2/5/26

2026 DRAFT PROSPECTS. - James Clark, Mathew Sharman, Ryan Marohn, Nathan Taylor, Logan Hughes



 

MLB

James Clark

SS, St. John Bosco (CA)

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

As a junior, Clark hit .411 hitting leadoff and playing shortstop for St. John Bosco high school in California, earning MVP honors in the ultra-competitive Trinity League. He continued to perform over the summer at events like the Area Code Games and also helped Team USA take home a Gold Medal at the WSBC U-18 World Cup in Japan. He didn’t play a ton over the fall, but that did little to disrupt his upward momentum.

Clark has an exciting combination of upside and instincts. He’s a left-handed hitter who consistently makes excellent swing decisions. He doesn’t chase and routinely squares up the baseball with plus bat speed. While he’s pure hit and approach over power right now, there is some conviction that his ability to drive the ball will continue to show up as he moves along in the game. He’s a plus runner, and that tool plays up even more because of his high baseball IQ.

The only thing scouts aren’t sure about regarding Clark is his ability to stick at shortstop long term. Teams interested in him early will certainly give him the chance to play the premium position, where his instincts and accurate arm play well, but some think second or third base might be a better fit long-term. He’s committed to Princeton for college, where he would get the chance to keep playing with his twin brother, Miles.

 

Ian Smith        @IanSmittyGA

Poetry in motion.

2026 RHP Matthew Sharman is one of the premium movers in Prep Baseball’s ‘26 class.

Polish in every facet in a workhorse 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame for the  University of Georgia commit.

        https://www.perfectgame.org/Players/Playerprofile.aspx?ID=532731

        2025 PG National Showcase 

Matthew Sharman is a 2026 RHP/1B/3B with a 6-3 218 lb. frame from Woodstock, GA who attends Etowah. Big and strong athletic build. Works with good pace on the mound with a loose and fluid arm action and good drive and extension down the mound, 3/4's arm slot. Fastball was consistently in the low 90's and topped out at 93 mph, big running life, filled up the zone with fastball strikes to set up his secondary pitches. Change up was outstanding at times, comfortable throwing it to right handed hitters, huge fade on the change often over 20". Showed nice feel for a sweeper-type slider and created swing and miss in the zone with it. Pitches with confidence with a polished three-pitch mix. Good student with a verbal commitment to Georgia.

 

https://www.justbaseball.com/college-baseball/2026-college-baseball-pitchers-on-the-rise/

LHP Ryan Marohn, 6’2, 192 lb (NC State)

Marohn had a fantastic sophomore campaign for the Wolfpack, pitching over 85 innings to a 3.38 ERA and led the ACC in FIP (3.77).

Ryan does a lot of things well on the mound, highlighted by the deception he creates with a crossfire delivery that produces awkward angles for hitters, especially lefties.

His primary pitch is his four-seam which sits in the low-90s, an offering that gets plenty of ride with plus control. Marohn’s go-to off-speed option is his curveball, and it’s a plus offering. He threw it for over 60% strikes while generating a whiff rate north of 35%, creating funky swings as it tunnels well with the fastball.

Ryan’s changeup is also effective, averaging more than 16 inches of arm-side fade while giving righties trouble.

He rounds out his arsenal with both a cutter and a slider against left-handers, each showing similar shape and action toward the plate. It’ll be interesting to see over the course of the 2026 season if Marohn is able to create more lateral break on his slider shape, or keep it as is with short action with depth.

Overall, it’s a safe profile when it comes to evaluating him for the upcoming draft, Ryan is the epitome of a college ace; strikes, deception, and consistency.

Marohn comes in at No. 90 on our updated Top 100 College Prospects Board.

 

https://www.justbaseball.com/college-baseball/2026-college-baseball-pitchers-on-the-rise/

RHP Nathan Taylor, 6’5, 230 lb (Cincinnati)

Talk about undervalued aces, look no further than Taylor, who has started over 30 games and thrown 150 innings in two seasons with Cincinnati.

At first glance, Nathan presents a big and physical frame, paired with swift arm speed through the entire duration of his delivery.

