Tom Brennan: 1) Top 30 Prospect Thoughts; 2) Impressing the Boss - NOT

REMEMBER JONAH TONG’S SEPTEMBER GATORADE MOMENT? 

IT WAS HIS LAST ONE FOR A WHILE, IT SEEMS 

Nolan McLean? 

We all got excited about him in the minors, and he has succeeded as a MLB pitcher. So, our excitement was indeed warranted. 

But…

After seeing the struggles of the likes of Tong, Wenninger, Thornton, Sproat, Hamel, and Vasil when they get to AAA, it is hard to get excited about ANY prospect pitcher until they get to, and succeed at, AAA.

Who on earth in 2025 could have envisioned that through June 23, 2026, Tong, Wenninger, and Thornton combined would have given up 110 runs in 168 innings? 

If I guessed pre-2026, I would have guessed that figure would have been, at most, 50 runs in 168 innings. 

And, when I looked a few days ago, they were a combined 5-15. WHAT!!

No correlation whatsoever to 2025’s outstanding performances by that trio, keeping in mind that performance level was almost entirely below AAA in 2025. 

I’m still a believer in those 3, and Thornton was great vs. Philly the other night.

Having thought about it early this year, it hit me that while the average major league team may hit around .250, If you were to teleport an entire average AAA team to the majors, they probably hit about .175, and if you did the same with your average AA team, they would probably hit about .115. 

Keeping that in mind should temper any enthusiasm about Mets prospect pitchers in the future. In other words, just because they’ve done well at AA, it doesn’t mean a hill of beans.

My only minors pitcher I’m therefore currently modestly excited about in the short term is Nate Lavender. 

Sure, his ERA is 4.78 due to a few bad relief outings, but his 46 Ks in 26 innings grabs my attention.

Will he be any good at the MLB level? Only time will tell.

It is a relief, frankly, that Reid Garrett, Tylor Megill, and Dedniel Nunez will each return from TJS at the start of 2027. 

Who, after all, can truly count on any Mets pitching prospects? 

Besides McLean, of course.

MY BRIEF TOP 30 METS PROSPECTS THOUGHTS

I will keep this short. 

I looked at the list of 30 Mets prospects, at the minor league season halfway point.

I categorize them in three buckets:

Playing better than I expected: number one

Playing about as I expected: number two

Playing worse than I expected or injured: number three

Assessment? Pretty bleak.

In category one, I only have one (3%):

Mitch Voit - as above average, playing really well after a slow season start in frigid and windy Brooklyn. 

He can hit, hit with some power, field great, and run like the wind.

In category two, I have just 5 (13%):

Nick Morabito, Elian Pena, Zach Thornton, Cleiner Ramirez and Yovanny Rodriguez. 

And, of these five, three of them are in the very low minor leagues, so they are too early to project.

Morabito jumped from Cat 3 in May to Cat 2 with an excellent June. June slash: .304/.390/.478. 

Another month like that? Category one.

Keep it up, Nick.

In category three, I have an astounding 23 prospects (77%):

Those 23 are playing below average to well below average vs. my pre-season expectations, or have been injured, or both.

Nope.  It doesn’t get much more bleak than that. Only on Bleecker St.

Take a look at the Mets top 30 prospects on the Mets site yourself.

See if you agree or disagree with my categorizations.

Lastly…Categories 1, 2, and 3 above total 29, not 30. Here is why:

I left Cole Mathis out of this list, since the Mets new # 14 prospect was just acquired in a trade. He was doing well enough in High A ball with the Cubs. 

Too early to evaluate him as a Met. I am hoping for Category 1.

IMPRESSING THE BOSS?  NOT!

You remember that old Account Temps commercial, with the guy calling in sick, and his boss saying, “don’t you worry about it - we’ve got Bob from Account Temps”.

June was IMPRESS THE BOSS MONTH. A few impressed.

But which hitters DEPRESSED the bosses in June?

Mark Vientos 7 for 48 with 4 walks vs. 19 Ks.

Marcus Semien 14 for 78, with 7 walks vs. 22 Ks.

MJ Melendez 7 for 44, 8 walks vs. 19 Ks.

Brett Baty 11 for 75, 10 walks vs. 22 Ks, 0 HR, 4 RBIs, 5 runs.

Ronny Mauricio 1 for 12, no walks, 4 Ks.

Francisco Lindor 3 for 20, 1 walk.

 - Lindor has an excuse. Rushed back from rehab.  He gets a pass. 

The other 5 clunkers?  Bring in FIVE Bobs from Account Temps instead.

Then, find the nearest dumpster for the current 5, open the lid of said dumpster, toss in that Funky Five, and send the dumpster detritus off to parts unknown. They are playing like total garbage. Handle accordingly.

Why are fans pissed? These five.

