MACK - Top 28 Prospects - #11 - 3B - Jacob Reimer

 

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.

11.    Jacob Reimer

Turns 22 in February    6-0    2025

Plays 3B, 1B, LF          RHH

2022 – 4th round pick – Yucaipa HS (SoCal) - $77.5K bonus

2025:  A+/AA – 522-PA, 112-K, 58-BB, 17-HR, 77-RBI, .282/.379/.491/.870

He's emerged as one of the Mets' top hitting prospects.

Reimer had a breakout 2025 season at High-A Brooklyn, where he slashed .284/.388/.500 with 8 HR and 11 steals in 62 games, earning South Atlantic League Player of the Month for April (.318/.383/.659 with multiple multi-HR games, including a franchise-record three-homer game on April 30).

His scouting profile highlights plus raw power, an advanced approach (high walk rates, strong contact skills), and improved timing/rotation after tweaks in the Mets' hitting lab following a hamstring-limited 2024 (.218/.358/.282 in just 25 games).

Defensively, he has a strong arm for third base but questions about range and accuracy; the Mets have tested him in the outfield.

Many see him as a potential everyday corner infielder with power upside, and he's frequently mentioned as underrated or a rising star in the loaded Mets farm.

 

10-31-2025

Who are the next young studs for the Mets?

3B Jacob Reimer (No. 6 prospect, Double-A BNG)

2025 MiLB Totals: 122 G, 522 PA, .282/.379/.491, 125 H, 17 HR, 32 2B, 5 3B, 88 R, 77 RBI, 15 SB, 21.5%-11.1% K-BB%, .209 ISO, .338 BABIP, .399 wOBA, 157 wRC+

Latest Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 / Power: 50 / Run: 40 / Arm: 50 / Field: 45 / Overall: 50

MLB Comp: Max Muncy (2015 Grades: 45 / 40 / 40 / 45 / 45 / Overall: 45)

Given his placement just outside the Top 5 on the Mets’ prospect list, I imagine everyone reading this is plenty familiar with Jacob Reimer’s name as well. That’s for good reason: Reimer had a scorching 2025 campaign.

After an initial struggle at High-A in 2023 and then an injury-shortened follow-up campaign in 2024, Reimer entered the 2025 season as the Mets’ 15th overall prospect. Though his skillset was apparent, there were some questions about whether they’d consistently translate to in-game results.

Safe to say those concerns have been largely put to rest.

But it’s not just the eye-popping slash line or the position-leading wRC+ that have my hype meter going crazy. This is what has me extra stoked about Reimer:

Among third basemen with at least 500 plate appearances, Reimer led all of Minor League Baseball in isolated power (ISO) and ranked third in Speed score (Spd). No other third base prospect offered a profile quite like that in 2025.

Though Reimer’s 15 stolen bases in 2025 were only good enough to tie for 20th among his MiLB peers, it reflected a 5x increase from his 2023 total of three (3) stolen bases. Couple that with a doubled homer output, and to say Reimer simply ‘bounced back’ from his hamstring injury would be putting it mildly.

Long story short, this kid’s fantastic, and he’s only going to get better. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get a cup of coffee in 2026.

 

11-7-2025

JUST BASEBALL

8. Jacob Reimer – 3B – (Double-A)

Height/Weight: 6’2″, 205 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 4th Round (119), 2024 (NYM) | ETA: 2027

A California prep bat, Reimer was selected in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, turned in an impressive first pro season in 2023 before injuries limited him to just 21 regular season games in 2024. The Mets sent Reimer out to the Arizona Fall League to make up for lost reps, where he posted mostly average numbers, but started to make the mechanical adjustments that have him breaking out in 2025.

Hitting

Reimer previously started with his weight stacked on his back side and back knee bowed out towards home. Starting so stacked with his back knee at that angle likely made it more difficult to hold his weight back as he began his launch, resulting in some drift forward.

He now starts more upright, coiling into his back side with rhythm along with his barrel getting into a slot that is much easier to get on plane (he dropped his hands too low with the bat more vertical as he loaded before).

