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, I start with #30:
25/yrs old in May 5-9 180 RHH
Also plays second base and right field
2025 - A+/AA
- 406-PA, 8-HR, 47-RBI,
31-SB, ,282/.345/.417/.762
D’Andre Juan Smith is a minor league baseball player in the New York Mets organization, drafted in the fifth round of the 2022 MLB Draft from the University of Southern California (USC).
Born on May 10, 2001, in San Diego,
California, he is a 5’9”, 180-pound infielder who bats and throws right-handed.
Smith primarily plays second base and shortstop but has also seen time in the
outfield, showcasing his versatility.
Career Highlights:
College and Draft: At USC, Smith started 52 games as a
sophomore in 2022 before being selected by the Mets (pick 149). He attended San
Dimas High School in California and was noted for his athleticism and strong
infield skills during his amateur career.
Professional Career: Smith began his pro career with Single-A
St. Lucie, where he hit his first professional home run in 2022. In 2023, he
helped St. Lucie win a Florida State League championship but missed the first
two months due to a back injury. He later played in the Arizona Fall League,
finishing strong with a .323 batting average, four extra-base hits, and a .860
OPS over his final nine games for the Glendale Desert Dogs.
2024-2025 Season: Smith has been playing for the Double-A
Binghamton Rumble Ponies, earning recognition as the Mets Minor League Player
of the Week in June 2025 for his strong performance. He’s noted for his
improved health and physical condition, feeling “100% every day” after dealing
with back issues in 2023.
Playing Style: Smith is described as an athletic, rangy middle infielder with
excellent hands, footwork, and a strong arm, potentially suited for second base
long-term. At the plate, he shows gap power with occasional home run potential,
though consistency with his swing has been a challenge. He’s also an
above-average runner.
Personal Notes: Smith has embraced community engagement, particularly during his time with the Brooklyn Cyclones, where he worked at youth baseball camps. He’s also enjoyed playing alongside familiar faces from his USC and Southern California baseball days, like Rhylan Thomas and Kevin Kendall. His experience in New York City, especially Brooklyn, was a cultural adjustment but a highlight of his career.
Current Status: Smith remains active in the Mets’ minor league system, with no MLB appearances as of yet. His focus is on continued development, particularly after overcoming injuries, as he works toward a potential major league call-up
MACK – Smith was thought of as a major prospect when he was first drafted, but disappointed until this past season. He put himself back in the list of possible future Mets second basement in the future.
My hopes is the Mets start him there in Syracuse in 2026.
Mets Mailbag
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6653579/2025/09/23/mets-mailbag-meltdown-pete-alonso/
Do you think the constant shuffling of the bullpen has
had any impact on this team? Having the MLB record for the most pitchers used
wasn’t something I think any of us expected coming into the season. — Nick F.
Tim:
Not really. The guys they’ve shuffled back and forth have actually been good
for them this year. I counted 18 relief pitchers who have spent the majority of
their time in Triple A while also seeing some big-league action, and they’ve
combined for a 4.25 ERA in the majors this season. That’s only slightly above
the league-average bullpen ERA of 4.11.
Updated 2025 MLB Free Agent Predictions on Top Stars
Available
Kyle Schwarber,
Designated Hitter, Philadelphia Phillies
The 32-year-old DH has dropped Schwarbombs on opponents
all season, earning National League MVP consideration with 56 as of September
26. He has been a game-changing hitter, a player seeing the ball better than at
any point in his career and aiding the Phillies in becoming a legitimate World
Series favorite.
But will he remain in the City of Brotherly Love beyond the end of 2025?
9 biggest MLB collapses in history ranked, from the 2025
Mets to the 2011 Braves and Red Sox
2. New York Mets, 2025
Playoff format: Twelve teams, six in each league
Key players: Juan Soto,
Francisco Lindor, Pete
Alonso
Building the lead: Coming off a surprise appearance in
the 2024 NLCS, the 2025 New York Mets made a splash in the offseason by adding
Juan Soto to the biggest contract in MLB history. With Soto on the team, the
expectation was for the Mets to at least return to the final four and,
potentially, win the World Series.
The Mets got off to a hot start, riding strong pitching
to an MLB-best 45-24 record by the middle of July despite Soto starting slowly.