Especially wimpy Brett Baty. Look at those crap #s. deGrom hit better,

Stearns? He let Pete go, and THIS is the garbage he gets from Baty?

What can I do here to utterly piss Baty off and wake him up? I’m trying.

Or is he really just Jarred Kelenic’s twin brother and it is simply hopeless?

Well, Kelenic actually hit much better once demoted to AAA than the next guy I mention below.

Minors?

AAA in June:

Ryan Clifford, incredibly just 8 for 81, 11 walks, 39 Ks. FRAME THAT ONE. He has started 45 games at first base this year and made 8 errors.

Of course, Clifford is representing the Mets in the upcoming Futures Game.

Me? 

I’d demote him ASAP via FED X and promote Nick Lorusso, who had a great month in AA. 

Nick hit .315/.398/.616, with just 13 Ks in 19 games. And added a HR 7/1.

And Lorusso has one error at first base and a total of 5 others at 2nd and 3rd, so he is flashing leather.

Better than Clifford, obviously. Blatantly. Glaringly. Make the switch, David.

Jorge Polanco? 0 for 13. He wasn’t in the line up on Tuesday nite. No rush.

He’s playing through pain, true - yes, Mets fans ARE in pain here.

I thought I would stop there on the negatives. 

Except to note that going into Tuesday’s action, Syracuse, Binghamton, Brooklyn and St Lucie were a combined 33 games below .500. Last year, the 4 teams combined by this point were way above .500. 

Anyway…

On a more positive note, Brooklyn (.240) and Binghamton (.228) hit much better from June 1 thru July 1, so they get a pass on hitting criticism. Yes, those numbers are MUCH BETTER than previous months.

OK, CHILDREN, CHILDREN, NOW, NOW…PLAY NICE TOGETHER

The NY Post had some quotable comments from a fella named Steve Cohen, one of which was essentially that there was a chill between Messrs. Soto and Lindor last year.  

Why should they be warm and friendly? 

The 2 were only paid about $100 million combined last year. 

You and I could see them getting along much better if they were paid a reasonable amount last year like, say, $200 million.

Cohen seemed to think that situation with the duo had improved this year.

For $100 million a year, they should, tho’, be the ultimate team-first duo.

One for all, all for one?

That they were any less than that, frankly, is nonsense.

Give me a team full of Benge and Ewing guys, hungry, eager guys. 

Any day. And twice on Sunday.

But…I am happy to report that the Yanqueros from El Bronx are 2-8 in their last 10 games. Misery LOVES company. I guess missing Judge does hurt, after all.

Alex Rubinson - Mets Need to get Everyone onto One Timeline

Patience is a virtue…or so they say. That saying doesn’t really apply to sports anymore and hasn’t for quite some time. Owners across the sports landscape are growing more and more impatient by the year. 

Remember when owners were willing to give the people they hired a full opportunity to see their plans through? Gone are the days of the five-year rebuild. That used to be standard in baseball. Now, we have managers fired after making the postseason. 

Executives are under more pressure to win on a yearly basis than ever before, especially with three wild car spots in each league. We are used to seeing turnover in football, but just this past offseason, MLB saw a third of its league undergo a managerial change. 

As we enter July and are fewer than two weeks from the all-star break, three managers and one general manager have already been let go. Baseball used to be the game without a clock. The pitch clock changed that. For executives and managers, the pitch timer isn’t the only thing that is constantly ticking down. 

We are now one week into the Andy Green era as the New York Mets Manager. I don’t expect that time period to last past the early fall months. After a lot of speculation going back to the middle of April, the Mets relieved Carlos Mendoza of his managerial duties. The move wasn’t a surprise by any stretch. 

It was only a matter of time. Mendoza certainly wasn’t to blame for all of the Mets woes and should be able to find a job somewhere lower on the totem poll elsewhere. Having said that, it had become abundantly clear that Mendoza’s message was not registering with the rest of the team. 

The clubhouse was not responding and didn’t appear to play with a sense of urgency unlike what transpired back in 2024. Overall, I don’t have a huge problem with making midseason changes. It has become commonplace in sports in the year 2026. What is puzzling is what transpired in the offseason that may have led to this very moment. 

As I outlined last week, the Mets may have made a giant mistake letting go of pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, who has enjoyed success early in his tenure with the Atlanta Braves. Of course, Hefner was far from the only coach let go after a second half collapse last year. The Mets completely overhauled their coaching staff under Mendoza. 

I am not saying that Mendoza deserved to be fired this past offseason, as he was only one year removed from being two wins away from a World Series berth, but the key to an organization is alignment. Most people look at alignment between the top decision-maker in an organization (David Stearns in this case) and the manager, but it’s just as important to have alignment between the manager and the rest of the coaching staff. 

