Position Analysis
– 1B
Next up… the position we have no idea
who is going to play at next season. If it’s Pete Alonso, Josh Naylor, or Cody Bellinger, it’s going to be a
long-termer and no one is going to have to emerge out of the system for quite a
while. If not, it’s probably Mark Vientos or some veteran under a
one-year deal until the first name on this list graduates from AAA-Syracuse. A
very wide variance of talent going forward. With that, here’s what’s shakin’ in
the system:
Ryan Clifford – normally, you would
be excited about a 22/year old coming off a combines AA/AAA season with 29 home
runs and 93 runs batted in, but Clifford is also carrying the baggage of 148
strikeouts in 579 plate appearances and only a .237 batting average. He’s also
bat-first with average at best defensive skills at first, limiting his future
value even more. His LHH game lines up better as a platooned DH (24-HR, 69-RBI,
.247-BA vs. RHP – 5-HR, 24-RBI, .204-BA vs. LHP) going forward.
JT Schwartz – 25/yrs. old. 2025
A/AA: 343-PA, 61-K, 5-HR, 36-RBI, .203. He may not survive a cut before this
piece goes to print. Barely an AAAA player and still playing AA ball.
Joey Meneses – will play 2026 as a
34/year old. Three-year MLB vet with the
Nats. Had a decent fill-in season last year for AAA-Syracuse 419-PA, .265, but
there is no pop in the bat of this, at best, secondary piece. ARB eligible this
season, but that’s not going to happen. I would try to keep around, especially if
Clifford is dealt off in a package. At best, AAAA-bound.
Nick Lorusso – another one getting
long in the tooth… Also plays third base and pitches relief. 25/years old,
coming off a full season for AA-Binghamton. Average results: 446-PA, 108-K, only
7-HR, 56-RBI, .241-BA. Ready to graduate to an already crowded AAA-Syracuse
first base. For me, a toss of a coin whether he or Meneses survives here.
Trace Willhoite – also plays 3B and SS.
Will play 2026 as a quickly aging 25-year old. Had a nice 2025 combined year
for A/A+ last season (418-PA, 16-HR, 73-RBI, .251) but he played at two levels
below where he should be at this point in his career. To me, his total future
projection is, at best, an AAAA player.
Corey Collins – There teams… RK/A/A+ :
270-PA .168-BA, Next.
Daniel Silva – turning 21 in
January. Also played catcher and DH. Entire 2025 season, but limited role, for
the FCL team: 92-PA, 2-HR, 9-RBI, .188. Another next.
Roybert Herrera – turning 19 in June. Also
plays third and second. Played the entire 2025 season for the DSL Orange team:
143-PA, 30-K, 15-BB, 6-HR, only 17-RBI, .285/.371/.488/.858. Worthy in my book
for a promotion stateside, most probably for the FCL team.
Yensi Rivas – will play 2026 at 19.
Cesar Acosta – played DSL ball in
2025 at 17. Also catches. Off to a slow start at .206. I would repeat him there
again in 2026.
MACK – Now you see why everyone wants to
sign someone long term. There basically is no depth in the system at this
position. Without Pete or a veteran outsider, it’s in the hands of Mark Vientos and Clifford, two
challenged hitters and suspect fielders. To me, it’s why a guy like Mark Bellinger made so must sense. Excellent
hitter. Even better defensively. But writers and readers here have convinced me
to, going forward, pass on long term contracts to players over 30. Still, if
the Mets sign a biggie contract, this probably is the position they zero into.
Rating:
2025: B+ 2026:
D+
9 comments:
If the Mets sign a biggie contract… it on an ace. Vientos has made some nice plays in limited time. If Clifford isn’t ready defensively, he should put in the work. I’ve always felt that Wilmer Flores could have been a good third baseman if he put a tire on a chair at first base and made 100 throws a day from third base during the winter. Most modern players are lazy, or “are just happy to be here”. Get rid of those.
My guess is Cohen and Alonso, plus their brides break bread regularly
I just can't see this guy not retiring as a Met
Roybert has long been one of my personal favorite Mets prospects. He has legit big time power , and is absolutely a corner defender. A Mets scout told me when he was signed that Herrera is a big sleeper prospect. Cesar Acosta will be back in the DSL in 2026 as a catching prospect.
Of the three, IYO, who will make it to Quuens
Reimer can certainly be a 1B by late 2026 if Baty owns 3B.
Paul
You gettin' this?
I’m pretty confident that they’re going to re-sign Pete, and that we’ll see him DH a fair bit. My guess is that he DH’s 40-50 games vs RHP and McNeil covers 1B. No one in the org is ready - or even close. And I can’t see them replacing Pete with another 30+ yr-old on a big money long-term deal. My guess is 4/$120 for Pete with a 5th yr club option/$10m buy-out.
Let me tell everyone that is too caught up with the Alonso saga, that if the Mets don't sign him, it won’t mean the sky is falling. According to FanGraphs, this past season there were three Mets in the top 15 offensive players in MLB. That means, the other twelve players for the 12 playoffs teams at an average of one per team if they all were on those teams - which is unlikely. Some teams had none. So, the Mets with their 3 out of 15 were home in October, while the others were playing. My point: Alonso doesn’t seem to move the needle by himself as much as it is assumed. A good player, yes, but, replaceable.
Pete however is a UFA and can leave if he wants to. It'd be more interesting if the Mets preferred to go after one of the Japanese 1b (Murakami/Okamura)
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