ought to Have-a much better 2026 than Arenado.
Peterson? What caused his late season meltdown? Injury? Fatigue? I’d not trade him. But he is starting to get expensive.
Tylor Megill? Pay him $2.6 million to recuperate?
Winker? Loved the guy, but when guys fall apart physically, I am not interested.
Acuna? Keep him. What if Lindor gets hurt in April or May? You need a guy who can play SS. I don’t think, glove-wise, Mauricio is good enough to do that for any length of time.
Colton? AA? I think he starts out in Brooklyn, without a lot of analysis on my part. He can always get quickly promoted to AA.
Is Matt Allan going to be turned loose next year, innings-wise, or is he done? IFhe isn’t done, he should make the majors by 2027. Why? Every minor league pitcher seems to get his chance, sooner or later.
Manaea should be packaged for an equally bad contract
DeleteIs Arenado a bad contract?
DeletePeterson
DeleteI wouldn't tender him
Matt Allen
DeleteWorking as bar back at Duffy's
Agree with almost everything Tom said except:
ReplyDelete1. I’m trading Peterson, and not due to salary. I could package him with Acuna for something more useful. Peterson just walks too many and it’s time to start getting better at that. For too long the Mets have been last at that statistic.
2. Jett Williams is close and Lindor hardly sits. It’s like being the backup to Payton Manning, so Acuna needs to be moved unless he platoons with Mauricio.
3. We aren’t stunting the team’s growth any more going after Arenado. He isn’t a fit.
I would bite the bullet for the first half of 2026 waiting on Williams, Benge, and Ewing
DeleteI agree. I’d hope that one or both of Williams (2B) and Benge (CF) light it up in ST and come north. But if the FO believes these guys will be starters at those spots, even if they’re not ready, you can’t invest in starting caliber guys for those positions, and have to find internal options (Acuña - Taylor most likely) to hold it down until they are.
DeleteMy only problem with Manaea is, if he has bone chips that affected his pitching and he doesn’t not want to have surgery to remove them, why should next year be any different? Is this the result of having a three year deal where he can have them removed next winter and say, “now I’m healthy” have one good year and get a new deal? Now I’m thinking three years is too long.
ReplyDeleteNot in my plans
DeleteLets stay with get younger and defense and give Baty a real shot and let the Jett take off. The 2 teams with the highest payrolls who both reside in NY only won one game in the post season so a deep dive into how to fix it is underway and to spend all that $$$ and come up short has to suck and I really wonder what Stevie is thinking.
ReplyDeleteI know in my heart (and even more concrete wise) that the Mets will attempt to bring back Alonso for the remainder of this decade.
DeleteIf that doesn't work, go after Naylor (changed my mind from Bellinger)
Stearns comments on need for better defense could sure get a boost with Bellinger in center
Need to go after Diaz also
Past these, go with team controlled players
Why the changed of mind On Bellinger
ReplyDeleteI still.like him but Naylor seems a better fit
DeleteThat being said, I love Bellinger in center
3.1 WAR
Delete20 HR
.295