These improvements have Reimer’s barrel living in the zone much longer while putting him in a more powerful position to hit. He has cut his ground ball rate by 10% while his hard hit rate has jumped from 33% in 2023 and 2024 combined to a whopping 49% through his first 50 games in 2025.

While finding more barrel depth, Reimer has maintained solid contact rates while his pitch recognition skills and feel for the strike zone stand out. There’s above average power potential with the feel to hit and approach to get into it.

Defense/Speed

Not necessarily the fleetest of foot, Reimer’s range is fringy at third base, but he has an above average arm and is comfortable throwing on the run and from different angles. He may ultimately profile best at first base, but Reimer should be able to provide passable defense at third.

Outlook

Earning high marks for his work ethic and knowledge of his swing, Reimer followed an injury-riddled 2024 season with tangible adjustments in the box and added strength that have him breaking out offensively in 2025. Even if there is limited value beyond the bat, Reimer has the offensive ingredients to get on base at an above average clip and hit 20-25 homers.

 

11-11-2025  -  Tom Brennan/MM

3B Jacob Reimer

By this time next season, we will know much better just how good the 21 year old former 119th overall pick is.  His bad 2024 hammy injury essentially destroyed that year of development.

Strong bounce-back for Jacob in 2025, who struggled but then adjusted well to AA pitching. He may well have a better hit tool than Clifford long-term. I struggled to decide which of the 2 should go at #6, and which at #7.   I went alphabetically.

Some say the 6’0”, 205 Reimer is a tad slow.  If so, how did he steal 15 of 18 in just 122 games?  He also raked 32 doubles, 2 triples, and 17 HRs, along with 77 RBIs, in those 122 games.  And he hit .277 despite his fairly prolonged mid-season slump.

Project those power numbers over 162 games and you end up with 42 doubles, 23 HRs, and 102 RBIs.  20 steals, too. I’ll take it. 

Ceiling? Close to David Wright. Floor? Close to Zach Lutz.

My prognosis is somewhere in the middle between the two, a good, solid major leaguer.

He has played first base well, and been error-prone at 3B. I expect real glove progress in 2026, and for him to force his way somewhere into the Mets line up in 2027.

 

11-21-2025

TJStats

#50 - Jacob Reimer broke out in a big way during the 2025 season, making his way to AA while posting a 157 wRC+. Every aspect of his offensive profiles paints him as an above average bat with his most impressive traits being his excellent approach and silky-smooth swing geared for loft. His 11.1% walk rate was supported by a strong 22% O-Swing rate. He rarely expanded the zone with two strikes, allowing him to battle back into counts frequently. While his contact metrics hovered around average, he struggled to consistently connect with breaking balls. His defensive future remains a question moving forward; however, he looked more comfortable manning the hot corner this season and projects to be third baseman. Reimer is a well-rounded hitter with no discernible flaws at the dish who should find his way up to MLB soon.

11-27-2025

Angry Mike/MM

Jacob Reimer had a spectacular 2025 season, first and foremost\, it was great to see him start the season healthy and show zero ill-effects from the injuries that cost him almost the entire 2024 season. Reimer split the 2025 season, first 61 games at Brooklyn and the last 61 games with Binghamton. As impressive as his start in Brooklyn was, Reimer really turned heads with the way he finished his season at Binghamton.

Reimer offers the Mets considerable insurance in the event Vientos or Baty fail to continue progressing in their development, and his defensive versatility to fill in at LF, 1B, 3B also increases the overall value of his prospect profile. Reimer represents one of the best success stories for our development team, and has helped to more than make up for the slower development of a couple of early round draft picks that are taking longer to develop.

 

11-30-2025

Running From The OPS        @OPS_BASEBALL

We saw a full season out of Jacob Reimer in 2025, and the 21-year-old certainly didn't disappoint. He slashed .282/.379/.491 with 17 HR, 32 2B, an .870 OPS, and a 157 wRC+. He has an advanced eye at the plate and pairs it with excellent swing decisions. This system is loaded!

 

12-5-2025

Angry Mike/MM

JACOB REIMER -> Finished 2025 as one of the hottest hitters in MILB, also ticketed for AAA, should spend all of ‘26 there.

