MACK – More Hot Bats

 

 

MACK – More Hot Bats

 

John From Albany and I started last week keeping track of Mets minor leaguers that have been yielding a hot bat in the last 10 games they had played.

John updated this Top 5 list on 6-15 regarding games played on 6/6-6/15.

Three players on that list… Emerson Estevez, Nick Lorusso, and Cleiner Ramirez… were on the previous list and biographical information on those three were included in last weeks post.

There were two new names this week:

 

JT Benson/A+ Brooklyn - .263/.440/.737/1.177, 2-HR, 6-RBI,25-PA

                JT Benson (full name: Johnathon Tyler Benson) is a 24-year-old outfielder in the New York Mets minor league system.

Born: April 1, 2002 (Louisville, KY)

Height/Weight: 6'0", 190 lbs

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

High School: South Oldham (Crestwood, KY) — He was a top outfield prospect in Kentucky coming out of high school.

College: University of Louisville (Cardinals)

He went undrafted in 2024 after a strong senior season but excelled in independent ball before signing with the Mets in March 2026.

College Career Highlights (Louisville)In 2024 (senior year), he posted career highs:.

.302 AVG   9 HR   41 RBI   52 runs   34 stolen bases (led the ACC, top-10 nationally)

He showed a strong combination of contact, power, and elite speed on the bases. Over three college seasons, he hit .284/.402/.494 with 51 steals.

Independent League Performance

2024 (Lake Country DockHounds, American Association): .286/.385/.418 in 27 games.

2025 (Evansville Otters, Frontier League): .295/.412/.477 with 10 HR, 40 RBI, and 24 SB in 26 attempts over 80 games.

Strong slash lines with good extra-base power (doubles, triples, HR).

Continued speed (steals).

Solid on-base skills but with swing-and-miss (strikeout rates in the mid-to-high 20s).

Scouting-wise, he profiles as a toolsy outfielder with plus speed, emerging power, and athleticism. His bat has shown it can handle wood (independents + early minors), though he'll need to refine his approach and contact consistency for higher levels.

As a recent signee who skipped the draft, Benson is an intriguing "sleeper" type prospect for the Mets. He's not yet in most major top-30 organizational rankings, but his combination of speed, production, and athleticism gives him a chance to rise as a fourth outfielder or upside platoon/bench piece if he keeps hitting. Keep an eye on his power/speed numbers as he advances through the system.

 

Roybert Herrera/FCL Mets - .438/.471/.688/1.159, 1-HR, 3-RBI, 7-H, 17-PA

                Roybert Jesus Herrera (born June 30, 2007, in Caucaugua, Venezuela) is an 18-year-old infielder (primarily 3B, also 1B/2B) in the New York Mets organization. He signed as an international free agent (UDFA) in January 2024.

Bats/Throws: Left/Right.

Height/Weight: 6'2", 175 lbs.

He has performed well in the Dominican Summer League (DSL) and is now in the Florida Complex League (FCL):

2024 (DSL, age 17): 24 G, .329/.407/.443 (91 PA), 1 HR, 8 SB, strong contact and on-base skills early on.

2025 (DSL, age 18): 39 G, .285/.371/.488 (143 PA), 6 HR, solid power development.

He shows a good hit tool, improving power (ISO around .200 in 2025), patience (BB% improving to ~10%), and speed. Strikeouts are manageable but present (21-25% range). He missed some time in 2026 with a minor injury (activated from IL in late May).

Herrera is a lower-level prospect who has not yet cracked major Mets top-10 or top-100 lists as of mid-2026. He is viewed as a toolsy, projectable young player with upside as he advances to full-season ball. His athleticism, left-handed bat, and positional versatility (infield focus) give him potential, but he needs more reps against better competition to rise.

He is still very young (turns 19 in late June 2026) and has time to develop. Expect him to continue progressing through the Mets' lower minors in 2026-2027.