This isn’t to say that there was mixed messaging in New York’s clubhouse, but typically you want everyone on the same timeline. As soon as you part ways with the coaches but keep the manager, you are separating the timelines. 

When the Mets hire their next manager, I don’t expect any coaches to be forced onto his coaching staff. We should see the manager and coaches re-aligned next season, but where does that leave the current batch of coaches? Most of them will most likely be fired and be forced to seek employment elsewhere. Some might be able to return to their former organizations, but others will be on the outside looking in. 

If you’re a coach on another team and the Mets approach you about an opening as an assistant, would that job be appealing? The Mets won’t have any trouble filling their vacancies given the lack of supply in the market, but if you were an up-and-comer with multiple teams showing interest in your services, would the Mets be the dream destination? You just saw a whole bunch of people that the franchise targeted get let go a season later. 

Maybe I’m on an island, but I still believe David Stearns is a smart baseball man, sometimes he might even be too smart for his own good. I think there is a healthy debate to be had on if he should keep his job beyond this season. Although I would have no problem keeping Stearns, you would be running into the same problem outlined above. 

An incumbent head executive bringing in a new manager. Stearns and the new manager might share a similar philosophy, but the two timelines would not be aligned. 

As of now, what is the direction of the organization? A sinking team with a robust payroll and a mediocre farm system. Yes, Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing have shown they can be staples of a big league roster. Them along with Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto should form a very good core, but the team needs more than that. 

Stearns came from an organization that could develop pitching like it was nothing. They could self-scout so well that they knew every member of their entire organization like the back of their hand. This Mets team has yet to show that. With everyone’s focus being on the future of Stearns (along with Mendoza before he was fired), not many have looked at what 2027 will look like…assuming we are playing baseball. 

If you keep Stearns, you are most likely trying to double down on a flawed roster with a brand new manager. Would Stearns get at least two years, or would you fire him and keep the new manager and have both men on opposite timelines? 

Stearns is more than qualified and competent enough to lead a big league organization, but the Mets need to get everyone on the same page, and more importantly, the same timeline. They need to pick a clear path and avoid being directionless, which is where the organization currently stands. Steve Cohen is entering a crossroads once the Citi Field lights shut off for the final time in 2026. His ensuing decisions will dictate the direction of the franchise for years to come. Forget about trying to win a championship in the next three to five years (of course that's still the ultimate goal), right now, it’s just about everyone’s three-to-five year timeline all on one level field.

Paul Articulates - Happy Bobby Bonilla Day to all of you!

To those that missed it yesterday, Happy Bobby Bonilla Day to all of you!  Yes, July 1st is that infamous day that former Met Bobby Bonilla gets another installment on his deferred contract.  People love to lament this deal, but at the time it was some very creative finance by both sides.  The fact that Bonilla never excelled as a Met has nothing to do with the dealmaking.  Yesterday’s $1M check to Bonilla is frankly insignificant compared to the current underperformance of the $350M 2026 team.  It is also small change compared to what others like Shohei Ohtani are going to be getting in their extended future.  The owners are currently proposing to eliminate the ability to offer salary deferrals in the collective bargaining agreement negotiations.  We’ll see how that plays out.

Back to the current issues, there seems to be no end to the bad news.  Freddy Peralta continues to sabotage his trade value for the midseason by having bad outing after bad outing.  Yesterday’s line read: 4.0 IP; 7 H; 3 BB; 5 ER on 91 pitches.  His ERA is just under 5 now for the first half of the season, and the way teams are hitting his fastball, one may wonder whether he will have any interested suitors around the trade deadline.

On second thought, maybe there will be lots of suitors for Freddy, Bo, Jorge, and others.  You see, the Mets’ development system is breaking players at all levels.  There is something fundamentally wrong that is turning gold into dust.  If I were a rival GM, I would be very happy to buy low on some of these underperforming Mets because it is possible that many of them can be fixed.  We have seen that before, whether it is a pitcher like Paul Sewald or a hitter like Carlos Cortez, when they get into another system their success multiplies.  This is a very serious problem, because it is destroying the value of players that the team invests in.  If I were Steve Cohen, I would bring in an independent group of auditors comprised of former baseball experts at all levels to review this system and make recommendations on how to fix it.

Meanwhile, Steve Cohen told the NY Post that he is worried about big contract holders opting in for 2027, handicapping his ability to acquire players that can help turn things around.  The development system that produced gems like Benge and Ewing is sputtering, so there is not much hope on that front either.

Here is what you need to know:

Many people are calling for David Stearns to be fired.  They want him to pay the ultimate price for reconstructing a team and having it fail.  The problem is that there are not a lot of competent GMs just sitting on park benches waiting to be hired.  Stearns did fail in this rebuild, but at least he had a plan and he executed it.  The flaw may not have been in the plan itself, but in the assumption that a collection of working parts could be assembled into a working machine.  In this case, the parts (players) all had the numbers to justify a greater outcome, but they did not come together and play as a unit.  Then by overextending to correct the problem, there were injuries, slumps, and mental mistakes that sunk this team into a hole they could not crawl out of.

