MACK - MY WEDNESDAY OBSERVATIONS - MACK'S PROSPECT #13/1B Ryan Clifford - Fan Survey. Tyler Rogers, Kodai Senga, Mark Vientos, Pete Alonso, Carson Benge

 

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 #13:

13.    1B     Ryan Clifford

2025:  481-AB, .237, 29-HR, 93-RBI, .826-OPS

Ryan Clifford is a highly regarded prospect in the New York Mets organization, known for his left-handed power-hitting potential and plate discipline.

At just 22 years old (born July 20, 2003, in Raleigh, NC), he's positioned as a corner infielder/outfielder with first base as his primary spot, and he's emerging as a key piece of the Mets' future lineup—potentially stepping in at 1B if Pete Alonso leaves in free agency.

Clifford was a standout at Pro5 Academy (now Combine Academy) in North Carolina, where he committed to Vanderbilt University. Scouts praised his track record of hitting, but his age (slightly older for the class) and uneven junior/senior stats caused him to slip in the 2022 MLB Draft.

Drafted by Astros: Selected in the 11th round (No. 326 overall) by the Houston Astros. They signed him for an over-slot bonus of $1,256,530—equivalent to a second-round pick—to buy him out of his college commitment. This aggressive move highlighted his upside as a bat-first prospect.

Clifford's path to New York came via a blockbuster deadline deal on August 1, 2023:Traded from the Astros to the Mets along with outfielder Drew Gilbert in exchange for ace pitcher Justin Verlander (and cash considerations).

At the time, Clifford was tearing up High-A Asheville, slashing .271/.356/.547 with 16 HR in 58 games. The trade package was seen as a coup for the Mets, with Clifford as more than just a throw-in—he was already a top Astros prospect.

Clifford has rocketed through the minors since signing, showcasing plus power and elite walk rates, though strikeouts remain a work in progress.

Led all Double-A hitters with 23 HR total (including brief Triple-A stint); improved consistency.

Promoted late 2024; strong barrel rate (top MiLB prospect metric) suggests MLB readiness by mid-2026.

Power Profile: Clifford's swing generates elite exit velocities and barrel rates, projecting 25-30 HR potential at the MLB level. He's a fringe runner with adequate corner OF defense and solid arm strength, but 1B is his likely long-term home.

MLB ETA: Likely mid-2026, starting in Triple-A Syracuse. If Alonso departs after opting out of his contract, Clifford could compete for the 1B job outright. Fans and analysts see him as a "bat-first" cornerstone with 20-25 HR upside, though refining contact skills will be key.

Mets fan survey results

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6757524/2025/10/29/mets-fan-survey-results-2025/

How would you like the Mets to approach Edwin Díaz?

33%        Make him a Met for life                

64%        Offer him one additional year on top of the two he's opting out of

3%          Let him walk

Although more fans placed Díaz as the No. 1 priority than Alonso, fewer want to make him a Met for life — likely the result of his playing the most volatile position in the sport.

Mets fan survey results

CLICK HERE

Which of the following players would you consider “untouchable” in a trade for a front-line starter? (Check all that apply.)

Nolan McLean                   95%

Carson Benge                    42%

Jett Williams                       33%

Jonah Tong                         28%

Brandon Sproat                 25%

This is the first indication of how strongly Mets fans feel about McLean — and I do wonder how different the percentages would be had I included Skubal and/or Skenes in the previous question.

Ca-Ching! Baseball America predicts big contracts for the top NY Mets free agents

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What Baseball America projects the top 5 Mets free agents earn on their next contract

Tyler Rogers - 3 years, $44 million

Everywhere seems convinced Tyler Rogers will get paid. A contract of this magnitude probably has him landing somewhere other than Queens. This, again, feels like a case of a year too long. Rogers is 35 and not a closer. Durable and consistent, he’ll price himself out of David Stearns’ plans if this is the asking price.

Yankees should show interest in this Mets pitcher in offseason

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The New York Yankees aren’t in the market for a starting pitcher. However, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt will all miss Opening Day while recovering from surgery. This leaves the starting rotation with Max Fried, Luis Gil, Will Warren and Cam Schlittler along with top prospects Carlos Lagrange and Elmer-Rodriguez Cruz. If the Yankees added Senga, he could fill in for the injured Yankee trio before being converted into a reliever.