 

John published a further update, for games played on 6/8-6/17:

 

Yohairo Cuevas/St. Lucie - .385/.515/.654/1.169

                Yohairo Alexis Cuevas (born September 16, 2003, in New York, NY) is a 22-year-old left-handed hitting and throwing outfielder/first baseman in the New York Mets minor league system. He stands 6'3" and weighs 172 lbs.

Cuevas was signed by the Mets as an international free agent in January 2021 (reported signing bonus around $500,000). Though born in New York, he trained/developed in the Dominican Republic (including at the Fernando Tatis Baseball Academy) and began his pro career in the Dominican Summer League (DSL). He has ties to former MLB player Juan Samuel (his uncle).

He has shown patience at the plate (solid walk rates) but struggles with strikeouts and consistent power. His bat has progressed unevenly, with strong showings in lower levels but challenges in A+.

Key seasonal highlights (standard batting stats):2021 (DSL Mets 1, age 17): 41 G, .155/.331/.214, 0 HR, 5 SB, high K% (30.8%) but good OBP.

2022 (DSL Mets 1, age 18): 51 G, .277/.374/.398, 2 HR, 7 SB — solid breakout.

2023: Split between FCL Mets (.310/.444/.577, 4 HR in 23 G — best offensive showing) and St. Lucie (A: .215/.308/.354).

2024 (St. Lucie, A): 113 G, .213/.333/.296, 1 HR, 20 SB — played a full season but low power.

2025: Strong in A (St. Lucie: .278/.440/.369, 50 BB in 63 G) but struggled in A+ (Brooklyn: .206/.289/.271).

Career minors (through ~2026): ~.228/.356/.330 with 11 HR, 69 SB in ~380 games. He draws walks (career ~15% BB rate) but has high strikeouts and modest power (low ISO).

Primarily an outfielder (LF/RF, some CF) with increasing time at 1B. He has above-average speed early on and has stolen bases consistently (though success rate varies). Defense has been reliable in limited samples.

Overall, Cuevas is a toolsy, athletic lefty bat with good plate discipline and speed, but he needs to improve contact consistency and power production to climb higher in the system. He's had some injury/rehab time in recent years but has shown resilience in full-season ball. Keep an eye on his performance in A+ for signs of breaking through.

 

Jonnhan Sanchez/DSL Blue - .400/.556/.600/1.156

                Jonnhan Jose Sanchez is a young Venezuelan outfield prospect in the New York Mets' minor league system.

Born: May 8, 2007 (age 19 as of mid-2026) in San Carlos, Venezuela.

Bats/Throws: Left/Left

Height/Weight: 6'0" / 160 lbs

Position: Outfielder (primarily right field, also left field; has seen some time at first base)

The Mets signed him as an international free agent to a minor-league contract in January 2024 (around age 16). He has played in the Dominican Summer League (DSL) for the Mets' rookie-level affiliates (DSL Mets Blue/Orange).

He is a switch-hitting style lefty bat with speed and developing power, though he's still very early in his professional development.

Minor League Stats

2024 (age 17, DSL Mets Blue): Limited action (7 games) — struggled initially with a .053 average in 19 AB, but showed some pop (1 triple).

2025 (age 18, DSL Mets Blue): Much stronger — .259 AVG, .373 OBP, .370 SLG in 20 games (54 AB), with 1 HR, 9 RBI, 6 SB, and improved plate discipline.

He dealt with injuries in 2025 (placed on the 60-day IL in July, activated in November).

Sanchez is a raw, toolsy prospect still in the very early stages (Rookie/DSL level). Left-handed hitters with speed who can play the outfield have upside, but he needs more consistent at-bats and development before climbing the ranks toward full-season ball. 

 

Yadier Fuentes/DSL Orange - .400/.571/.500/1.071

                Yadier Fuentes is a 17-year-old catcher (born September 4, 2008) from Panama who signed with the New York Mets as an international free agent in January 2026 for a $80,000 bonus.