If Steve Cohen fires Stearns, he will spend the rest of the year searching for the equivalent and lose all that time understanding what went wrong and how to correct.  Then the replacement would want to do their own re-build with potentially similar results.  I think that the team has come to grips with their mistakes and should burden Stearns with implementing a solution as a condition of continued employment.  Use the trade deadline to make adjustments to the costlier mistakes, find root cause and corrective action for the failing development system, and then continue building around the young players like McLean, Scott, Benge, and Ewing.  Lindor and Soto must be part of the solution, so they should become part owners of the plan and fully bought into how it will be implemented.

None of us likes the current situation, but we have to recognize that this was brought about by too much rapid change.  Eliminating the man with the power to correct it would only accelerate the chaos.  We need to repair the damage, not create more. 

MACK – The Latest Hot Bats – Yonny Hernandez, Nick Morabito, Jamari Baylor

 

 

John From Albany keeps churning out this list and I keep sending it your way.

 

Period: 6/18 – 6/27

 

Yonny Hernandez    -    .522/.556/.739/1.295  3-RBI  12-H

Yonny José Hernández (born May 4, 1998, in Maturín, Venezuela) is a switch-hitting infielder (primarily shortstop, second base, and third base) in the New York Mets organization. He stands 5'8" and weighs about 140 lbs.

Signed by the Texas Rangers as an international free agent in 2014 (signing bonus: $200,000).

Made his MLB debut with the Rangers on August 5, 2021.

Has played in the majors for three teams: Texas Rangers (2021), Arizona Diamondbacks (2022), and Los Angeles Dodgers (2023).

After being released by the Brewers in 2024 (following a minor-league deal), he signed a minor-league contract with the Mets in December 2024. He has been with their Triple-A Syracuse Mets in 2025–2026.

MLB Stats (Career, 69 games)Batting: .190 AVG / .286 OBP / .222 SLG (.508 OPS) in 221 plate appearances.

Key numbers: 36 hits, 6 doubles, 0 home runs, 10 RBI, 22 runs, 13 stolen bases, 21 walks, 44 strikeouts.

Best MLB stint: 2021 with Texas (.217/.315/.252 in 43 games, 11 SB).

He has never hit a major-league home run but is known more for contact, speed, and defense/switch-hitting ability.

Strengths

Hernández has been a solid organizational player with strong on-base skills and baserunning:

Career MiLB batting around .265 with high walk rates in some seasons and 200+ stolen bases.

In 2025 with the Mets (mostly AAA): Strong showing with .325 AVG / .404 OBP in AAA, good contact (low K%), and speed.

He is a classic utility infielder type — speedy, switch-hitter who can play multiple positions but lacks significant power.

Nickname: Sometimes called "Mosquito" due to his small stature and speed.

He's a depth player who can provide utility, speed, and versatility if called up, but he has struggled to stick in the majors due to limited power. For the latest stats or game logs, check sites like MiLB.com, FanGraphs, or Baseball-Reference.

 

Nick Morabito    -    .320/.414/.800/1.214  3-HR  4-RBI  8-H

Nick Morabito (full name: Nicholas Anthony Morabito) is a 23-year-old outfielder in the New York Mets organization (born May 7, 2003, in McLean, Virginia). He bats and throws right-handed, stands 5'10" and weighs 185 lbs.

He attended Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., where he was a standout shortstop and named Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year for D.C. in 2022. The Mets selected him in the 2nd round (75th overall, compensatory pick) of the 2022 MLB Draft and signed him for $1 million (above slot). He converted to the outfield shortly after signing.

Morabito grew up near Nationals Park and made his MLB debut there against the Washington Nationals on May 19, 2026—a special homecoming moment for him.

Morabito is known for his speed, hustle, defense across the outfield (with a preference for center field), and ability to use the whole field at the plate. He’s a high-energy, athletic player often described as a “throwback.

”Key minor league highlights:   Strong base-stealing ability (over 130-150 stolen bases in his pro career, including 49 in 2025 at Double-A Binghamton).

Solid contact and on-base skills early on, with improving power.

In 2025 at Double-A: .273/.348/.385 with 6 HR, 49 SB in 118 games.

Played in the Arizona Fall League in 2025, helping earn 40-man roster protection.

MLB Debut (2026): Recalled in mid-May, he started in left field and went hitless in his first few games (0-for-11 with many strikeouts in a small sample), leading to an option back to Triple-A.

Outlook

Morabito is viewed as a high-upside depth piece or potential fourth outfielder with speed/defense who can contribute in a platoon or utility role. His game relies on speed, instincts, and improving power rather than raw slugging.