-> If Reimer starts off hot & a need arises, is he the “Alert-5” high-upside hitter #Mets will call upon?

 

12-29-2025 –

Tom Brennan/MM

J. REIMER -> Full-Season MILB STATS:

Year 1 -> Low-A |  HI-A -> 19 years old -> 21% K-Rate | 398 PA

| .265 BA | .399 OBP | .774 OPS | 8 HR | 13 2B | 0 3B | 3 SB | 49 RBI |

| 63 Runs | 62 BB |

 

Year 2 -> HI-A | AA -> 21 years old -> 22% K-Rate | 502 PA

| .282 BA | .379 OBP | .870 OPS | 17 HR | 32 2B | 5 3B | 15 SB | 77 RBI |

| 91 Runs | 58 BB |

1-16-2026 –

Tobey Schulman         @tschulmanreport

Jacob Reimer should be a consensus top-100 prospect by the end of 2026. The 21-year-old generates a solid amount of pull-air contact, and excelled vs. AA pitching in 61 games.

.282/.379/.491 slash line between A+/AA in '25, with 17 HR, and a 157 wRC+..

      

Paul Articulates – Who stays? Part 4: Starting Pitchers

With a re-designed core and many new players and a deep reserve of prospects, this year’s spring training will become an intriguing competition for spots on the opening day 26-man roster.  

This series will take a look at the players that are in position to compete for a slot on that roster but are not a lock.  We will look at the pros and cons of carrying them with the MLB team when they break camp with the alternative being depth and development pieces in the minor leagues.

Some players are very well established as MLB regulars that are not reasonable candidates for demotion, so for the purposes of this review the following list of players are considered locked down on the MLB Roster:

Infielders: Francisco Lindor, Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco, Bo Bichette, 

Outfielders: Juan Soto, Luis Robert Jr., Tyrone Taylor

Pitchers: Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley

Catchers: Francisco Alvarez; Luis Torrens

Given this list, and MLB rules that allow only 26 players on the active roster from opening day through August 31st, and that a maximum of 13 pitchers can be listed among the 26 players, there will only be room to carry five more pitchers and five more position players beyond what is listed above.

Today we will take a look at the Starting Pitchers that are vying for some of those five “contested” spots:

Starting Pitchers on the 40-man roster:

Sean Manaea, Jonah Tong, Tobias Myers, Justin Hagenman, Jonathan Pintaro, Christian Scott

Sean Manaea - I wrote about Manaea a month ago, predicting that he would become the comeback player of the year.  Manaea was so good in 2024 when he discovered a way to use a crossfire delivery to create deception.  In 2025 he somehow lost the mechanics on that delivery after recovering from injuries that started with an oblique in spring training.  Well, he is back now and he is healthy.  With all the video from his great season, the technology available in St. Lucie, and a coaching staff that understands how to use the information, why shouldn’t he become what he was?  My prediction is that he will, and he will be in the mix for the fifth starter slot.

Jonah Tong – 2025 could have been the start that propelled Tong into the Mets rotation for the foreseeable future.  Unfortunately, there was that one game against Texas where he was pitted against former ACE Jacob deGrom in front of a sold-out Citi Field crowd.  Tong couldn’t find his release point, suffered an embarrassing six earned runs in 2/3 of an inning.  That game will cause him to start in AAA to get more seasoning before having a run at the MLB level again.  However, let’s remember that he was dominant in the minors last season with a 1.43 ERA in 22 starts across the AA and AAA levels.  That includes 11.2 scoreless innings at Syracuse.  Tong will join the club later in the year for good.

Christian Scott – 2025 was a lost year for Scott, as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.  Before that, he had some impressive outings for the Mets in 2024.  He compiled a 4.56 ERA with 39 strikeouts in just over 47 innings that year after being called up in May.  This year, the Mets will probably start him slowly to build up arm strength and mental confidence.  Depending on how he performs in the spring, that could mean a Syracuse Mets opening day, or a middle relief stint with the New York club.  I am predicting the former, as there are just so many options in play for the five available pitching slots on the active roster.