Position: Catcher (C)

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Height/Weight: 5'11" / 195 lbs

He is a very recent signee and a low-level prospect in the Mets' system, acquired to add depth to their international/minor league catching pipeline. There is limited public scouting information or performance data available so far, as he is just beginning his professional career in the DSL.

Alex Rubinson - How Does Juan Soto Stack Up Among NL Outfield Elite?

MLB released its first update on its 2026 All-Star voting on Monday with the first round of voting set to close a week from today. After the first round ends, the top two players at each position (six in the outfield) will move onto the finalist round. 

With the All-Star Game about a month away, I will use this as a reminder that every one of the 30 teams must be represented. With the New York Mets sitting well below .500 as one of the most disappointing teams in baseball, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the National League team will not be littered with players from Queens. 

As it stands right now, it feels very clear that Juan Soto will be the team’s lone representative in the midsummer classic, but how does the $765 million man compare to his competition in the NL outfield? 

Soto currently ranks ninth in NL voting among outfielders, so he would fail to qualify for the final round of voting. Andy Pages, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Brandon Marsh are the leaders as of today with Michael Harris II, Teoscar Hernández and Jordan Walker rounding out the top six (James Wood and Corbin Carroll also are ahead of Soto). As usual, fans have gotten a couple of things correct, but it’s also clear that the voting process is still a popularity contest. 

Note: All statistics are as of this past Tuesday.

Despite missing time due to injury, Soto is having a very on brand season. The left-handed slugger is posting a .290/.389/.555 slash line. His .944 OPS is second among all NL outfielders. Based on that alone, Soto should certainly be in the top six in voting and potentially crack the starting lineup. Of course, the only player ahead of Soto in OPS is the man he was traded for in Wood. As mentioned above, Wood would also fail to even qualify for the final round in the fan vote. 

Soto might be getting penalized by his lack of games played. The corner outfielder has only appeared in 55 games. Although that’s not terrible, the vast majority of players ahead of him in the voting have been around or above 70 games played. Acuña Jr. is the outlier, having only appeared in 53 contests. 

If Acuña Jr. is second in voting, Soto should be right there with him and not be penalized with lack of games played. In fact, it’s even more impressive that Soto is tied with Pages in HRs among NL outfielders with 15. Only Ian Happ, Walker and the aforementioned Wood are ahead of Soto in that category. 

I don’t think players should be elevated or penalized based on the team they play for, but Soto’s numbers stand out even more when considering how disappointing the Mets offense has been. As New York has dealt with numerous injuries as well, Soto has not enjoyed any protection in the lineup. 

Soto’s patient approach has gone a long way towards his overall offensive output this season. Despite missing time due to injury, Soto is still eighth in walks among outfielders in his league. He has walked more than he has struck out, which shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, but it really is put in perspective when compared to the seven players ahead of him. Wood has the most walks among NL outfielders but has nearly 100 strikeouts on the season.

Even with the large strikeout numbers, it’s clear that Wood should be one of the starting outfielders when the NL takes the field in Philadelphia next month, but who should be awarded the other two spots? For the purposes of cutting down the field, let’s just take a look at the other eight in the voting update. 

Although he has the glamour and is currently tracking to cruise to the next round, I think we can rule out Acuña Jr. among players who should be in contention to start the All-Star Game and the same can be said for Hernández, who is currently on the injured list. Maybe, I am just being too nice and wanting someone to gain recognition for a breakout performance, but Walker’s breakout year is deserving of locking down one of the other slots. 

The St. Louis Cardinals late bloomer has the most hits among NL outfielders with an OPS north of .900. Hits and RBI might be things of the past, but Walker is the biggest reason St. Louis has been one of the biggest surprises in all of baseball. His baseball savant page is more red than the Cardinals’ city connect jerseys. 

