Paul Articulates – The case for Nick Morabito

The New York Mets are in full hot stove season, and speculation abounds about what they will do to improve upon a dismal 2025 season.  

There are two primary thrusts to all that is being written right now.  One is to acquire some big names via trade or free agency and the other is to push for a youth movement, advancing some of the abundant minor league talent to see how they fare in the majors.

Both strategies are viable, but in the first strategy, a trade to acquire a big name like headline pitchers Tarik Skubal or Paul Skenes would require the Mets to give up some of their prized prospects.   The scenarios usually try to protect our most heralded prospects like Nolan McLean, Carson Benge, and Jett Williams.  But knowing that we have to give value to get value, they often offer up a Jonah Tong or Brandon Sproat and Nick Morabito.

Today I ask the question, “Why give up Nick Morabito”?

First, let’s state the obvious reasons that Nick ends up on the block:

1) Jett Williams was the Mets’ first round draft pick in 2022.  He has generally performed as one would expect from a first rounder, advancing rapidly through the levels and finishing his third year in AAA.  He may have moved even faster, but lost much of the 2024 season to a wrist injury which is difficult to return from.  Williams slashed .261/.363/.465 in his 2025 season while showing both speed and defensive versatility by playing SS, 2B, and CF positions.  There is a strong feeling that he can be ready for a call-up in the second half of 2026 and since he can play both IF and OF positions, many want to see him debut in a Mets uniform to see how this investment pans out.

2) Carson Benge has been the talk of the minor league organization.  After being drafted in the first round of the 2024 draft by the Mets, Benge went on one of the most aggressive climbs through the levels, spending the last 24 games in AAA this summer.  The reason Benge rocketed through the organization was pure performance.  In 2025 he hit .302 in Brooklyn over the first 60 games, then hit .317 in 32 games at AA Binghamton.  Two years out of college ball he was dominating AA pitching, so they sent him to Syracuse.  No one wants to give up that kind of talent.

So the story line is that Benge and Williams are going to battle for heir apparent for center at Citi Field, so why not trade #3?

Here is why:

Over the past two seasons, Morabito has hit .292 in the minors. Benge has hit .280, Williams .252.  During that time frame, Morabito has 108 stolen bases, compared to 25 for Benge and 39 for Williams.  Morabito just tore up the AFL to the tune of a .362 batting average with another 16 stolen bases in 17 games.  He also might be the best outfielder of the group, committing only one error in 639 innings last year.  Nick has to improve upon his K rate to continue his upward trajectory, but he has done some impressive things so far.

I am not making the case that Nick Morabito is better than Carson Benge or Jett Williams, because no one really knows how any of these three will respond to the next level challenge against the best talent in the world.  But I am making the case that the Mets should really do their best to keep all three of these guys around to determine what they can do at the MLB level.

David Stearns has proven to be pretty stingy with his minor league talent over the past two off-seasons, and maybe he will be this year as well.  There is tremendous pressure on him to fix last year’s problems through trades and free agent acquisition, but he needs to follow his instincts and protect the nest egg.