He’s a fan-favorite type due to his grit.

 

Period   -   6-19 – 6-28

 

Jamari Baylor   -   .364/.533/.724/1.260,  1-HR, 2-RBI, 4-H, 15-PA

Jamari Baylor (full name: Jamari Ellis Baylor) is a 25-year-old right-handed hitting and throwing infielder (primarily shortstop, with time at 2B/3B/1B) in the New York Mets organization.

Born: August 25, 2000, in Richmond, VA area.

Drafted: 3rd round (91st overall) in 2019 by the Philadelphia Phillies out of Benedictine College Preparatory (high school). He was viewed as a toolsy, athletic prospect with five-tool potential.

Path: Spent time in the Phillies and Rockies systems (traded for cash in 2023), reached High-A, then bounced to the Toronto Blue Jays (2024), independent Atlantic League (Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in 2025, where he had a breakout), and signed a minor-league deal with the Mets in late April 2026. Assigned to Low-A St. Lucie, later promoted to High-A Brooklyn Cyclones.

Offensive Profile and Recent Performance

Baylor is a power-speed threat with a patient, disciplined approach (good walk rates, uses the whole field). He has struggled with strikeouts at times but showed improved contact and damage ability in indie ball.

2025 (Atlantic League - Blue Crabs): Career year — .303/.421/.552, 21 HR, 77 RBI, 19 SB in 98 games. Strong second half with consistent production.

He profiles as a versatile infielder with above-average speed, arm strength, and improving power. Scouts have long liked his athleticism and makeup.

He's listed at 5'10"/190 lbs and known for speed (plus runner in his prime scouting reports) and defensive versatility.

Baylor is a depth/upside depth piece in the Mets system after a strong indie-ball showing. He's had injury issues in the past but has shown he can produce when healthy

MACK - The Latest Top Lowest ERAs – Jhoangel Marquez, Bryce Jenkins, Alvaro Carrillo

 

Period -       6/16-6/29

 

Jhoangel Marquez/DSL Blue   -   0.62-WHIP, 3-IP, 5-K, 0-BB, 0-R, 0.00-ERA

Jhoangel Marquez (full name: Jhoangel Gabriel Marquez) is a 19-year-old right-handed pitching prospect (born April 26, 2007, in Barquisimeto, Venezuela) in the New York Mets organization.

He signed with the Mets as an international free agent in mid-January 2026 on a minor-league contract and was assigned to the Dominican Summer League (DSL) Mets Blue on May 29, 2026. As of now, he has no professional stats recorded

Height/Weight: 5'9", 175 lbs

B/T: Right/Right

He is a low-profile, recently signed international arm.

Outlook

Marquez is in the very early stages of his development. The DSL is a developmental league where young signees focus on innings, pitch execution, and physical growth. If he shows velocity, strike-throwing, and swing-and-miss stuff, he could climb quickly through the lower minors (like many Mets international arms).Keep an eye on Mets prospect lists or DSL recaps later in 2026 for early performance notes. He's a name to monitor as a high-upside, low-floor international project rather than an immediate impact guy.

 

Bryce Jenkins/Brooklyn   -   1.15-WHIP, 44.1-IP, 6-K, 3-BB, 0-R, 0.00-ERA

Bryce Jenkins is a right-handed pitching prospect in the New York Mets organization (born April 3, 2001, in Knoxville, TN; 5'11", 175 lbs; bats/throws R/R).

He was drafted by the Mets in the 17th round (516th overall) of the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Tennessee after transferring from Cleveland State Community College. He signed for a $180,000 bonus.

 

milb.com +1

 

Background and Career PathCollege: Limited innings at Tennessee in 2023 (high strikeout rate in relief), but stood out more in the Cape Cod League. The Mets were drawn to his high-spin breaking ball.

Pro Debut (2023): Brief appearances in the FCL and Single-A St. Lucie before Tommy John surgery ended his season and wiped out most of 2024–early 2025.

Post-Surgery (2025–2026): Rehab and limited innings in the FCL/St. Lucie in 2025. In 2026, he has pitched in relief for High-A Brooklyn Cyclones (South Atlantic League), posting strong results (e.g., low-1s ERA over ~19 IP with good strikeouts and low hits allowed).

He is a relief pitcher working to build innings and consistency after the injury.

Fastball(s):     Pre-injury, he used a sinker and four-seamer, both averaging ~92 mph. Post-surgery, velocity has ticked up (topped out at 95.4 mph in 2025). He throws from a three-quarters slot with repeatable mechanics.

Breaking Balls: Signature is a high-spin slider (pre-injury up to ~3020 rpm, routinely 2900+; post-TJ around 2770 rpm in Fall League but used more frequently). He also throws another distinct breaker (previously a curve/slider mix). Post-TJ work emphasizes separating the two breakers by shape/speed to avoid blending.