That leaves just one more spot, and I’m going to rule out Pages. The Dodgers outfielder has been a huge boost with Mookie Betts and Kyle Tucker struggling mightily. He is tied with Walker when it comes to driving in runs, and definitely is deserving to make it as a reserve, but his slash line doesn’t compare favorably to the other top contenders. For most voters, people might lean towards Carroll, who is very deserving, but my last vote would go in an unorthodox direction. 

Mets fans might kill me for saying this, but I would actually lean towards Harris II. Harris II is currently hitting north of .300 with 14 bombs. I don’t have a problem with Soto grabbing the spot over the Braves centerfielder, but Harris has a nice balance of contact and power. Plus, he is in the 95th percentile in outs above average (it also doesn't hurt that Harris II can be the NL's centerfielder). Harris II is probably not the popular choice and doesn’t have the OPS numbers, but he has been a huge reason Atlanta has not missed a beat despite Acuña Jr. and Drake Baldwin being forced to miss time. 

The reserves in the NL will also be fascinating. Soto deserves to be one of them independent of likely being the Mets’ lone representative. After Soto, I would give the edge to Carroll and Marsh. Carroll currently has 35 extra-base knocks (including eight triples).

I also went with Marsh because his .324 average is refreshing in the year 2026. You could make the case that Jung Hoo Lee of the Giants is just as deserving due to an even higher average, but I gave Marsh the tiebreaker due to his OPS being over 40 points higher. If the NL does carry a seventh outfielder (they did so last year), Pages would be my pick. Pages had a great start to the year but has since cooled off. He is tied with Walker for the most RBI in all of baseball, but that is also aided by hitting behind Shohei Ohtani. 

The NL outfield is arguably the deepest position on the ballot this summer. That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise given the overall strength of the NL compared to the AL. Even if the Mets had multiple All-Star selections, Soto would be deserving regardless to make the final roster. Given he did miss time earlier in the season, I had a hard time putting him in as the starter, but based on my selections above, either he or Carroll should be the first man off of the bench.

Tom Brennan - Is Age Catching Up to Philly? Mets Win; Clifford Count Climbs

 

Even the great Lucas Duda lost his “fast twitch” in his early 30s.

Phillies-Mets tonight. Finally.

Thru Saturday, June 13, in “Phillie Ville”:

Yeah, everyone is in awe of Kyle Schwarber (age 33) having so many (24) home runs already. Launching missiles.

But he has very few runs scored (42), and RBIs (42), to show for it, and an incredible number of strikeouts (104 in 67 games).

He’s turned into another Adam Dunn, who “aged rapidly” after age 33.

Bryce Harper (age 33) is having a solidly decent year (.260/.369/.504), but it seems like age is catching up with him somewhat. His days of producing killer stats may be slowly and permanently receding.

Trea Turner (about to turn 33 later this month) is hitting .222, and maybe age is also catching up with him. A long way from his hitting a robust .328 in 2021. 106 points lower is a LONG way.

JT Realmuto (age 35) is hitting .210, with 15 RBIs and 15 runs in 48 games. He’s turned into just another Luis Torrens.

The only guy on the entire team that’s hitting impressively is age 28 Brandon Marsh (.328).

One guarantee for the aging Phillies on October 1? 

They will all be 3.5 months older.

As the Beatles once sang, “a little bit older, and a little bit slower”.

In a VERY fast-twitch game.

Ryan Howard was a Phillies beast, until he got into his 30s. In his 20s, in a 4 year stretch, he averaged 50 homers and 143 RBIs. But at age 32-36, he was very much diminished.

FAST TWITCH IS NOT OPTIONAL. FAST TWITCH DECLINES RAPIDLY.

Jose Reyes dropped 100 points from age 32 to age 35. 

Fast Twitch Jose lost his fast twitch.

The Phillies are losing theirs.

The Mets? They just make me twitch.

“I’d rather twitch than switch”? Don’t count on it.

METS WIN 9-1. 

Break up the Mets.

McLEAN THE ACE THREW A GREG MADDUX SPECIAL. 7 IP, 0 ER, 9K.