Tobias Myers – Tobias was the additional player that came over in the Peralta trade, and he was considered valuable enough to help justify the cost (Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams).  The Mets are expecting to get some bang for that buck, and Myers could deliver.  He is not likely to be in the starting rotation on opening day, but if he pitches up to his potential, expect to see him break camp as a middle-to-long reliever with the team.  He could be the first guy to get a spot start if a rotation pitcher can’t go.

Justin Hagenman – Hagenman has seen action for the big league club with a spot start and a few relief outings last season when the primary arms got tired.  He showed well, with a 4.56 ERA over 23 innings (same ERA as Scott in 2024) but was shuttled back and forth between AAA and MLB too many times to get a stable sample of what he could do.  This spring will go a long way in determining how he is viewed by the front office.  My guess is that they will renew his bus pass.

Jonathan Pintaro – Pintaro was a rising star through the low minors and has pitched 18 games at the AAA level to date with fairly good results.  He saw a brief call-up last year but gave up 2 earned runs in 2/3 of an inning so there is no valid measurement for how he stacks up against MLB competition.  Expect him to start the season in AAA.

Starting Pitchers not on the 40-man roster but with spring training invites: RHP Carl Edwards Jr., RHP Kevin Herget, LHP Joe Jacques, LHP Anderson Severino, RHP Robert Stock, LHP Matt Turner, LHP Brandon Waddell, RHP Jack Wenninger

This group includes too many players to delve into individually.  Other than prospect Jack Wenninger who is clearly on a trajectory to make the big league club but probably needs at least another half season in AAA, the rest of this group are second and third chance guys who have been all around the league, or projects that have not made it above the AAAA level.  My prediction is that none of this group makes the active roster on opening day.

This is a lot to process in one post.  Imagine how David Stearns feels trying to sort out an entire organization of pitchers.  To summarize what is said here, I believe that the Mets will carry Manaea as a starting pitcher, vying with Peterson, Holmes, and Senga for the back half of the rotation.  The loser of that battle joins Tobias Myers in the pen as a middle/long reliever with first dibs on starts when one the top 5 in the rotation stumble or get injured.  Tong, Hagenman, Scott, and Pintaro travel north to Syracuse to provide the AAA team with a very strong rotation.

Reese Kaplan -- The To Do List for David Stearns

While folks are understandably excited to see the new-look Mets with all of the changes made to the roster, it is also time to explore the necessary David Stearns To Do List before anyone will fully endorse that the team is ready now and for the future.

1. In a very un-Mets way, it’s imperative to lock up Freddy Peralta to a contract extension that benefits both the ballplayer and his employer.  The Mets have not been good at offering up extensions to players slated to leave and after sacrificing two prime prospect players for a one-year rental it makes sense to take advantage of your exclusive bargaining position as his current employer to buy him out of his desire to test free agency.  That strategy would reinforce the sense of the price paid to bring him here and it would demonstrate a commitment to the future which was not really present at the end of 2025.
2. As frustrating as it is, it’s necessary to be patient with injuries particularly when the season has not yet even begun.  There are several players whose health is being closely monitored.  Francisco Lindor is recovering from surgery.  AJ Minter has his lat injury that shut him down during May of last year.  Various players are on slow tracks this spring due to minor injuries such as Brett Baty and Luis Robert, Jr.  Right now it’s a 162 game marathon that doesn’t need to be won in April.  Too often players are rushed back before they are ready and it is more beneficial to allow them to take as long as it realistically takes to confirm they’re ready for the remaining nearly 6 months of baseball activity.
3. Tied into that latter philosophy is the need to prepare the reinforcements for advancement in the future.  Sometimes that preparation is done by temporarily giving them a taste of major league baseball for a few weeks until the regulars heal.  Other times it involves rewarding lesser veteran ballplayers with promotions to do that fill-in duty while the hot prospects instead travel to Syracuse and Binghamton to focus on what they need to do to improve their game performance for long term success at the big league level.  Christian Scott, Jonah Tong, Carson Benge, Nick Morabito, AJ Ewing, Ryan Clifford and others on the high end of the prospect list need to ease into their futures, not be overwhelmed by premature promotion when there is not a real pennant race until season’s end.
4. The last two issues are old hat by now but still need to be addressed.  The club needs to identify who is truly going to play right field for the upcoming year.  Many want it to be Carson Benge, but his limited exposure to AAA suggests he could be a later year promotion to assume that role.  Unfortunately the others include unspectacular fringe players or folks who have no experience as a full time outfielder.  Something needs to be done. 
5. Ever since the National League embraced the DH, the New York Mets have used it as an offensive black hole.  Even when they made an 11th hour decision to bring in star J.D. Martinez didn’t deliver the caliber of run production that most clubs receive by properly valuing and using this role.  To look at the current uncertain roster it could be a platoon of Brett Baty and Mark Vientos or could go to Vientos full time if Baty gets the nod in right field.  Here both solutions would be potential rather than solidity.  It is worth seeing who else might be out there. 