Other: Earlier in his career (JUCO/earlier college), he had a curveball and changeup, but he has mostly focused on fastball + breakers in pro ball (especially in relief).

Overall Style: Compact, athletic delivery with effort. Emphasis post-TJ on refining the new slider, fastball life/command, and overall pitchability in relief outings. Control has been a work in progress (higher walk rates at times), but he has shown the ability to miss bats.

Jenkins is still developing after significant time lost to injury. His 2026 performance in High-A is a positive step, showing improved effectiveness with strike-throwing and swing-and-miss stuff. For the latest updates, check MiLB.com or MLB Pipeline prospect coverage.

 Alvaro Carrillo/DSL Orange   -   1.67-WHIP, 3-IP, 3-K, 3-BB, 0-R. 0.00-ERA

Alvaro Carrillo is a young right-handed pitching prospect in the New York Mets organization (born April 5, 2005, in Palo Negro, Venezuela; 6'4", 175 lbs, throws right). He signed as an international free agent in July 2024 and has pitched primarily in the Dominican Summer League (DSL Mets Orange).

Stats Overview      2024 (DSL): 7 G (0 GS), 1-0, 2.08 ERA, 8.2 IP, 8 K, 9 BB, 1.50 WHIP (limited relief work).

2025 (DSL): 14 G (4 GS), 3-1, 4.96 ERA, 32.2 IP, 33 K, 36 BB, 1.74 WHIP (mix of starts and relief).

Career Minors (through early 2026): 22 G (4 GS), 4-1, 4.25 ERA, 42.1 IP, 42 K, 1.68 WHIP.

He is a projectable, lanky pitcher with some strikeout ability but control issues (high walk rate). As of 2026, he has seen very limited action (1 IP). He remains a low-level prospect without widespread rankings or extensive scouting reports available publicly.

Alvaro is still early in his development.

Tom Brennan: New Favorite Minor League Guy; Criticism Where Criticism is Due

 

HEY!! I SEE SOME GOOD THINGS WITH THIS GOMEZ GUY

When I look at hitters that are relatively new to the scene, I am interested in the tools.

 * Can they hit for average? 

 * Can they get on base? 

 * Do they have any power? 

 * Can they run?

 * Are strikeout levels good, or scary?

The defensive part very early on is hard to estimate. So leave that out for now.

I am distinctly unimpressed with any DSL stats, especially this early in the season, because the pitching in the DSL is simply barely professional, simply on the number of walks allowed. So, I am not looking there.

 So who is my favorite new-name, low Minors guy?

Vladi Gomez.

A 20 year old 5’11” lefty hitting, righty throwing OF/2B/3B, his FCL Mets slash line through the first 35 games this year, .341/.458/.482.  NICE.

20 steals in 23 tries, in just 109 plate appearances. And just 21 Ks. Power? Too early to discern from the stats. 

He will take a walk (14) or get HBP (6) to boost that OBP.

He has stolen 81 of 92 in his early pro career, nice.

He has been hit by pitch an amazing 32 times in 633 pro PAs. 

Somewhere, no doubt, MLB’s premiere pin cushion, Ron Hunt is smiling. 

Brett “I Don’t Like Pain” Baty, the “proud owner” of just 9 HBPs in 1286 MLB plate appearances, most likely thinks Gomez is nuts.

But Gomez GETS ON BASE. 

Baty’s career OBP is .295.

Nimmo, a clearly superior version of Brett Baty, has not been bashful. 

HBP 93 times in 4692 PAs. His career OBP, in part due to that, is .362.

Anyway, back to Gomez. Let’s keep it up there, Vladi. 

How about a promotion to St Lucie soon? 

He started out there well for 6 games in April (.391 OBP), so he certainly looks ready for bigger challenges.

Before I leave the Vladi scene, the Mets signed Vladi Guerrero (related to you know who) in 2024. 

He was a DSL bust, and is out of baseball already, having not yet quite turned 20.

His last season in 2025, he was up 99 times. HBP? Zero. 

Telling stat, to me, that HBP %.

CRITICISM WHERE CRITICISM IS DUE

“The Mets Suck” non-fiction book has oh, so many chapters.

Bo Bichette, tho’, deserves a reprieve. 

He was a sizzling .346/.361/.590 thru June 23.

But in June, thru June 23 (I wrote this a few days ago, so I did not update these miserable numbers):

Vientos is .194/.231/.387

Semien is .186/.260/.386.

Baty is .167/.262/.185.

Ultra pathetic. A whole lot of Pepto Abysmal from those three.

If those three jackanapes could do something amazing in June like hit .240, the Mets might actually win a few.

They might even actually NOT suck.

Also, thru June 23, Mets starters have the 4th worst starter ERA (4.87).

