Tom Brennan - My Top 30 Mets Prospects: # 21 Thru 25

  

So, here is the second of my post-season minors top 30 posts. 

Previously: 26-30. Today? The 21 Thru 25 Gents

21. Kevin Parada 

The former first round catcher had completely fallen out of my top 30 last year, due to terrible hitting and high Ks.  Early in 2025, I felt entirely justified in that non-ranking, since in 2025, he was “hitting” just .157 in AA on May 25!   I delisted KP from the Brennan Stock Exchange right then.

I also suggested then that the Mets consider a TWO LEVEL DEMOTION, to allow Kevin to start over with the bat.  

Suddenly, though, he proved me wrong…he started to hit in AA.  A lot.

He ended up hitting .254 in 315 AA at bats, with 50 RBIs, so he hit great in AA for his last 3 months there.  He was then promoted to AAA, and while hitting just .196 in 56 at bats, his AAA K rate (which was stubbornly too high in 2024) was a much improved K per every 5 PAs.

So I re-listed him on my Exchange and immediately rated him a “BUY”.

He seems to be positioned to overtake Hayden Senger as the # 3 catcher behind Alvarez and Torrens. Senger’s glove is better, but Parada’s bat is now finally better. Hopefully, in 2026, his bat will be much better.

A remarkable mid-season hitting turn-around story.  As such, I deservedly let him OUT of my doghouse, and list him at # 21. Could he possibly ascend all the way back up into the Mets’ top 10 in 2026?  

It is not impossible. Keep improving the hitting.

22. Antonio Jimenez

A high Mets pick in 2025, the 102nd overall dude in the 2025 MLB draft is a 21 year old 6’1, 200 (what else?) shortstop.  He hit .263 in 26 games in St Lucie, with a low K (15 in 110 PAs) rate.  Very nice.

Just one double in those 110 PAs, but he had a .575 slug % in college in 2025, so the pop is there, and will show up. He is listed with “50” power. 

I like that he pursued contact over power in his pro debut.  He added 8 steals, and 19 of 25 in steals between college and the pros this year in 81 games.  “Just” 5 errors in 22 games at SS/3B, a good sign.

My guess is he will move fast into High A.

Interestingly, in grading the Mets’ 2025 draft players against one another, our reader JoeP noted that Baseball America ranked Jimenez as best in power and best in defense.

23. Yovanny Rodriguez

“Yo Rod” at age 18 hit better than Elian Pena in the DSL:

 .331/.446/.493.  

The catcher, like Elian, also got a huge bonus.  Not just quite as huge.

I want to see him crush stateside ball in 2026 as a 19 year old. 

Yo, Yo.

24. INF Boston Baro

Boston the player  (listed at 6’1”, 170) was an 8th round over-slotter in 2023.  He could be very good, but 2025 was a bit of an inclining struggle. Playing SS, 2B, and 3B, the speedster stole 28 of 30, but hit just .224, after hitting .278 the prior year.   He bats lefty and Brooklyn is a lefty hitter’s nightmare, as he no doubt learned the hard way.

He missed the Brooklyn playoffs, as his season ended with an injury in late August, a bummer since in his final 2025 game, he went 3 for 5.

I see him getting assigned to Binghamton and it’s somewhat friendlier environs. He played most of 2025 at age 20, or I’d have ranked him in the 20-25 range. 

Time to add some Boston beef and pop for 2026. 

Why? Because, man oh man, there is so much friggin’ infield competition in this organization right now, and so few ultimate slots in Queens.  Time for him, frankly, to prove he is not the next Alex Ramirez, who also hit around .280 before he slipped to .220.  

I think Boston the player will have a solid 2026. Fingers crossed.

25.  INF Marco Vargas

Joe DeMayo wrote this a while back: “Vargas was the headlining return of the David Robertson trade back in 2023. At one time he was a top 10 prospect in the system, but missed most of last year with a wrist issue and his 2025 has been just solid. He has above average bat-to-ball and pitch recognition skills but really does not impact the baseball at all. He is a solid athlete who has played around the infield and has stolen 33 bases. He probably projects more as a backup infielder type, if his hit tool carries him through the upper minors.” 

So…I agree with that assessment pretty entirely, and a # 25 ranking to me is a proper level for a potential future utility MLB guy.

Next up: 

My audacious hurler-filled # 16 thru 20. 

P.S. My # 72 prospect today is … ME.  

I turned 72 today.  Vote for me.

Ray was filing for Social Security on the day I was born, they tell me.