Pete Alonso, who re-signed in the offseason, was the team's best hitter early
in the season, while Francisco Lindor made the All-Star team for the first time
as a Met.
The collapse: Over the final 93 games, New York went
38-55, in large part due to pitching regression and injuries. While Soto heated
up to produce 43 home runs and 105 RBIs, leading a strong offense, the Mets
pitching failed to keep up even though the team added reinforcements at the
trade deadline. The Mets finished the year 83-79, losing out on the final NL
wild card spot to the Cincinnati Reds, who had the same record but won the
tiebreaker.
Yankees rub salt in Mets’ wounds with Juan Soto dig in epic playoff teaser
https://fansided.com/mlb/yankees-rub-salt-in-mets-wounds-with-juan-soto-dig-epic-playoff-teaser
As postseason teams do, the Yankees put together a hype
video to get fans excited for October baseball. The Yankees' video included one
last dig in Soto's direction, 52 seconds in, for Yankees fans to revel in and
Mets fans to pretend to ignore.
The clip shows Max Fried getting Soto to whiff at a nasty pitch at Yankee
Stadium, and immediately following that, is Cody Bellinger launching a Grand
Slam in that same game to put it out of reach. Had the Mets won that game or
any of the three they lost to the Yankees this season, or any of the other
games they had lost in general, they would've been in the postseason. Alas,
they did not. The Mets are home, the Yankees are in the postseason, and they
have all of the bragging rights. They're taking full advantage of that, as they
should
Decisions, decisions: These 3 looming free agents might
as well opt out now with Pete Alonso
https://fansided.com/mlb/decisions-decisions-these-3-looming-free-agents-opt-out-now-pete-alonso
Robert
Suarez, San Diego Padres
Just before the All-Star break, Suarez changed agents and
is now represented by Bryce Dixon. The expectation is that he has his eyes on
free agency and could opt out of his contract.
Suarez, 34, posted a 2.97 ERA in 70 appearances this
season. He’s been one of the more dominant relievers in baseball since joining
the Padres, with the right-hander recording a 2.91 ERA in four seasons (206
games). And on the free-agent market, Suarez should attract massive interest on
a multi-year contract.
Three key questions facing the
Mets this offseason
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6675507/2025/09/30/mets-offseason-three-key-questions/
What the heck happened over the last four months?
If you take some time with the season-ending
Baseball-Reference page, not that much would jump out as unreasonable — beyond,
perhaps, Juan Soto’s stolen base total. Most
of the Mets finished with seasons within the realm of probability.
And yet, the team as a whole finished below consensus
expectations, and it did so by playing subpar baseball for a long stretch of
time. How does Stearns square that reality with his roster construction?
One read would be to shrug and say, “That’s baseball.”
It’s one thing to say the Mets should have been better based on their talent;
it’s another to say they should have been better based on what they did on the
field. Alter the sequencing of events — maybe David
Peterson struggles early when the rest of the rotation is locked in, and
excels late to anchor a flagging group — and the Mets likely would have
finished with a better record. In this version of events, running it back with
much of the same group should yield a better season.
A more pessimistic view would be that some missing
element of that roster prevented the whole from equaling the sum of its parts.
That could reside with the manager, the coaching staff, the clubhouse culture —
and any of these would require more significant changes this winter.
Here's the '25 Prospect Team of
the Year
https://www.mlb.com/news/prospect-team-of-the-year-2025?partnerID=web_article-share
First Team
RHP: Jonah Tong, Mets (No. 4/MLB No. 43)
AA/AAA: 10-5, 1.43 ERA, 113 2/3 IP, 179 K, 47 BB, .148
BAA, 0.92 WHIP
Tong's deceptive over-the-top delivery and rising
fastball remain his meal ticket, but a rapidly improving changeup has enabled
him to become the most dominant pitcher in the Minors this season. The Ontario
native -- nicknamed "The Canadian Cannon" -- led the Minors with both
a 1.43 ERA and 179 strikeouts in just 113 2/3 innings before making his MLB
debut in late August. He had more strikeouts than innings pitched in all but
one start -- a 5-2-1-1-5 outing on June 15.
It sure sounds like Mets just sent a warning to Pete Alonso and Scott
Boras
Back in mid-September, as the Mets were collapsing,
FanSided's Jake Elman ranked
the top Pete Alonso destinations should he opt out of his contract. That
article is especially relevant today, as Elman projected the Phillies, Red Sox
and Rangers to be in on Alonso if the Mets decide not to bring him back.