Taylor is primarily a two-pitch guy with his four-seam and slider, as they combined for 90% of his 2025 usage, and both offerings play up. His 91-94 mph fastball features some ride through the zone as well as some natural cut, preferring to locate it east-west within the zone.

Taylor’s best pitch is the slider, a low-80s short action offering that generated over a 40% whiff rate and plus feel located down in the zone.

He also incorporates a changeup, which is currently an average offering used exclusively against left-handed bats. Thrown for over 65% strikes last season, it generates a good amount of chase, though improving his sequencing with the pitch is an area to improve upon.

Expect Taylor to not skip a beat in 2026, likely getting the nod to start on Fridays for the Bearcats while deservedly placing himself in Big 12 Pitcher of the Year conversations and cementing his draft stock as an early day two selection.

Taylor comes in at No. 98 on our updated Top 100 College Prospects Board.

 

MLB

Logan Hughes

OF, Texas Tech

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Arm: 40 | Field: 45 | Overall: 50

Hughes led Stetson in slugging (.515) as a freshman in 2024 before transferring to Texas Tech, where he batted .327/.411/.697 with nearly as many homers (19) as strikeouts (24) last spring. He continued to control the strike zone and hit the ball hard in the Cape Cod League, where he earned All-Star accolades and helped Bourne win its third title in four years. He's an offensive-minded left fielder who draws comparisons to Rusty Greer and Athletics 2025 second-round pick Devin Taylor.

Hughes scores well analytically because he makes good swing decisions and a lot of contact against all types of pitches, producing a lot of hard line drives. He has a pretty left-handed swing that's compact and quick, and he possesses plus raw power. With his hitting ability, he should be able to make adjustments to allow him to launch balls to his pull side more frequently and get to 20-25 homers per season.

He'll have to produce at the plate because Hughes doesn't offer much value elsewhere. He's a below-average runner with arm strength to match, which limits his defensive options. He can look shaky at times in left field, and at 5-foot-11, he lacks the ideal size for first base.


MACK - Top 28 Prospects - #22 - RHRP - Ben Simon

 


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.

22.    Ben Simon


GROK –

Ben Simon is a right-handed relief pitcher for the New York Mets organization, currently in the minor leagues.

Born on March 22, 2002, in Princeton, New Jersey, he stands at 5'11" and weighs 197 pounds.

Drafted by the Mets in the 13th round (396th overall) of the 2023 MLB Draft from Elon University, Simon has been noted for his potential despite limited professional experience.

In 2025, he was a Brooklyn Cyclones (High-A) player with a background as a standout at Hightstown High School and Elon University, where he posted a 3.20 ERA with seven saves in 25.1 innings during his junior year.

Repertoire:

Fastball: Sits in the mid-90s, often touching the high-90s, with a high spin rate that gives it late life and makes it his primary pitch.

Power Curve: A low-to-mid-70s offering, used as a key secondary pitch to complement his fastball.

Slider: Thrown occasionally, adding variety to his arsenal.

Changeup: Also used sparingly, providing another option to keep hitters off balance.

Simon throws from a three-quarters arm slot with simple, repeatable mechanics and a loose, easy arm action. His fastball-curve combo is his bread and butter, with the slider and changeup as developing pitches.

In 2023, he made six appearances (two in the Florida Complex League and four with St. Lucie), showing promise as a reliever. He’s noted for mental toughness, having rebounded from a challenging freshman year at Elon (8.44 ERA) to earn All-Colonial Athletic Association second-team honors as a sophomore.

Simon has expressed enthusiasm for the Mets’ pitching lab in Port St. Lucie, which he’s used to refine his skills, though he values the organization’s approach of not forcing data-driven changes on players.

MACK – Simon is a perfect example of the success of the pitching lab. His story should be told to every pitcher that becomes a minor league Met so they know they can only get better.

I see Simon having a strong and long future with this team.