MACK - Top 28 Prospects - #12- C - Yovanny Rodriguez

 

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.

12.    Yovanny Rodriguez

2025:                DSL TEAMS – 168-PA, 39-K, 2-HR, 26-RBI, .331/.446/.493/.939

GROK -

Yovanny Rodriguez is an 18-year-old catching prospect (born November 7, 2006, in Guarenas, Venezuela) in the New York Mets organization.

He stands 6'0" and weighs 175 pounds, batting and throwing right-handed.

Signed as an international free agent on January 15, 2024, for a franchise-record $2.85 million bonus, Rodriguez was ranked as MLB Pipeline's No. 6 overall international prospect in the 2024 class and the top catcher available.

Scouts praised his advanced skills for his age, with early buzz comparing his arm strength to elite MLB catchers like J.T. Realmuto—pop times on throws to second base already at big-league levels.

 The Mets saw him as a potential two-way star: strong defensively with offensive upside. He drew interest from multiple teams but committed to New York, where officials were immediately impressed by his bat control, contact skills, and projectable power as he adds strength.

moved stateside to the Florida Complex League (FCL) for the "bridge league" (extended instructional play).

Hit: 55 – Advanced bat-to-ball skills, consistent contact, and plate discipline. 47.8% pull rate.

Power: 50 – Present gap power; projects for more as he matures physically.

Run: 55 – Above-average speed for a catcher, shown in 4 SB.

Field: 40 – Raw

Arm: 60 – Elite strength, 70-grade by some scouts

Overall, he's a high-floor catcher with All-Star potential on both sides of the ball, often compared to Francisco Alvarez in his early Mets days (advanced for age, power/arm combo).

ETA: 2028-2029.

    

10-28-2025  -  MACK

Yovanny Rodriguez – okay, let’s get to my #1 Mets catching prospects. Signed in 2024 for a record breaking $2.85mil, Y-Rod played 2025 as an FCL-Metman, and stat lined at the rate of 136-AB, .331, 2-HR, 26-RBI, .939-OPS. Is this good? Normally, only 136 at-bats would warrant a come-back, but this uber-prospect is not going to wait until summer to play his first game. This is your RK-St. Lucie starter on opening day and could easily end the season in Kings County. Every team wants this guy in a package, but he’s not going anywhere. Could someday make Mets fans forget that other Francisco guy.

 

11-4-2025

Tom Brennan/MM

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.

 

11-7-2025

Just Baseball

https://www.justbaseball.com/prospects/new-york-mets-top-15-prospects/

Yovanny Rodriguez – C – (DSL): A $2.85 million pay day and rave reviews from scouts created plenty of hype for the Venezuelan catcher, but he stumbled out of the gate in his pro debut. His impressive defensive skill set did not immediately translate while posting a .715 OPS at the DSL in 2024.

This had the Mets keep the 18-year-old in the DSL for another year before bring him stateside, and he produced much better results in 2025. Rodriguez hit .331/.446/.493, with a .939 OPS. Rodriguez has the defensive tools to be a big league catcher, and the improvements with the bat were encouraging.