The thinking with these three teams is simple – all could
use a power bat, and all have a looming hole at first base. The Phillies could
lose Kyle Schwarber in free agency, and the temptation to add a Mets legend is
all too great. The Red Sox are expected to have interest in Schwarber, but
should they fail to sign him, Alonso is a juicy backup plan. The Rangers don't
have a long-term first baseman, as Jake Burger took most of the at-bats there this season. Alonso
would reunite with longtime Mets teammate Jacob
deGrom in Arlington.
Of course, Mets fans hope it doesn't get this far. While
Alonso and Boras love to play hardball, the 30-year-old is still favored to
stay in Queens. Stearns sent a message with his comments this week, though –
Alonso will have to return on the Mets terms, and not vice versa.
NY Mets players most fans
wouldn’t mind trading away
1) Kodai Senga
Kodai Senga’s presence is felt even when he’s not
playing. It’s not because he’s larger than life. It’s because with him on the
roster, you need to plan for a six-man rotation.
This hasn’t necessarily been because of his own demands,
but the Mets have yet to shy away from keeping him on a strict system of
getting five days of rest. It can be frustrating at times because throughout a
full season it means more openers and Triple-A pitchers starting games for the
ball club.
We can understand why this might be a pain. For Mets
fans, the frustration with Senga is more about his shrinking abilities as a
pitcher. He had one of the most amazing starts to the season. His mid-June
injury sent the team spiraling.
Through 14 starts, Senga was 7-3 with a 1.39 ERA. It’s
almost easy to forget how dominant he was for the Mets early on. His final 8
games resulted in a 0-3 record and 6.56 ERA. He failed to get through the sixth
inning in any of the last 8 starts.
We know Senga can be good but after three seasons, he has
become completely unpredictable. His first year in 2023 was tremendous. A lost
season due to injuries and setbacks in 2024 had us questioning his durability.
Then came 2025 when he had the contrasting halves. Logic tells us he can get
back to his best again. Don’t tell that to the fan ready to send him packing.
25 comments:
Quite a potpourri…D’Andre, I feel, will have a very good season in 2026 in AAA.
Schwarber has been a hit ge signing for the Phillies for his tenure there.
187 HRs in 4 seasons? 56/132 this year? Wow.
Soto is a thief.
The marginal guys called up into the Mets pen in 2025 were undoubtedly thrilled to not be stuck in Syracuse, so they collectively outperformed what I would have expected. It is good to be HUNGRY.
Not hit ge….”huge”
Multiple scouts are predicting that the Mets will make a run at Schwerber
Building the 2026 pen is going to be a real challenge. I hope they try to resign both Helsley and Rogers
Schwarber will be 33 in spring training. Hopefully, any deal for him would last no longer than 5 years. I heard the Red Sox. Really want Pete. He’d have no spacious dimensions problem there.
Mack, since Garrett will miss 2026, and i don’t want Stanek back, those 2 had 123 outings and 111 innings, so there are big holes to fill. Those two, BTW, combined for just 6 for 19 in saves, while Edwin was 28 for 32. Lots of folks complained about Brazoban, but despite some time in AAA, he threw 63 innings, and was 5-2, 3.57. He has 3 more years of team control, too.
I have mixed feelings about offering any 34 year old a 5 or more year contract
I would invite Brazo to camp and let him compete for a slot
I want Pete back over signing Schwarber 100 out of 100 times. Particularly if we’re talking the same number of years. Yeah, Schwarber’s OPS was higher, but Schwarber is two years older, isn’t a significant defensive upgrade, and is far more of a 3-outcome guy than Pete, who led the league in doubles and looked like a more complete hitter than he ever has his career. Plus, give me the guy who had bled Mets blue his whole career and wants nothing more than to win a ring HERE over a late career mercenary. Stearns didn’t NOT want Pete last winter, - they didn’t run out and sign s replacement - he just wasn’t going to bid against himself and with the QO attached, he assessed the market correctly and waited him out. I don’t think anyone will outbid the Mets significantly, but a big question to me is whether some other team will guarantee that he’ll play 1B every day for years, vs the Mets, who I have a feeling would like to split the DH spot between Pete and Soto, with some Nimmo sprinkled in. And if some team does, whether that’s enough of an issue for Pete to leave over it.