 

1-8-2026

MACK/MM

Ben Simon –  was a 13th rounder in 2023. That’s about right for a relief pitcher. Will turn 24 in March. Err… 5-11, RHP. Pitched 2025 for both A+ Brooklyn and AA-Binghamton: 38-APPS, 5-1, 2.98, 1.14, 54.1-IP, 18-BB, 60-K. Like Brewer, chalk one up for the labs. He will return to AA ball come spring.


RVH - The Steve Cohen Ownership Era 2021-2026

 

Why the 2026 Mets Are Not a Rebuild — They’re the End of One

In recent posts, many readers have commented on the Mets “window” opening and/or closing. Here is my take on where the team sits going into 2026 Spring Training. The current-state is a continuum of a multi-season process.

For much of the last five years, Mets fans have argued as if the organization has lurched blindly from idea to idea. In reality, the club has been moving through a long, constrained transition, and the 2026 roster represents the first moment where that transition is finally complete.

To understand why, you have to start before Steve Cohen ever bought the team — and look at the expensive scars left by the previous regime.

The Pre-Cohen Constraint Stack (The Zach Wheeler Lesson)

Before Cohen, the Mets operated under three reinforcing limitations:

  1. Financial capital constraints (Payroll ceilings were real).

  2. Outdated infrastructure (Hollow farm system, lagging analytics).

  3. Risk intolerance (Big contracts were existential threats).

The result was a system that could neither build depth nor buy it safely. The defining sin of this era was letting Zack Wheeler walk. This was not a talent misevaluation; it was a risk-containment decision inside a fragile system that could not tolerate variance. They bet on Jacob deGrom because they felt forced to choose one, not yet understanding that functional organizations keep both.

2021: The Panic of an Immature Organization (The PCA Lesson)

When Cohen arrived, the money changed — but the front-office maturity constraint remained.

The 2021 Mets were a structurally incomplete team misread internally as a contender, finishing with a -32 run differential. A mature organization recognizes the false positive and holds. The 2021 Mets did not have that discipline. They panicked.

Desperate to “save” a season that was already slipping away, they traded Pete Crow‑Armstrong (PCA) — a premium-position, high-variance future asset — for a short-term jolt in Javier Báez.

The Compounding Error This wasn’t just a bad trade; it was a cascading failure:

  • The Panic: A future asset was burned to chase a mirage season that collapsed anyway (29–45 in the second half).

  • The Vacuum: Trading PCA left the organization barren of internal center-field options.

  • The Forced Hand: When Brandon Nimmo hit free agency, the Mets had no credible internal replacement and no negotiating leverage. They were effectively forced into an 8-year, $162M commitment — not simply because they loved Nimmo, but because they had already traded away his succession plan.

Within one year, Nimmo had to slide to left field. The Mets were paying a premium center-field price for a left-field profile — the downstream cost of a panic decision made in July 2021. Like Wheeler, this was a forced error: not chosen freely, but created by prior constraint.

2022: Rational, but Capacity-Limited

By 2022, the strategy shifted. Payroll was used as a temporary substitute for missing systems. The Mets rebuilt the pitching staff with Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt, filling rotation gaps that the farm system could not yet cover.

Crucially, the 2022 Mets were not fragile. They were cohesive, veteran, and mentally tough. What limited them was capacity, not character.

Scherzer and deGrom were effective but managed carefully. The Mets didn’t lose their aces — they lost the compounding effect of them. That limitation was exposed when Atlanta went on an extended, playoff-intensity second-half run. The Mets simply ran out of capacity.

2024: Resilience Without Surplus

Skipping the failed 2023 reboot, the 2024 Mets represented a genuine pivot. They blended youth and experience and recalibrated expectations.

They overachieved — winning an unsustainable 63.6% of one-run games. While the team was resilient, BaseRuns data showed how thin the margin really was. Resilience is a trait. It is not a system.

2025: The Final Stress Test

The 2025 roster was designed as a bridge to the future. Instead, it was derailed by a black-swan collapse of the pitching staff.

This wasn't just a slump. Post-June, the team suffered a Volatility Index of 57%.*

(Note: We track the 'Volatility Index' as the frequency of games where the opponent scores 5+ runs. Historically, sustainable playoff teams keep this under 30%. At 57%, the 2025 Mets were structurally incapable of winning without an offensive explosion every night).

