MACK - SUNDAY OBSERVATIONS - MACK'S #14 PROSPECT/SP NOAH HALL - Fan Survey, Tyler Rogers, Munetaka Murakami, Ron Hunt, Pete

 

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 #14:

14.    SP     Noah Hall 

25/yrs old in March      6-0    195   RHSP

2025:    A+ –              25-G, 21-ST, 5-7, 2.72, 1.27, 112.2-IP, 63-BB, 115-K

Noah Hall is a promising right-handed starting pitcher in the New York Mets' minor league system. At 24 years old (born March 30, 2001, in Charlotte, NC), he's 6'0" and 195 lbs, known for his command, plus changeup, and potential as a mid-rotation arm.

He's currently assigned to High-A Brooklyn Cyclones.

He’s shown significant improvement in 2025 after battling injuries, positioning him as one of the Mets' more intriguing pitching prospects.

Hall began his college career at Appalachian State University, where he spent two seasons (2019-2021) primarily as a reliever, posting a 4.15 ERA over 34.2 innings with 41 strikeouts. He transferred to the University of South Carolina for his junior year in 2022, transitioning into a starting role in the competitive SEC.

That season, he logged a 4.34 ERA in 76.2 innings across 16 starts, with 78 strikeouts and a solid walk rate (31 BB), earning him a 20th-round draft pick (612th overall) from the Milwaukee Brewers.

Hall returned to South Carolina for his senior year in 2023 to improve his stock

In 2023, he started hot, going 5-1 with a 3.29 ERA in seven starts (41 IP, 43 K, just 9 BB), earning SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week honors in February and Perfect Game National Pitcher of the Week on February 28. Unfortunately, a back injury sidelined him for the second half of the season. His performance and pedigree as a two-year Gamecock starter caught the Mets' eye, leading to his selection in the 7th round (216th overall) of the 2023 MLB Draft.

Hall signed with the Mets for $176,250, slightly below slot value, and debuted in the Florida Complex League (FCL) Mets in 2023. Limited by his injury, he made just four starts, posting a 3.38 ERA in 13.1 innings with 13 strikeouts and excellent control (2 BB).

In 2024, he advanced to Low-A St. Lucie Mets, where he built on his command with a 3.45 ERA over 15 starts (72.1 IP, 78 K, 22 BB), though he dealt with minor setbacks that capped his innings.

Four-Seam Fastball

Straight with some ride; located up in the zone well.

92-95 mph (touches 96)

50-55 grade (primary pitch, ~50% usage)

Improved life in pro ball; pairs well with changeup for swing-and-miss.

Changeup

His best offering—tumble and arm-side fade; elite separation from fastball.

80-83 mph

60-70 grade (above-average to plus; ~30% usage)

Devastating vs. righties; generated whiffs in college and minors; Mets' development focus.

Slider

Shorter, tighter break with high spin (2,600+ RPM); horizontal sweep.

84-87 mph

45-50 grade (fringe-average; ~15-20% usage)

Shows promise but underutilized; added depth in 2024-25; potential third pitch.

Hall's strengths are his low walk rates (career ~2.5 BB/9 in college/pros) and ability to induce weak contact, but he could benefit from a curveball or refined slider for lefties.

His changeup is the carrying tool, often graded as his 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale.

Overall, Hall's trajectory is upward, and with the Mets' pitching lab, he could emerge as a reliable starter. Keep an eye on his Cyclones starts—he's one injury-free season from Mets contention chatter.

        MACK –

I have Hall beginning the season back in AA-Binghamton, in a very crowded projected rotation (Watson, Thornton, Santucci, Diaz, Girton, Cota). His number one and number two objective this season is to, stay healthy and, stay healthy. If he accomplishes that, he will end the season in AAA-Syracuse and line himself for a major league rotation on opening day 2027 (somewhere). 

Mets fan survey results

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What would make the 2026 season a success?

Winning the World Series  14%

Winning the pennant         26%

Advancing to the NLCS      25%

Advancing to the NLDS      7%

A division title                  14%

A postseason berth           14%

“This is the standard,” Stearns said in a champagne celebration in Oct. 2024, and Mets fans agree. Nearly two-thirds of them think the Mets need to be in the sport’s final four for 2026 to be a success.

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.

Ranking 'Japanese Babe Ruth' Munetaka Murakami's Top 7 MLB Landing Spots

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1. New York Mets

Back in August, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns made the trek to Japan to personally scout Murakami:

That alone doesn't mean that the Mets are definitely going to sign Murakami, but it's a pretty good indication that New York will be in on him this offseason.

Pete Alonso is once again a free agent after hitting 38 home runs this past season. It seemed last winter like Alonso was more interested in the Mets than they were in him. With his 2025 production, he'll surely get four guaranteed years this offseason, if not more. If the Mets don't feel comfortable giving that deal to a player who will turn 31 in December, Murakami would be a pretty nice pivot.

Even if the Mets do bring back Alonso, you can't discount the possibility of Steve Cohen also opening up the checkbook after missing the postseason altogether in 2025. Murakami could co-exist with Alonso, instead pushing Mark Veintos at third base and getting DH at-bats. Adding Murakami might also make it easier to have Alonso DH on a more consistent basis.

 

Mets trade Ron Hunt and Jim Hickman to the Dodgers

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On November 29, 1966, the Mets traded Ron Hunt and Jim Hickman to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Tommy Davis and Derrell Griffith. Davis spent one year with the Mets and hit .302 and looked like the team had a legitimate hitter they could depend on for many years to come. It didn’t work out that way. I still have a 1967 Mets yearbook that Tommy Davis autographed.

In December of 1967 (yes, this article is supposed to be about November trades – but I needed to close the loop on Davis and what he actually brought to this team) and despite his strong season, Davis and three other players were shipped to the White Sox for Tommie Agee and Al Weiss. No one could have predicted the contributions that both would have to the 1969 championship season both at the bat and in the field. Agee is easily considered one of the club’s best outfielders in franchise history and who could forget those two magical catches against the Baltimore Orioles. While Weis was not that strong of a player, his World Series home run in 1969 was essential to the team clinching their first championship.

 

Why New York Mets may let Pete Alonso walk in free agency

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 In a November 5 article, ESPN MLB writer Jorge Castillo made a bleak prediction about Alonso's chances of playing for the Mets in 2026.

When assessing the Mets' free agency outlook, Castillo wrote, "There's the case of first baseman Pete Alonso, a free agent for the second straight offseason. Alonso wants a lucrative long-term deal coming off a rebound campaign.

"The Mets probably aren't going to give him one, which would leave first base to fill," he added.

It's unclear where Castillo has gleaned this opinion from. But his sentiment does make sense, given that the Mets weren't willing to give Alonso a long-term, lucrative deal last offseason.

And while Alonso is coming off a successful year, he's still one year older, which means that his inevitable regression is one year closer to arriving than it was when these two sides were last negotiating.

Despite this, it would be sad to see the Mets not even make Alonso a competitive offer, given everything he has meant to the franchise over the past six seasons. But baseball is a business, after all. And if David Stearns thinks that money could be better spent elsewhere, then he has to make the best choice for his club.