 

12-6-2025

Angry Mike/MM

YOVANNY RODRIGUEZ -> He might not be as closely watched as the others listed above, but I have spent way too much time tracking his progress to quit now. I need to know if he is going to live up to his $2.8M signing bonus or not.

-> Can he accelerate his development to nullify requiring 2 years in the DSL? Will he be able to handle a full-season assignment like Pena? Can he continue improving his defense which initially was supposed to be an asset?

 

1-15-2026

Angry Mike/MM

Yovanny Rodriguez holds the distinction of being the I.F.A. acquisition with the third highest signing bonus ($2.8 Million) ever awarded and prior to Elian Pena and soon to be signed Wandy Asigen, Rodriguez was the highest ranked I.F.A prospect (#7 MLB Pipeline) the Mets had ever signed. Rodriguez produced mixed results during his first season in the D.S.L., but he finished last summer hitting for both power and average, providing a glimpse as to why he was such a highly ranked prospect in his class. Rodriguez was sent back to the D.S.L. in 2025, and looked like a completely different player entirely on both sides of the ball.

Rodriguez is expected to make his stateside debut this season with the Florida Complex League squad, and depending on how quickly he adapts to the higher level of competition, he has an outside chance to finish his season with Port St. Lucie. The Mets will be much more conservative with Rodriguez compared to their other young phenom Elian Pena who will also be making his stateside debut this season. Rodriguez remains an exciting young talent, who represents the next wave of impact prospects playing in the lower levels of the minor leagues.

Tom Brennan: When You’re a Met, You’re a Met All the Way; Benge Ready? Shantz

THE METS PICKED THEMSELVES UP A #63 IN FREDDY P

 

Queens Side Story theme song about its fans:

“When you’re a Met, you’re a Met all the way, 

from your first Bo Bichette to your last Alzolay.”

Mets fans are extremely loyal, and extremely loyal people can tend to overrate their players. But, sometimes, they can underrate them.

An MLB.com article by Jeffry Lutz spells out more objectively(?) which players on each team are in the MLB Top 100. 

Here’s what he wrote about the players on your favorite team, the Mets:

Mets (4): 

Juan Soto (6), Francisco Lindor (11), Bo Bichette (48), Freddy Peralta (63)

New York added a fourth member to this list on Wednesday night after acquiring righty Freddy Peralta from the Brewers. Peralta gives the Mets a steady presence at the top of the rotation, leading the NL with 17 wins in 2025 and accumulating 10 bWAR over the past three seasons

The Mets lost two of last year’s top 100 after trading Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers and losing slugger Pete Alonso to the Orioles in free agency. But they picked one up in Bichette, who will help make up for the loss of Alonso and be part of a revamped infield along with Lindor and fellow offseason pickups Marcus Semien (acquired for Nimmo) and free agent Jorge Polanco.

Regardless of Alonso’s middle-of-the-order presence, once Soto arrived in free agency last offseason, the Mets’ offense began, and will continue, to revolve around him. A slow start in 2025 kept the spotlight away from Soto for a while, but when you looked up in say, June, he was still having a typical Juan Soto season. It ended with an MLB-best 127 walks as Soto led the NL with a .396 on-base percentage. He also, somehow, had an NL-tying 38 stolen bases despite never before stealing more than 12. Oh, and there were the career-high 43 homers.

So, there you have it.

Who is Juan Soto behind? 

Ohtani is #1, Judge is #2, Bobby Witt is #3, Raleigh is #4. 

Makes sense.  So far, so good.

Jose Ramirez is #5? Ahead of Soto? 

That’s a no-no. Soto is better.

If I could only pick one of the two, I’d pick the guy whose name rhymes with photo.

Other players of interest in the top 100?  

Alonso (33), Crow (40), deGrom (50), and Edwin (83).  

No, Nimmo is not in the top 100 any longer.

His favorite disco song, though, remains DO THE HUSTLE.

Who is barking at Soto’s heels? 

Paul Skenes at #7. Loud barks.

Aggressive A’s slugger Brent Rooker is #91.  His more tentative MLB counterpart, Mark Vientos, is nowhere near the top 100. 

Hmmm…

Lastly:

The Dodgers have EIGHT players in the top 100.  SIX in the top 50.