The worst, Colorado, can always be excluded for obvious reasons, so amongst teams that are under a mile in altitude, the Mets are 3rd worst.

And that sucks.

I AM TRULY IMPRESSED

Roughly 11 months after his Tommy John surgery, Dedniel Nunez is pitching in rehab games. If all goes well we will see him after the All Star Break. A tip of my cap to Dedniel.

METS WIN 3-0 BEHIND MCLEAN

1968 Mets low-scoring baseball is BACK! 

Very briefly, in the minors…

Morabito (scorching of late) and Voit (.250) had 3 hits apiece, and Clifford went 0-5 with 3 Ks. Now 117 Ks as June wraps up.

Luis Robert a hit and walk, and Polanco 0-3, for Syracuse in rehab.

Daviel Hurtado is putting up the organization’s best pitching stats, after his brilliant 6 innings of no run, one hit, 8 Ks pitching for Brooklyn. He has a sizzling 0.69 WHIP this year. A 21 year old lefty.

Reese Kaplan -- An Awful Lot For the Mets To Do To Improve

For a few minutes pretend you are Steve Cohen and need to determine what to do between now and the end of the season with the team?  Obviously it is mathematically possible for the Mets to rally their way into a playoff position, but the odds are not very appealing.  

Many are advocating a wholesale housecleaning of the roster in order to prepare better for the future but there is a problem therein.  Throwing in the towel during the first week of July signals the team is giving up and despite the reality of playing multiple AAAA type players regularly is truly not a formula for success.  Prolonging the mediocrity until the first couple of days of August when the trade deadline draws near allows the club to maintain the illusion that they are still giving it their all to advance out of the basement.

So aside from necessary (and long overdue) roster reconstruction, what else needs to be done? 

Starting Pitching

Right now the Mets are relying on Nolan McLean, newly healed Christian Scott, uneven Sean Manaea, totally lost Kodai Senga, rusty ace Freddy Peralta and hope for an imminent recovery of the leg fracture suffered by Clay Holmes.  Going into 2027 the club still has the prospect of five of these six pitchers with Peralta headed into free agency.  There are no clear candidates for immediate promotion in AAA who are showing star potential and no one is especially excited to get Tylor Megill back next season. 

First Base

This black hole has only gotten worse since the year began.  Jorge Polanco’s dual injuries took him off the field during April and he has just started rehab in Syracuse though his role going forward is slated to be DH rather than first baseman.  Jared Young has come back to earth after having had a hot start but at the moment it’s he or Mark Vientos, neither of whom are likely helping the team climb out of the cellar.  Ryan Clifford continues to whiff at a stunning rate and newcomer Cole Mathis needs to get healthy before the Mets try to push him up to the AA level.  He has moderate power and a .272 lifetime minor league batting average which isn’t bad for a two-way player who everyone assumes is now strictly a hitter.  They need to look at 2027 and beyond at this position.

Second Base

Marcus Semien definitely shows the defensive skills and communication ability to show he is a solid major leaguer, but his hitting skills seemed to deteriorate first last year and even further this year.  The Mets are obligated to pay him for awhile so it’s unclear what is role will be in the future.  Brett Baty could be a second baseman as could Ronny Mauricio, but neither have shown enough at the major league level to fill you with confidence.

Third Base

Will Bo Bichette opt out or won’t he?  Given his mid season rise in his productivity it is indeed possible to envision him hitting north of .275 by year’s end, but it’s also highly unlikely he could find any team willing to cough up north of $40 million per year for a long term deal.  He may decide that, for example, a five year $35 million deal is better for his bank account than another year or two at a higher rate with the Mets.  If he does find a taker then the Mets have yet another hole to fill.

Manager

There are a few ways to go here.  You could bring in a known winner as was done in the past with Buck Showalter or you could name a known former player who was a superstar such as Carlos Beltran or Albert Pujols.  You could find a coach or minor league manager elsewhere who needs to prove what he can do when handed the lineup pencil, but the Carlos Mendoza experiment likely puts that approach far back on the stovetop.  

The superstar approach hasn’t yet been tried in recent days, so it’s entirely possible the Mets will go in this direction, though it is often difficult for guys with natural talent to understand how to motivate players who are not of the same caliber.  Furthermore, an untested manager being asked to salvage two straight awful seasons is a heady gamble.  From a business standpoint finding the next minor league manager or major league coach would be far less expensive yet not generate the feel-good stories that a Beltran reunion would.

Front Office

Let’s stop tap dancing around what everyone is already thinking.  David Stearns has done a horrific job enhancing the major league team since arriving.  Is there too much on his plate?  Is his coaching staff unknowledgeable or overly optimistic?  Does he need a GM to take over the day to day roster considerations while he concentrates on the organizational level picture?  Or does he too need to be replaced?