What made 2025 decisive wasn’t the failure — it was the response.

Facing the same pressure the 2021 front office faced, David Stearns chose the opposite path. He refused to repeat the 2021 mistake. He did not trade a PCA-level asset to chase a short-term fix for a flawed roster. He absorbed the short-term pain to protect the long-term system.

That restraint marked the end of negatively compounding forced errors.

The Aging Core and the Cost Curve

By the end of 2025, the original 2021 core — Alonso, McNeil, Nimmo — had aged. Costs were rising, marginal value was declining, and extensions had moved onto the wrong side of the aging curve. Keeping that group intact into 2026 would not have been loyalty. It would have been congestion, blocking emerging talent that Stearns had deliberately refused to trade.

Why 2026 Is Different

The 2026 Mets are not a rebuild. They are the first roster built after the constraints were removed.

For the first time, the organization has:

  • Capital

  • Modern systems

  • A protected pipeline

In this model, free agents are layered, not load-bearing. Turnover is a choice, not a necessity. And failure in one area does not cascade into collapse.

The Real Inflection Point

The Mets didn’t abandon their core. Time, cost curves, and probability did.

The early Cohen era wasn’t wrong — it was early. Money bought time while systems matured. The 2026 Mets are what happens when the system finally arrives.

For the first time in decades, the Mets aren’t chasing a season. They’re operating a model.


Paul Articulates - The East will be a Beast


The Mets have re-tooled for this year, changing their core and strengthening their pitching staff.  But New York is not the only city where teams have been upgrading to maintain competitiveness in the National League East division.  The Mets re-build has been talked about quite a bit on this site and others that are focused on the team.  Here we will take a look at the competition to see how they stack up.

Philadelphia Phillies - The Phillies have won the NL East in the last two years, but have lost the division series in both years, once to the Mets and once to the eventual champs the LA Dodgers.  Their team has boasted both strong pitching (led by former Met RHP Zack Wheeler) and potent offense.  The team has aged, but have generally stuck with their roster.  During the off-season, they re-signed Kyle Schwarber (33), JT Realmuto (35), and a host of others.  They lost Harrison Bader and Ranger Suarez to free agency, and lost outfielder Max Kepler to a drug suspension.  They signed Adolis Garcia as a right fielder to replace the defensive liability Nick Castellanos, and did very little to bolster an aging pitching staff.  My projection here is that the Phillies fall from their pedestal to a fourth place finish in the East this year.

Atlanta Braves - The Braves were the NL East champs in both 2024 and 2023, and also won the division four consecutive times from 2018 to 2021.  Last year they were completely decimated by injuries to their premier players like Ronald Acuna and their pitching staff.  That was an anomaly that will not re-occur this year.  They return several players who spent time on the injured list last year, and have made some moves to bolster an aging pitching staff.  Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach will be full strength, and the ageless Chris Sale will also be back.  They re-signed closer Raisel Iglesias and brought in relief pitchers Robert Suarez and Joe Jimenez to strengthen their pen.  Although new SS Ha-Seong Kim has gone down in an off-season injury, the rest of their infield will look like previous dynasty lineups: Matt Olsen at first, Austin Riley at third, and Ozzie Albies at second.  With Sean Murphy back at catcher and Jurickson Profar as DH, they will field a formidible lineup.  Expect them to compete for the lead this year in the East.

Miami Marlins - The Marlins always seem like they are a year away from the playoffs, and then they fold in the second half and only exist to put a dagger in the Mets in September.  This year may be different.  They did not trade Sandy Alcantara or Edward Cabrera as rumored.  Those two, along with righty Eury Perez, will represent a formidable top three starting pitchers.  They are taking a risk with a very young core to anchor the lineup for 2026 with players like Griffin Conine, Joe Mack, and Owen Caissie.  I don't expect them to contend for the East championship, but expect them to make life difficult for the teams that do.