15 METS HITS. THREE APIECE FOR SOTO, BICHETTE, ALVAREZ.

BICHETTE CATAPULTS TO .254, HITTING .387 OVER LAST 15 GAMES.

But…

What is the deal, Mr. Stearns, with bringing this punchless dude Zach Short back in here? 

He goes 0-3, 2 Ks, and error. Today, it didn’t matter, but…

Short has been to the plate 644 times in his career. 

His career slash line is .171/.272/.290.  .171???

His offensive talent? He walks fairly often.

And his 22 MLB career errors are nothing special, so he is not Rey Ordonez.

Why? Don’t ask me. Frankly, I am coming up Short here.

CLIFFORD FANS TWO MORE TIMES

99 Ks. Just on June 17. 

Three months left to AAA season, which concludes on September 20.

How high is high?

MINOR LEAGUE SLUGGER OF THE DAY

FCL Mets infielder (9th rounder) Anthony Frobose, age 18, who smashed a 3 run jack, drove in 2 runs, and had 2 hits. 

Elian Peña (.264) had 3 hits, as runner-up, and the hot Mitch Voit (.237) had 2 of hitting challenged Brooklyn’s typical meager output of 5 hits.

RVH - Rethinking the Mets, Part 7: The Difference Between a Headline Team and a Championship Team

 

In Part 1, we argued that the Mets do not have an ambition problem. They have an execution problem.

In Part 2, we examined how slow starts create a pressure-amplification cycle that makes every season feel harder than it needs to be.

In Part 3, we explored how the Yankees learned to carry pressure through decades of organizational stability and trust.

In Part 4, we examined how the Braves built resilience through development, continuity, and replacement power.

In Part 5, we looked at how the Dodgers use resources to create flexibility and optionality.

In Part 6, we discussed how Citi Field, New York, and organizational history create a unique environment that requires a different approach.

That brings us to perhaps the most uncomfortable question in the entire series.

Have the Mets consistently built teams designed to win championships?

Or have they too often built teams designed to win the offseason?

There Is A Difference

The distinction matters.

Headline teams generate excitement.

Championship teams generate wins.

Sometimes they are the same thing.

Often they are not.

Headline teams are easy to identify.

Big names.

Big contracts.

Big announcements.

Strong offseason grades.

National attention.

Immediate excitement.

Championship teams are harder to identify because they are often built around things that are less exciting:

• Depth

• Balance

• Durability

• Athleticism

• Versatility

• Adaptability

One wins December.

The other wins baseball games.

The Cohen Era's Greatest Temptation

When Steve Cohen purchased the Mets, he immediately changed the organization's possibilities.

For the first time in franchise history, the Mets could realistically pursue almost any player in baseball.

That created a tremendous advantage.

It also created a tremendous temptation.

The temptation was to believe that accumulating talent automatically creates a championship team.

It does not.

A collection of stars is not necessarily a championship team.

In some cases, a collection of stars creates new vulnerabilities:

• Aging curves

• Injury exposure

• Defensive limitations

• Roster imbalance

• Reduced athleticism

• Reduced flexibility

Championship teams require something different.

They require fit.

Baseball Is Not Played On Paper

Many disappointing Mets teams have shared a common characteristic.

They looked better in March than they looked in July.

The projections loved them.

The headlines loved them.

The roster looked impressive.

Then the season started.

Why?

Because baseball does not reward the best collection of names.

Baseball rewards the best collection of complementary skills.

A roster is not a fantasy team.

It is an ecosystem.

Every strength creates demands elsewhere.

Every weakness eventually gets exposed.

The question is not:

"How many stars do we have?"

The question is:

"Can this roster survive 162 games?"

That is a very different conversation.

April And May Count Too

One of the most important lessons from this season, and perhaps from the entire Cohen era, is that too many Mets teams have behaved as though there is always time to figure things out later.

There isn't.

April counts.

May counts.