OK, you can SHUDDER now. I just did.

 

“JOHNNY CARSON” BENGE

BENGE READY??

“How could Johnny Carson Benge be ready when he only hit .178 and 103 plate appearances in AAA?”

 “C’mon!!! He ain’t ready!”

That seems to be a reasonable question, and perhaps a reasonable conclusion….until one takes a deeper dive.

In his first 15 AAA plate appearances, Carson got on base six times. That’s a .400 OBP.

In the last of those games, he got hit by a pitch and was out from August 16 through August 27. He had a hit in each of his first two games back. But something was wrong.

Including those first two games back, he went on a five for 29 swoon.

Then it got worse he followed that five for 29 with an 0 for 24 plunge. WATCH OUT BELOW!

Carson and then write the ship by getting on base eight out of his last 25 times over the last 6 games to conclude the season.

I therefore firmly believe that that hit by pitch was nasty and that he didn’t recover from it to 100% for a while.

Another guy that happened to was double-quarter-pounder-with-cheese Pete Alonso back in 2023.

Pete got badly nailed by a boring-in mighty fast fastball in the wrist/hand area. The cognoscenti thought he’d be out 3-4 weeks. He shocked everyone as he missed just 11 days, rushing back if for no other reason than Pete viscerally hates sitting on the bench EVER. He should not have been so RUSSIAN, as it turned out. 

Like Carson, he badly spiraled post-return, going 12 for 88 in his next bunch of games.

So, I am only focusing on the last 6 Benge AAA games.  Those healthy games tell me he is further along that his AAA slash line in August and September would indicate.

Remember, stats need to be drilled down on to get a clear picture.

THE CLEAR PICTURE, TO ME?  “HEEERRE’S CARSON!”

And… I normally do not like signing 35-year-olds. But lefty hitting Mike Tauchman, who is just turning 35, has had a .360 on base percentage his last three seasons, and he had a good fielding year last year.  1.9 WAR in the equivalent of 2/3 of a full season of playing time. 

In 2025:

Player #1: .263/.356/.400. Tauchman.

Player #2: .262/.324/.436.  Nimmo.

Pretty close, huh.  So, signing him to a minor league deal?  Why not.

LAST MAN STANDING

Saw this on FB:

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 "𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐧" 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠:  

𝐁𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐳 

He is the last surviving player from the Philadelphia Athletics and the last living player to have played under legendary manager Connie Mack. He is the final surviving MLB player who debuted in the 1940s, and he is also the oldest (100) living former MVP in Major League Baseball.” 

Born September 26, 2025. He went 24-7 in 1952. Stood just 5’6”.

Sadly, Bill Mazeroski passed away yesterday at age 89. He made the Hall of Fame despite far lighter stats than Keith Hernandez. Career 36.5 WAR. Keith had 60.4 WAR. David Wright had 49.1 WAR in far fewer plate appearances.

Maz only scored 769 runs, while driving in 864, with just 27 steals.

Voting writers are biased. But Maz was a fine player nonetheless.

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RVH - Why the 2026 Mets Are Built to Win Different Games

 

We’ve spent weeks debating this from every angle. Power versus contact. Alonso versus “the model.” Emotion versus math. The argument hasn’t been short on passion. What it’s been short on is finality.

The 2026 Mets didn’t fail to replace Pete Alonso. They made a conscious decision to replace the offense that depended on him. What they’ve built instead isn’t louder or scarier or more highlight-friendly. It’s simply more likely to score runs when it matters.

To understand the 2026 roster, you have to look at the "Statistical Ghost" of 2025.

The Autopsy: A Top-10 Offense That Couldn't Close

On paper, the 2025 Mets were a juggernaut. They finished 6th in MLB in OPS (.753) and 9th in total runs (766). They had the power (5th in HRs) and the discipline (9th in K%). Yet, they finished 83–79 and missed the postseason.