Washington Nationals - This is the year that the Nationals need to demonstrate the effectiveness of their development system.  Players like James Wood, CJ Abrams, and Dylan Crews have long been heralded as prospects, but with a few years under their belts as MLB players they need to carry this team.  Keibert Ruiz is a catcher that was also touted, but his star is fading, and there is another prospect named Harry Ford that may take the season by storm in 2026.  The biggest surprise of the off-season was the trade of MacKensie Gore to the Texas Rangers.  With such a talented group of prospects coming of age, one would have expected the Nationals to retain their best starter.  Instead, the Nationals have gone back to the well of high draft picks to continue their development.  They will once again come up short.

There you have it - the NL East will continue to be one of the most competitive divisions in baseball, but this season it will be a battle between the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves for the title.  Philly will fight the Nationals and Marlins for third.  

2/4/26

MACK - Top 28 Prospects - #23 - OF - Randy Guzman

 

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.

23.    OF      Randy Guzman



2025 -    FCL Mets: 178-PA, 7-HR, 33-RBI, .282/.371/.474/.845

            St. Lucie:    105-PA, 3-HR, 24-RBI, .333/.381/.604/.985

GROK

Randy Enmanuel Guzman is a 20-year-old outfielder in the New York Mets' minor league system, born on April 19, 2005, in Tenares, Dominican Republic.

Standing at 6'4" and weighing 215 pounds, he bats and throws right-handed.

Guzman has been noted for an impressive start to his first season stateside, particularly with the St. Lucie Mets. His recent performances have drawn attention, with reports indicating he was "on fire" after being promoted from the Florida Complex League (FCL).

Guzman has also played multiple positions, including first base, right field, and left field, showcasing versatility.

MACK – Guzman really burst on the scene this past season. Very little has been written about him so far, but those days will be quickly coming to an end. Wouldn’t it be nice if the Mets could develop a right-hand hitting outfielder?

There is a good chance he will start off the 2026 season in A+ Brooklyn.

ETA: 2028

 

10-30-2025

Tom Brennan/MM

27. OF Randy Guzman

The 6’4” Mets guy whose name is closest to Jerry Koosman? 

“The Gooz” started out the season as a complete unknown (but not like a rolling stone) in the FCL, and ended the regular season with St Lucie.

How’d he do?

252 at bats, 22 doubles, 2 triples, 10 HRs, 57 RBI’s.  Yes, he killed it. 

I’d like to see those #s projected over 600 at bats.    OK, so I did:

600 at bats, 52 doubles, 5 triples, 24 HRs, 137 RBIs.  Sweet.

He hit .302/.375/.524 overall in 2025.

After his promotion to St Lucie, no adjustment period necessary - he demolished it at .333/.381/.604 in 26 games.  DANG! 

And just 54 Ks in 283 PAs.  And he doesn’t turn 21 until April.

And, as Ernest Dove told us, he is a great clubhouse presence already. 

I cautiously expect him to be a 2026 minors beast.

I simply had to get him in my top 30.

 

12-6-2025

MACK/MM

Randy Guzman – okay… here’s a live one. Turns 21 in April. Plays RF, LF, 1B (!). RHH. Arrived from the DR at the end of 2024 and played last season for the FCL Mets and St. Lucie. Did well at FCL (178-PA, 7-HR, .282), but really hit the peddle at Lucy (105-PA, 21-K, 6-BB, .3-HR, 24-RBI, .333/.381/.604/.985-OPS. That added up to 10-HR, 57-RBI, .302, .898-OPS. Breakout 2025 season. Elite raw power. 90th percentile exit velo (108.1). Plays solid corner and first. Most improved hitter in the chain. 20-25 HR potential. I’m sending him to Brooklyn, where I would play him a little more on first.


ANGRY MIKE: Mets Farm System developing Frankensteins, not just ballplayers…

 ANGRY MIKE


 

As far as the laws of Mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality…”

~ ALBERT EINSTEIN




One of the tougher aspects of M.LB. scouting and development, great athletes possessing a wide array of elite physical tools, doesn’t readily translate to success on the field. Unlike other professional sports, you have an exhausting vetting process, consisting of a half-dozen levels of organized competition, that are used to qualify players for a chance to compete at the Major League level. Advancements in technology have helped franchises equip scouting departments with the tools to better identify current and future potential, as well create developmental infrastructure that helps players reach their potential, but it will forever remain an imperfect science.

