Tom Brennan - Mets Prospects Beyond the Top 40….My 41 Thru 50

Three nasty starters at 48 thru 50?

I was going to stop at my top 30…but I felt that was unfair to the guys who just missed, so in my last article, I went from 31 thru 40.

I still felt that was unfair, and added another 10 here, going up to # 50.

41. RHP Jon Pintaro: JP was not in my Top 30 because he is turning 28.  I know, sue me (the 72 year old writer) for age discrimination.  

I expect that JP should actually do some pitching for the Mets out of the pen in 2026.  He retired one batter and allowed one run for the Mets in 2025.    

42. No, I didn’t rank Jackie Robinson as my # 42 prospect - sorry.  

My actual # 42, Colin Houck, is as low as this despite being a former first rounder because he strikes out far too much so far.  326 times in 951 PAs (34%) in 2024 and 2025, to be precise.  He has so many infield competitors in the Mets minors, too. 

Cut the Ks a lot, Colin, and maybe you’ll spend as much time in the majors as did the Iron Major, Ralph Houk.

43. Simon Juan who has not hit particularly well since his DSL bonus signing. .222/.290/.340 in St. Lucie in 98 games in 2025.  

But, next year, he will still be just 20 until July. So he could still break out, and I guess he deserves some slack to show what he can deliver in 2026.  

I’d challenge him with a Brooklyn assignment.

A few other notables that I left out of my top 40:

44. SS Yorber Semprun, who hit .307 with 15 of 16 steals. But that is DSL.  Let’s see what Yorber does stateside in 2026.

45. INF Jeremy Rodriguez: The 19 year old Rodriguez disappointed this year with St Lucie, hitting just .202/.304/.236.  

A slugging % of .236??

He needs to beef up his body and his slugging %.  And, next year, I remind myself, he is only 20.  But there are so many infielders in the system.  He needs to rebound like … well … like Denis Rodman.

And why not a few more?  Let’s go for 50.

46. Calvin Ziegler: Ziegler had Tommy John surgery in early 2024, and should be back, hopefully with his filthy stuff, in 2026 in the minors.  

He is, like Dylan Ross, another guy who had barely pitched in his early Mets minors career. Now age 23 is our Mr. Ziegler, who was signed out of high school.  In 2024, before his arm blew, he had thrown 6 remarkable innings of no hit, 2 walk ball, while fanning 13.  So…I am thinking that Ziegler in 2026 might be the next Dylan Ross, shooting up the rankings.

47. Colton Cosper is an interesting lefty fella, who, as spelled out in Ernest Dove’s interview in late October with Colton.  He was undrafted, but somehow threw 5 scoreless innings in his St Lucie pro debut.  

He got roughed up a bit in his next two outings there, but in September, because of his ease and self-confidence, got jumped to an evacuating AAA Syracuse team (promoted were starters McLean, Tong, and Sproat). Cosper tossed 3 excellent innings in 2 outings in AAA. Who knows what is in store for this crafty lefty with moxie in 2026?  Feels to me a little bit like former Met PJ Conlon, as a comp.

48-50? You fill the last three in. Go ahead, make my day.

You want Matt Allan here? Be my guest.

Maybe you’d prefer to add as your # 48 - 50 the # 5 through # 7 round draft picks from 2025, Payton Prescott, Nathan Hall, and Cam Tilly.

None of the latter three have pitched in professional games yet, though, so I pushed them down to 48 thru 50.  

May all three be top 30 next year.

 I will simply say this…

THE…SYSTEM…HAS…SO…MUCH…TALENT.

NOW…WHAT THE HECK AM I GOING TO WRITE ABOUT,

FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS UNTIL SPRING TRAINING?

 I WILL THINK OF SOMETHING, HOPEFULLY.