MACK - MY FRIDAY OBSERVATIONS - MACK'S PROSPECT #7 - OF Nick Morabito - Defense Behind SPs, Riches Owners, Semien's D, Yohendrick Pinango

 

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. A perfect example of a player that didn’t make this list is catcher Ronald Hernandez. I still like the guy, but based on what he did in 2025, I don’t like him “top 30 guy”.

Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Jonah Tong _(maybe) 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 #7:

7.     OF    Nick Morabito

Turning 23 in May    RHH    CF/RF/LF    5-10    185

2^nd round 2022  Gonzaga College HS (DC)

2025 AA – 492-PA, 115-K, 47-BB, 49-SB, 6-HR, 59-RBI, .273, .734-OPS

Nick Morabito is a 22-year-old outfielder in the New York Mets' farm system, known for his elite speed, plate discipline, and potential as a leadoff hitter or defensive specialist in center field.

He's a right-handed hitter and thrower, standing 5'10" and weighing 185 pounds.

Originally from McLean (no… not THAT McLean), Virginia, Morabito attended Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., where he exploded as a senior, batting .545 with 12 home runs and 52 stolen bases, earning D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year honors.

The Mets selected him in the second compensatory round (75th overall) of the 2022 MLB Draft as compensation for losing Noah Syndergaard in free agency.

Morabito's game revolves around getting on base and disrupting defenses with his legs—he's graded as a 70 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale by MLB Pipeline. His compact swing and above-average bat speed help him spray line drives, but he's still developing power and pull-side approach against advanced pitching. Scouts compare him to a smaller Clint Frazier or a light-hitting version of Jeff McNeil: versatile, contact-oriented, and speedy, but potentially limited to a bench/platoon role unless he adds loft to his swing.

He's Rule 5 Draft-eligible this offseason, putting pressure on the Mets to add him to the 40-man roster or risk losing him.

Professional Career Highlights

Morabito has progressed quickly through the Mets' system, earning the organization's 2024 Minor League Player of the Year award for position players. He's led Mets minor leaguers in batting average, on-base percentage, and stolen bases multiple times.

In 2025, he spent the full season at Double-A Binghamton (Eastern League champions), showing solid but not explosive production while posting a career-high six home runs—though his 53.9% ground-ball rate limited extra-base power.

Stats via Baseball-Reference and MiLB.com.

2024 - He was the only minor leaguer with 50+ steals, 50+ runs, 50+ walks, and a .300+ average.

2025 - 7th in full-season MiLB steals

Outlook and Path to the Majors

Morabito is projected for a 2026 or 2027 MLB debut. He's expected to start 2026 at Triple-A Syracuse, focusing on elevating launch angle and handling lefties better (he's struggled slightly against them as a righty).

Defensively, his range and error-free play (zero errors in 2025) make him a plus center fielder, though his arm is average. In a crowded Mets outfield, he profiles as a fourth outfielder or pinch-runner, but his OBP skills (.350+ career) and speed could carve out a niche like Harrison Bader or a modern Jason Tyner.

@NickMorabito1

MACK – when I started compiling this list, I had Morabito in the 17th slot; however, what he did in the Arizona Fall League made me move him up to seventh. Now, I hope he’s still around by the time this prints out.

I still project Carson Benge in center. Left is a battle between this guy and AJ Ewing; however, no matter what he does in the AFL this off-season, he can’t make the arm throw faster than God intended it to be. 

Nick Pollack                      @PitcherList

This is the #1 most overlooked stat when assessing Starting Pitchers.

The defense behind them.

If you can determine defensive strength in the pre-season, you WILL have a leg up.

 

BaseballHistoryNut                        @nut_history

The richest owners in MLB right now.  Incase no one knew.  The Jays could outspend anyone if they actually wanted too

 

The Mets may have just handed Tyler Rogers the perfect invitation to Queens

CLICK HERE\

Marcus Semien’s first press conference with the New York media delivered one moment that stood out above the rest. When asked about his defense (13:54 mark), he explained that his priority is making pitchers feel comfortable pitching to contact. It was straightforward, confident, and clearly rooted in experience, the kind of comment that immediately shapes how a team’s pitching staff can expect to operate with him on the field.

The numbers supporting that message are as steady as they come. Semien ended 2025 with 5 DRS, 7 OAA, and a Gold Glove, adding to a run that already included three straight seasons of double-digit DRS and double-digit OAA in the last two years. That level of consistency isn’t decorative. It reflects a defender who reliably turns contact into outs and gives pitchers the freedom to attack the zone without hesitation.

 

Unprotected From the Rule 5 Draft

https://www.justbaseball.com/prospects/most-surprising-prospects-left-unprotected-rule-5-draft/?s=03

Yohendrick Piñango (OF) – Toronto Blue Jays

2025 Stats: 131 G, .258/.361/.430, 15 HR, 70 RBI, 122 wRC+

As Aram Leighton highlighted in his write-up of Yohendrick Piñango in May, the outfielder is well-known as being a data darling. The issue with Piñango’s profile is that it comes with a lot of inconsistencies.

Piñango was a part of the 2018 International class, signing for $400,000 with the Chicago Cubs. He made his way to the Blue Jays in the Nate Pearson trade.

Watching him swing the bat is truly mesmerizing. Putting up exit velocities north of 105 mph, ranking in the 90th percentile, he offers intriguing power that is surprising to see in someone as young as he is. The most impressive part about it is that he has put up contact rates above 80% during his minor league career.

The issue comes with the rate at which he is swinging the bat. His swing percentage has been sub-50% since his 2023 season in High-A South Bend.

I would be surprised if Piñango is drafted, but the intrigue at the plate could be enough to have a team jump at the opportunity.