MACK - The Latest Top Lowest ERAs – Abner Mesa, Olmedo Barria, Dakota Hawkins

 

Period:     6-14 – 6-27

 

Abner Mesa/DSL Orange   -   0.80-WHIP, 10-IP, 8-K, 0.90-ERA

Abner Meza is a young right-handed pitching prospect in the New York Mets organization.

Name: Abner Alejandro Meza

Born: May 6, 2007 (age 19) in Ahome, Sinaloa, Mexico

Height/Weight: 6'0" / 175 lbs

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Position: Pitcher (primarily starter in the low minors)

Current Level: Dominican Summer League (DSL Mets Orange / Blue)

Meza signed with the Mets as an international free agent (undrafted free agent/UDFA) on January 18, 2025, for a small bonus of around $10,000. He was assigned to the DSL shortly after.

He is a low-level developmental arm who has shown promise in the DSL (Rookie-level league), with solid strikeout rates and generally good control for his age.

2025 Season (his pro debut year):   Stronger stint: 2-1, 1.67 ERA in 8 games (27 IP)

Career Minors (through 2026): 5-4 record, 2.88 ERA in 15 games (50 IP), 43 strikeouts, 1.08 WHIP. He has made mostly starts (11 GS).

Key strengths so far: High strikeout upside (K/9 often in the 7-11 range), low walk rates in better outings, and the ability to miss bats.

As a 18-19 year old in the DSL, he's still very raw and has a long way to climb through the Mets' system (FCL → Single-A and beyond).He is not a top-ranked prospect yet — more of a depth/sleeper international signee from the Mets' 2025 class — but he has performed well enough in limited innings to warrant monitoring.

 

Olmedo Barria/DSL Orange   -   0.50-WHIP, 8-IP, 8-K, 0.00-ERA

Olmedo Elias Barria is a 19-year-old right-handed pitching prospect in the New York Mets organization.

Born: December 7, 2006, in Chepo, Panama

Height/Weight: 6'4" / 190 lbs

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Position: Pitcher (RHP)

Current Level: Dominican Summer League (DSL) Mets Orange (as of 2026)

The Mets signed Barria as an international free agent on January 15, 2025. He is a relatively new professional who missed time with injury in 2025 (placed on the 60-day IL in May, activated in November) but has been active in the DSL in 2026.

Prospect Profile & Buzz

Barria stands out for his projectable frame (6'4") and exciting stuff. Mets prospect watchers have highlighted him as a "fun" pitcher to follow, with videos showing good velocity, movement, and strikeout ability in the DSL.

Recent updates from fans/prospect accounts note strong outings, such as multi-inning performances with solid strikeout-to-walk ratios (e.g., double-digit Ks in small samples early in 2026). He’s still very young and in the earliest stages of development, so he’s a high-upside arm to monitor as he progresses through the Mets’ system.

 

Dakota Hawkins    0.65-WHIP, 7.2-IP, 7-K, 0.00-ERA

Dakota Hawkins is a right-handed pitcher (R/R, 6'0", 208 lbs, born March 20, 2000, in Centralia, WA) in the New York Mets organization. He is a college undrafted free agent signee (Washington State) who signed in July 2023.

College: Played at Lower Columbia College (JC) before transferring to Washington State. In his senior year (2023), he went 5-3 with a 4.32 ERA, 92 strikeouts in 73 IP (All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention).

Pro Career: Began in the Mets system in 2023 (FCL and Single-A, scoreless in limited innings). He has mostly pitched at High-A Brooklyn Cyclones, with brief appearances at Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse. He has also seen some starting and relief work.

He has shown promise as a strike-thrower who has performed better in shorter/relief outings, and he has been part of notable feats like contributing to a combined no-hitter for Brooklyn.

Repertoire (Pitch Mix)

Hawkins works with a five-pitch mix, which he tunnels well off his fastball for deception. He pounds the strike zone, mixes effectively, and has good confidence in his breaking stuff.

4-Seam Fastball — Primary pitch, typically in the low-90s (e.g., ~92.5 mph in samples). Good spin and extension; he attacks the zone with it.

Changeup (circle-change grip) — His most-used offspeed pitch. Strong whiff rates; used for strikes and to get back into counts. His dad emphasized it from early on.

Splitter — Similar to the changeup but used more as a chase pitch (different movement/situation). Unusual to throw both, but he differentiates them effectively.

Slider — High confidence pitch; good whiff potential and horizontal movement. Often a go-to breaking ball.

Curveball — Used situationally (depending on scouting report and hitter tendencies); loopy breaking action.

Strengths: Excellent pitchability and mixing, tunnels pitches off the fastball, high strike-throwing rate, and adaptability between starter/reliever roles. Offspeed pitches (especially changeup and splitter) generate swings-and-misses.