MACK - Top 28 Prospects - #15 - 1B - Ryan Clifford

 

The excitement about the Mets' prospect pipeline has been building year over year as the team improves their domestic and international scouting.  Many of the Mets' picks are being discussed throughout baseball, so Mack has boiled it down to the top 28 to give the readers a glimpse into the team's future.  This series will run for 28 days, counting down from #28 to #1.  The entire list can be viewed by clicking "2026 Top 28 Prospects" on the top menu bar.

15.    Ryan Clifford

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

GROK -

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.

 

10-31-2025

MACK/MM

Ryan Clifford – normally, you would be excited about a 22/year old coming off a combines AA/AAA season with 29 home runs and 93 runs batted in, but Clifford is also carrying the baggage of 148 strikeouts in 579 plate appearances and only a .237 batting average. He’s also bat-first with average at best defensive skills at first, limiting his future value even more. His LHH game lines up better as a platooned DH (24-HR, 69-RBI, .247-BA vs. RHP – 5-HR, 24-RBI, .204-BA vs. LHP) going forward.

 

11-7-2025

JUST BASEBALL

7. Ryan Clifford – 1B – (Triple-A)       

Height/Weight: 6’3″, 210 | Bat/Throw: L/R | 11th Round (343), 2022 (HOU) | ETA: 2026

Drafted in the 11th round by the Astros, Clifford signed for second-round money ($1.25 million) to forego his Vanderbilt commitment before being traded alongside Drew Gilbert for Justin Verlander at the 2023 deadline. Clifford made some mechanical adjustments during the 2025 season which helped him cut down swing and miss.

Hitting

Clifford starts wide with his hands rested on his shoulder, before pushing his hands up and back to his slot with a pronounced coil as he loads. The emphasis on the coil is likely in an effort to mitigate his tendency to be heavy with his front foot, but during the 2025 season, he cut down his stride which in turn helped him hold his back side longer.

Now not pushing onto his frontside as early or heavily, Clifford’s barrel did not drag nearly as much, turning around velocity much more effectively. His contact rate on fastballs 93+ MPH jumped from 63% to 74% in 2025 with an OPS up roughly 200 points.

His improvements against velocity seemingly helped him control his at bats better as well. Now looking less rushed in the box, Clifford was much more effective against changeups as well, recognizing and staying back more easily.

Utilizing his lower half more effectively also translated into more consistently strong exit velocities. His hard hit rate jumped by 14% with a gaudy 90th percentile exit velocity of 108.5 MPH. His patience in the box can border on passivity at times, but Clifford’s swing decisions improved in 2025.

The contact rates are unlikely to be better than fringy at the highest level, though it is much easier to envision a quality power bat as he has rounded out some of the edges to his offensive profile while further tapping into his plus raw power in 2025.

He may ultimately be sheltered from left on left matchups, but Clifford has the offensive skill set to be a three true outcome hitter who can push north of 30 homers if he can maintain his contact gains at the highest level.

Defense/Speed

A below average runner, Clifford has seen action both in right field and first base. His easy plus arm could be more of an asset in right field, though his limited range and iffy reads could result in him playing most of his games at first base.

Outlook

Clifford’s easy plus power has always been his calling card, and with improved contact rates and approach, he is knocking on the door of the big leagues going into his age 22 season.

While his glove is not an asset, the ability to at least plug into the outfield corners in addition to first base helps his case. Ultimately, Clifford projects best as a bulk-platoon, three true outcome power bat, capable of launching 30+ homers.

 

11-11-2025

Tom Brennan/MM

6. 1B Ryan Clifford

The 22 year old lefty power hitting Clifford has accelerated, starting slowly in cold, pitchers park Binghamton in early 2025, hitting just .190 on May 4, with just 3 HRs and 9 RBIs, but heating up thereafter and getting promoted to AAA.

He hit just .237, but had an .356 OBP due to an high level of walks (85) that compensated for his 148 Ks.

He ended up with impressive numbers: 29 HRs and 93 RBIs in 139 games.

A strong 26 HRs and 84 RBIs over his last 115 games. Project THAT over 162 games. Go ahead, reader, I dare ya.  That’s roughly about 40 / 112.

Part of those high RBIs, to be sure, was due to a plethora of fast base runners to for Ryan to drive in, guys named Jett, Morabito, D’Andre, and (briefly) Ewing.

Clifford is slow afoot, and will be a future DH/1B type, but can play in the OF. 

My comp for Clifford is Lucas Duda, who like Clifford hit righties a lot better than lefties, but to Clifford, I would say:

”OK, you’ve proved you can walk a lot, now ATTACK!”  Be aggressive.

Less walks, higher average, more HRs. Essentially:

From here on out, please be the next Nick Kurtz.  Attack.

I bring up his need to ATTACK, because others are already inferring it, but not saying it directly.  Who are those “others”?  The people who put together Baseball Top 100 lists, who do not include Clifford in that 100 list.

ATTACK!

 

11-21-2025

TJStats

#95 - Ryan Clifford continued to do what he typically does and posted a 136 wRC+ while making his way to AAA. His already impressive power took a large step this season compared to 2024 as he saw his 90th% EV increase from 105.3 to 108.6 MPH. This improvement caused his HardHit rate to spike from 41.2% to an otherworldly 56.8%, making him one of the most feared hitters in MiLB. Most impressive was that his contact rates improved across the board with his Z-Contact rate jumping from a poor 76% to a more average 81%. 

Clifford was more aggressive against in-zone offerings without sacrificing his already beneficial patience. These gains dragged Clifford away from a three-true outcome fate and paint him as a dynamic all-around slugger. He will likely not provide much defensive versatility, but he looks the part of a MLB hitter that could help the Mets out in 2026.

 

Angry Mike/MM               @AngryMike24

12-15-2025

Mets Brass encouraged Ryan Clifford to be more aggressive early in the count for the 2025 Season, in order to avoid from having to constantly hit being behind in the count. 

LouisAnalysis      @LouisAnalysis

It will be interesting to see what the Mets do with Ryan Clifford.

- 53.1% Hard-Hit%.

- 12.3% Barrel%.

- 111.0 MPH MaxEV.

- 107.4 MPH 90thEV.

- 23.09% Chase%.

Clifford has been young for all the levels he's played at and is a must-follow as 2026 Spring Training starts.

 

12-18-2025

ANGRY MIKE/MM

Ryan Clifford has been one of the hardest prospects to analyze who is currently ranked among the Mets top prospects. The raw talent is elite, as he has arguably the best power bat among Mets prospects and at times he can flat out carry an offense.

Clifford remains one of the key pieces in a potential youth movement, his development continues to trend in the right direction. Providing hope of a finished product that gives the Mets an impact bat who can play first base or outfield.

Frankly, it’s time for the Mets to break their cycle of trying to use as many veterans as possible, and begin to start utilizing their impressive collection of prospects they have knocking on the door for a promotion.