Successful development of a prospect is predicated on that player’s ability to consistently exhibit the skills that define their future potential. The most common result is for a prospect to reach the potential that was identified earlier in their development. In very rare cases, a prospect continues to redefine their future ceiling, by not only exhibiting the skills that were previously identified, but by developing skills few believed would be possible. I call these rare cases, “Frankensteins”.

Simply put, you’ll never be able to predict who will be the next Juan Soto, teams place bets on who they believe has a chance to come close…

The Mets farm system remains one of the best in baseball, because they have the highest concentration of “Frankensteins” currently, and because of the tens millions of dollars invested by Steve Cohen, they have the infrastructure in place to continue creating more such cases in the future. 

Let’s take a look at the current group of “Frankensteins”, players who have drastically elevated their future overall potential within the Mets system, as well as a few players exhibiting the potential to become the next wave of future “Frankensteins”.






FIRST GENERATION “FRANKENSTEINS”:



FRANCISCO ALVAREZ  ->  C



Alvarez wasn’t even ranked in the Top 10 of his I.F.A. Class, but was signed for one of the highest bonuses awarded that year. After a few short seasons, Alvarez proved that signing bonus was a huge bargain.

Accelerated through MiLB -> debuted in MLB at age 20
- Ranked by many as #1 Overall prospect in MiLB prior to MLB debut
- Remains only catching prospect EVER to receive 70 scouting grade for “Power” in the last 15+ years. 
- 2026 will be year Alvarez establishes himself as difference-maker -> BOOK IT 🦾


NOLAN MCLEAN -> SP




McLean wasn’t even ranked first drafted by the Orioles as an outfielder in the 2022 Draft, only to return to school, and then be drafted as a two-way player by the Mets in the third round of the 2023 Draft. McLean only pitched 57 career IP during three seasons at Oklahoma State. He became a full-time pitcher midway into his first professional season with the Mets.

- Highest ranked SP Prospect in the MiLB -> wasn’t even a SP in college
- Dominated the Minors in his first full season as a SP
- One of the best 6-pitch arsenals in the MLB that -> every pitch is future 60+ or 70+ scouting grade offering
- Historic start to his MLB career -> exhibited “Ace” potential.
- Frontrunner for 2026 N.L. R.O.Y. & potential CY Young votes


JONAH TONG -> SP


Tong was the 109th pitcher drafted during the 2022 Draft, and selected 226th overall. He was considered a very raw prospect, with limited upside, because of unorthodox mechanics and fastball velocity that only averaged 91 MPH & topped out at 94.

- Fastball is 70 scouting grade + 95 MPH AVG. VELO & 99 MPH Max Velo (during AAA & MLB outings) + 20+ inches of I.V.B. 
- Developed a Vulcan Changeup -> already exhibits elite traits & 60+ Scouting grade
- Curveball is also 55 Scouting Grade -> 60+ inches of vertical break
- 2025 had most dominant MILB season history -> 1st SP to lead in ERA & Strikeouts


A.J. EWING -> CF





Ewing was drafted as a 4th round compensatory selection for the loss of Jacob DeGrom during the 2023 Draft. After only 2 full-seasons of minor league ball, Ewing has transformed himself into a legit 5-tool player, after his breakout 2025 season. 

- Ranked as high as #31 overall | 2026 Top 100 Prospects List 
- Last Mets Prospect was David Wright to post a season with the following numbers:
-> 0.315+ BA | 35+ XBH | 20+ SB | 55+ BB | 0.400+ OBP
- Arguably fastest player in Mets organization right now
- Hit machine, with more power on the way