D'Andre Smith has always impressed me as a slick fielding infielder. The Mets have tried him at 2B, 3B, LF, and RF. Second base is where he belongs. With all the competition in front of him (Jett, LuisAngel, Jacob) he has to hit. In 2025 he hit .279 with the Rumble Ponies, which is pretty good but not enough to land him in the majors soon.
I agree
I remember Luis Guillorme's mother asking me "Mack, do you think my son will start at shortstop for the Mets someday?"
I told her he has to keep giving it 1000% everyday...
I didn't have the heart to tell her that there will only be 30 people in the world that are starting shortstop and only one that's a Met
Pete - 70 games at DH
Soto - 70 games at DH
Nimmo - 22 games at DH
McNeil covers all three spots (even if only vs RHP).
You’ve now improved your D at one position every game without making a single move.
Bring in a rangy 2B - improves D at a 2nd position every game (and that move could be internal).
Vientos gone - that improves a 3rd positon for 70 games.
We’re most of the way there, and it hasn’t cost anything.
The problem is:
The Mets need a righty. They are already too lefty, so Schwarber and his video game numbers in a video games park don’t match the Mets need.
Alonso wants to play first base, will not DH. He is a liability on the field.
The most true replacement for Alonso would be Mark Vientos. It’s perfect, but Vientos had a tough year possibly due to the sporadic playing time.
Even if Clifford becomes your future, add Benge and make Nimmo your full time DH, that’s still too many lefties
Adam, you just signed Soto for close a billion. How do you put him at DH? And I actually didn’t see Soto being as bad out there as “the metrics” claim. In fact, I think Nimmo misplayed more fly balls that Soto.
Gus, Soto is as bad as the metrics claim. He has a good arm and catches what is hit at him, but he will go nowhere near the wall, he has no range, he won't dive for a ball. I can go on forever.
Nimmo has a very poor arm but at least he tries. I can't say the same for Soto.
I don't believe Vientos would be better at 1B than Pete?
Hefner, Chavez and Barnes are canned as coaches, as well as John Gibbons. Can’t understand the Gibbons firing.
Sarbaugh retiring…. Thank God. Didn’t understand why he was put at the third base line.
JoeP, as Tom said yesterday, you don’t want your stars crashing into walls and missing three months. It’s foolish. If that is your biggest problem with the guy, let it go. Like you said, he has a strong arm and catches everything in his area. Sometimes I think the nerds get in the way of good decisions because I saw ALOT of games this year and I had more of a problem with Nimmo’s playing too deep and having balls drop in front of him and his noodle arm than I had with Soto.
I remember Granderaon having the worst throwing arm I ever saw, in fact he looked like a girl throwing. But, he charged everything so hard that runners couldn’t take advantage. I think Nimmo is among the most complacent guys on this team, maybe the most complacent. He can use some outfield drills in late February and early March.
He was the bottom ranked defender in the league at the position. Dead last. He’s negative value in the field. I want him out there as little as possible, and at the plate as much as possible. If Pete goes, I’d have him DH’ing 125 games minimum and in RF the rest of the time.
Gus, why is signing a guy to 700 million dollars the reason he cannot play DH... DH is now a permanent Position. and should be treated as such. Its not a negative to have a quality DH no matter the age. Big Papi, Edgar Martinez, sign me up
Mack you said Smith put himself back in the list of possible future Mets second basement in the future... and anything is possible, But how many times have there been a 30th prospect been a
"possible future" starter? I believe its possible as much as anything is possible. But I believe those odds/ percentages are in the low teens...
He may be a possible rotational player in my opinion based on him being 25 and being listed as a 30 prospect.
Guarantee there will be some SS, or some one higher on this list who will be given the job simply on draft or signing status...
Eddie, D Smith had 2 injury-impaired seasons in 2023 and 2024, and all things considered, a strong and healthy 2025. I am very interested to see how he builds on that. IMO, D’Andre could be better than Luisangel. But I agree, starting MLB jobs are hard to come by, without some luck.
Tom you may not see this as this way later but I think Acuna isnt 1/2 rhe Player Luis Guillermo is /was
I never want to see Acuna again
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