The breakdown occurred in the structural efficiency of those runs:

2025 Mets: The Macro Efficiency Gap

Metric	2025 Value	MLB Rank	The Diagnostic
OPS	.753	6th	Elite production engine.
Home Runs	224	5th	High-ceiling power.
Runs Scored	766	9th	Top-tier scoring volume.
Innings Scored %	20.2%	11th	"Clumpy" scoring; lack of consistent pressure.
Clutch (FanGraphs)	-1.82	28th	One of the lowest high-leverage scores in history.
Record Trailing After 8	0–70	30th	Total System Failure.

Source: Fangraphs, Baseball Reference, StatHead

They were a "front-runner" system. They could beat a team 10–2, but they couldn't find the one run needed to turn a 3–4 deficit into a 5–4 win. They were the only team in MLB to not record a single 9th-inning comeback win.

Redefining “Clutch”: From Power to Probability

Across Mets Nation, the question has been framed narrowly: How do you replace 40 home runs? David Stearns answered a different question: How do you reduce the empty innings that lead to 0–70?

The new core represents a deliberate shift away from fragility. This isn’t a bet on contact for contact’s sake. It’s a bet on probability under pressure. Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien, and Jorge Polanco were targeted because they produce something useful when the game tightens.

The Stability Floor: 3-Year Averages (2023–2025)

Rather than focusing on peak seasons or highlight outcomes, this isolates durable situational performance.

The New Core (The "Closer" Profile)

Player	RISP AVG	RISP OPS	High-Leverage K%	Clutch Score
Jorge Polanco	.294	.843	20.6%	+1.76
Bo Bichette	.322	.854	17.1%	+1.45
Marcus Semien	.260	.759	15.2%	+0.88
GROUP AVG	.292	.819	17.6%	+1.36

Source: Fangraphs, Baseball Reference, StatHead

The Previous Core (The "Front-Runner" Profile)

Player	RISP AVG	RISP OPS	High-Leverage K%	Clutch Score
Pete Alonso	.271	.831	24.8%	-0.92
Brandon Nimmo	.281	.855	22.3%	-0.45
Jeff McNeil	.257	.712	13.5%	-0.12
GROUP AVG	.270	.799	20.2%	-0.50

Source: Fangraphs, Baseball Reference, StatHead

The Situational Delta

Key Indicator	Delta	Strategic Impact
RISP Batting Avg	+22 Points	Higher probability of converting scoring opportunities.
High-Leverage K%	-2.6%	Fewer "automatic outs" in the final three innings.
Clutch Rating	+1.86 Points	A total reversal of the late-game "freezing" effect.

Source: Fangraphs, Baseball Reference, StatHead

Beyond the Box Score: Why the Trade-Off Works

Situational hitting is the engine, but the broader case for the swap rests on four supporting pillars.

1. Defensive Stability: Run prevention was the hidden tax of the prior core. By adding Marcus Semien (92nd-percentile range) and stabilizing the infield, the Mets convert borderline balls into outs and reduce stress on a young pitching staff.

2. Positional Optionality: The old core was fixed. The new core is modular. Polanco’s flexibility and Bichette’s defensive range allow Carlos Mendoza to manage matchups and fatigue without creating production sinkholes.

3. Financial Liquidity: Moving off Nimmo’s long-tail deal and avoiding a massive extension for a high-variance power hitter shifts risk away from back-end decline and toward short-term certainty.

4. Professional Gravity: Semien brings championship habits—durability, preparation, and daily competitiveness—that stabilize a clubhouse transitioning from volatility to consistency.

The Hidden Pressure Point: Two Outs

With Lindor and Soto setting the table and Bichette providing immediate protection, Jorge Polanco becomes a disproportionate run-creation force. His recent two-out and RISP splits are extreme—the profile of a hitter who doesn’t expand the zone and doesn’t give away plate appearances when pitchers are trying to escape. In practical terms, rallies no longer die quietly.

Final Verdict

The Mets didn’t just remove power. They removed fragility.

This lineup is designed to convert opportunity rather than wait for it. You can’t pitch around Soto. You can’t relax after Bichette. And with the "Clutch" metrics of this new core, the 9th inning is no longer a graveyard.

The spectacular has been replaced by the sustainable. Over 162 games — and especially against elite pitching — that trade-off usually wins.