A move to the bullpen may help preserve Senga in the face of his durability issues. Senga has never pitched more than 166.1 innings in a season, but when healthy, he is almost unhittable. If needed, he can be a hybrid starter/reliever.

The Yankees had significant bullpen problems this past year, posting a 4.37 ERA in the regular season and a 6.15 ERA in the postseason. The Bombers also have no shortage of holes to fill, with Jonathan Loaisiga, Luke Weaver, Paul Blackburn, Devin Williams and Ryan Yarbrough wading into free agency. This experiment would be similar to the move the Los Angeles Dodgers made with Roki Sasaki, who found success as a closer.

If the Mets are willing to shop Senga after another lost year, any team willing to make an offer might acquire a true diamond in the rough. For the Yankees, adding Senga’s splitter to their shallow bullpen could be the move of the offseason.

 

NY Mets at risk of losing first-round draft pick for nothing next month

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Unless the Mets protect Kevin Parada on their 40-man roster in the coming days, he’ll be up for grabs

The Mets could always trade Parada before the November 18 deadline, but any team acquiring him would be in the same boat. So unless they’d immediately add him to their 40-man roster, it’s an unlikely best-case scenario. His trade value is minimal.

His .754 OPS in Double-A was promising. However, it dropped to .567 in 64 plate appearances in Triple-A. He hasn’t developed into much of a hitter at all to the point where becoming serviceable would feel like a victory.

The question for the Mets is whether or not he’s worth a 40-man roster spot. Considering they already have Hayden Senger there, things would get clogged up quickly with four catchers. It wouldn’t be logical outside of some kind of change. Senger might be someone they would dangle on the waiver wire, but for the sake of keeping Parada on the 40-man roster, it seems to go against the kinds of moves Stearns made in the past with prospects and the Rule 5 Draft. There was room to protect Vasil and Dom Hamel (who wasn’t claimed) last year.

Prior to 2024, the Mets added prospect Alex Ramirez to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft with the belief that maybe a team would steal him. Ramirez had another disappointing season thereafter and is no longer with the club after spending a part of the 2025 campaign with them. This is one of the ways the Parada saga could always end.

Good catching help is hard to find. A team with an opening and maybe even a plan of employing three catchers regularly in 2026 could always clear some room. Expecting him to last the full season in the majors might be a difficult task. Last year, the second pick in the Rule 5 Draft was Liam Hicks of the Miami Marlins. He hit .247 in 119 games. Anyone willing to take a chance on Parada will need to have faith he’s a capable defender which is another one of those questions the Mets aren’t so sure about either.

 

NY Mets Monday Morning GM: 3 changes David Stearns will have a hard time selling fans

https://risingapple.com/ny-mets-monday-morning-gm-3-changes-david-stearns-hard-time-selling-fans?utm_source=bleacherreport&utm_medium=referral&_branch_match_id=1516433622804351406&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXTyrSSywo0MvJzMvWN3euijKpdMpJikyyrytKTUstKsrMS49PKsovL04tsnVNSU8FAGfJUX83AAAA

1) Going light at first base isn’t going to make us feel good

Opinions will vary about what the Mets should do at first base. Many would be fine re-signing Pete Alonso. Who doesn’t like familiarity? Munetaka Murakami is incredibly intriguing yet worrisome because we have never seen him perform against MLB pitching for a full season.

Those two power-hitting options are likely the favorite choice of most Mets fans. What if Stearns passes on them both?

There are some options that might satisfy. Cody Bellinger is a free agent who could be signed to play a lot of first base while also giving them assistance in center field. It’s those much lesser options that’ll have fans enraged. This includes everything from the internal decision of moving Mark Vientos to the position or signing a guy just for his defense.

Run prevention is important, but the Mets lose a lot if they allow Alonso to walk and don’t replace his offense. His 126 RBI won’t be easy to come by. How much could be made up by a defensive player robbing opponents with his glove?

Going lighter at first base isn’t something Mets fans are used to. Even prior to Alonso, the Mets have been a franchise to regularly employ All-Star level players at the position.

MetCast                       @MetCastPod

I’ve been saying this for months — multiple people inside the Mets organization have told me that Carson Benge is the apple of their eye and was considered “untouchable” at this year’s trade deadline. I also reported that he could be competing for a roster spot as early as this spring training.

MACK – If this was true, it will change everything immediately about the immediate future of the Mets outfield. Your starters out of cam could be Benge, Brandon Nimmo, and Juan Soto, moving Tyrone Taylor to a late inning defensive move in right