ZACH THORNTON -> SP



Thornton was a 5th round pick from the 2023 Draft, who elevated his prospect profile significantly, after his breakout 2025 season. Despite limited experience at the D-1 level, he has advanced through the minors rapidly as a SP, and should spent the bulk of the 2026 season at AAA. 
- Continues to improve his arsenal -> exhibiting upticks in fastball velocity in 2025 & potentially again in 2026. 
- 4% walk rate by SP -> lowest since Christian Scott
- Career numbers on par or better than SP drafted among top 3 rounds of 2023 Draft
- Projection + plus athleticism -> offers exciting future potential



SECOND GENERATION “FRANKENSTEINS”:


ELIAN PENA -> SS




Pena received a franchise record signing bonus awarded to an I.F.A. prospect in 2025. Had a stellar professional debut season, flashing legit 5-tool upside. Has the rare ability to continue elevating his future ceiling to become a member of the exclusive 70/70 Club, which is a limited group of MLB players who ascertain 70 scouting grades for both their “Hit Tool” & “Power Tool”. 

- Juan Soto only Mets player -> member of “70/70 Grades Club”: 
-> 75 -> “Hit Tool” || 70 -> “Power Tool”
- Prior to Pena only ONE teenage prospect earned 65 scouting grade for “Hit Tool”
- Peña’s power has already being ranked 2nd only behind Ryan Clifford
- Scouts rave work ethic & maturity -> providing hope for accelerated development 
- Future #1 Overall Prospect in MILB, like Francisco Alvarez was.


WANDY ASIGEN -> SS




As talented as Pena is, Asigen has been touted by some as being even more talented. One of the rare instances of a teenage prospect receiving a 65 scouting grade “Hit Tool”, as well as 60 scouting grades for “Power” & “Speed”.  

- Considered by many as the best offensive talent in a historically deep 2026 I.F.A. Class
- Tons of projection + excellent work ethic -> another potential fast-riser through minors
- Similar to Elian Pena -> has the tools to join Soto among the “70/70 Grades Club”
- Mets stole him away from Yankees a couple weeks before “Signing Day” is ALWAYS worth highlighting 😂🤣


TREY SNYDER -> SS / CF




Snyder was a 5th round pick, but received the third highest signing bonus in the draft class. Ryan Clifford was the last draft pick Kris Gross awarded a second round bonus this late in the draft. Snyder offers a ton of upside & more than held his own as despite an aggressive assignment to full-season Low-A ball.

- Reminds me of a RHB-version of A.J. Ewing -> very comparable tools 
- Stole 40+ bases in his pro debut + more power on the way -> legit 5-tool upside
- Gritty, high energy motor -> offers a ton defensive versatility who can play IF & OF 
- Expecting Snyder to duplicate Ewing’s breakout is unfair -> anything close & Mets have another potential high-impact bat


PETER KUSSOW -> SP




it’s been noted by a couple pre-draft reports, Kussow has “Day 1 potential”, but dropped because he’s from a cold-weather state. The last time the Mets drafted a “cold-weather” high school pitching prospect, it was Jonah Tong. Kussow is considerably more advanced than Tong was at the same stage of development & he has unlimited projection, physical comps include J.J. Watt, “Ivan Drago”, or The X-Men character “Colossus”.

- PROJECTION, PROJECTION, PROJECTION…
- Already tops out at 97 MPH -> potential to become SP that holds triple digit velocity 
- Plus athleticism + smooth, repeatable mechanics 
- Already flashes 2 pitches that are future 65+ scouting grade offerings 
- Best case scenario -> looks like Jacob Misiorowski but cleaner mechanics


CAMDEN LOHMAN -> SP




Lohman was drafted in the 8th round, but V.P of Scouting, Kris Gross awarded Lohman the highest above slot bonus in the draft class. Similar to Kussow, Lohman offers tremendous upside, but isn’t quite as polished, and needs to add a considerable amount more weight to his 6’4 frame. Similar fastball velocity and potential for multiple plus off-speed pitches gives the development team a lot to work with. 

- PROJECTION, PROJECTION, PROJECTION
- Similar delivery & release point to Tong & Trey Yesavage, but higher velocity 
at the same stage of development
- Future fastball velocity has potential to be as high or even higher
- I trust Kris Gross, he’s a mad scientist 
- Gross only shells out big $$ bonuses to players with special potential.