The standings do not care when wins occur.

An April loss counts exactly the same as a September loss.

For the Mets, early-season struggles often carry an additional cost.

As discussed in Part 2, they create a pressure cycle that affects everything that follows.

Expectations rise.

Frustration grows.

The media amplifies it.

Players press.

The season becomes heavier.

A slow start does not simply hurt the standings.

It changes the emotional trajectory of the season.

Which means roster construction must account for Opening Day, not just peak performance in August.

Championship teams are built to survive six months.

They are also built to start six months.

Citi Field Requires A Different Kind Of Team

This brings us back to Part 6.

If Citi Field rewards:

• Athleticism

• Defense

• Versatility

• Outfield range

• Run prevention

• Pitching depth

Then roster construction should reflect those realities.

Yet many Mets teams have leaned heavily toward:

• Aging sluggers

• Limited range

• Station-to-station offense

• Declining athleticism

Talent matters.

Environment matters too.

The best organizations build teams suited to where they actually play.

Not where they wish they played.

Championship Teams Assume Adversity

This may be the simplest distinction between a headline team and a championship team.

Headline teams assume things will go right.

Championship teams assume things will go wrong.

Injuries happen.

Players regress.

Prospects disappoint.

Bullpens fail.

Stars miss time.

Championship organizations build with those realities in mind.

The Yankees do.

The Braves do.

The Dodgers do.

They do not assume perfect outcomes.

They prepare for imperfect ones.

The Mets have too often constructed rosters that become fragile when adversity arrives.

That is not necessarily a talent problem.

It is a roster construction problem.

Athleticism Solves Problems

If there is one roster trait that repeatedly appears in successful organizations, it is athleticism.

Athletic teams create options.

They defend better.

They run better.

They adapt better.

They survive injuries better.

They survive slumps better.

They create multiple paths to victory.

Athleticism is not simply about stolen bases.

It is about flexibility.

It is about problem-solving.

It is about having more answers available when circumstances change.

The Braves understand this.

The Dodgers understand this.

Increasingly, the Yankees understand this.

The Mets appear to be moving in this direction as well, but the transition remains incomplete.

What The Mets Should Learn

The Yankees taught us about stability.

The Braves taught us about resilience.

The Dodgers taught us about flexibility.

Part 6 taught us that environment matters.

The next step is applying those lessons to roster construction.

Build teams that fit the ballpark.

Build teams that can withstand injuries.

Build teams that can compete from Opening Day.

Build teams with enough athleticism, depth, and versatility to absorb adversity.

Most importantly, build teams designed to win baseball games rather than headlines.

Because the organizations the Mets are trying to join rarely impress people for one winter.

They impress people for one decade.

That is the standard.

That is the challenge.

And that is where the next phase of the Cohen era must succeed.

---

Part 7 Thesis

Headline teams assume things will go right.

Championship teams assume things will go wrong.

The Mets have too often built rosters optimized for excitement rather than resilience.

The next step is building teams capable of winning from Opening Day through October, regardless of adversity.

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What We've Learned So Far

Part 1: The Mets do not have an ambition problem. They have an execution problem.

Part 2: The Mets' slow-start problem is not a standings problem. It is a pressure-amplification problem.

Part 3: The Yankees did not eliminate pressure. They learned how to carry it.

Part 4: The Braves win because they reduce randomness better than almost anyone else.

Part 5: The Dodgers do not use money to buy certainty. They use money to create flexibility.

Part 6: Championship organizations understand their environment and build around it.

Part 7: Headline teams assume things will go right. Championship teams assume things will go wrong.

---

Next: Part 8 – What the Mets Need to Become

The Yankees provide a model for stability.

The Braves provide a model for resilience.

The Dodgers provide a model for flexibility.

The Mets face a unique environment and have learned difficult lessons during the first six years of the Cohen era.

The final question is how all of those lessons come together into a practical roadmap for building the championship organization the Mets set out to become.