ANGRY MIKE
Ryan Clifford has been one of the hardest prospects to analyze who is currently ranked among the Mets top prospects. The raw talent is elite, as he has arguably the best power bat among Mets prospects and at times he can flat out carry an offense.
Unfortunately, prior to the 2025 season, Clifford simply hasn’t produced consistently enough to justify forecasting him as anything more than a platoon player.
The 2025 season proved Clifford not only has the chance to be an impact regular, but a true thumper in the middle of the batting order. After his customary slow start to the season, Clifford strung together the best months of his minor league career, hammering Eastern League pitching for pretty much the entire summer.
Mets brass re-assigned him to the Eastern League for the 2025 season, with one primary directive, attack earlier in the count. Mets coaches rave about Clifford’s mature approach at the plate, but they wondered if he was being too passive at times, which caused him to constantly fall behind in the count. Judging Clifford’s 2025 numbers, the Mets might have hit a bullseye with their assessment:
Clifford’s Stats -> Ahead in the Count: 218 PA
.308 BA | 16 HR | 1.295 OPS | .581 OBP | 85 BB
39% BB-Rate | 13% K-Rate
Clifford’s Stats -> Behind in the Count: 197 PA
.194 BA | 6 HR | 576 OPS | .205 OPS | 0 BB
14% BB-Rate | 37% K-Rate
Clifford’s production when “ahead in the count” are flat out eye-popping, providing a glimpse of Clifford’s future potential. Clifford showed flashes during the 2024 season, but it was great to see him produce consistently for months at time during the 2025 season. Clifford was also one of the more consistent hitters with RISP, which is sorely needed in Queens.
Clifford 2025 RISP Stats:
.260 BA | 8 HR | 69 RBI | .878 OPS | .391 OBP | 36 BB | 11 Doubles
Clifford 2025 Stats versus RHP: 443 Plate Appearances
.247 BA | 24 HR | 69 RBI | .876 OPS | .379 OBP | 75 BB | 18 Doubles
Despite posting an impressive 17% BB-Rate versus righties, his 25% K-Rate is something he will have to improve if he wants to prevent getting exposed by MLB pitchers. Clifford hit an impressive .290 versus lefties in 2024, only to hit .204 during the 2025 season, but the sample size was small enough to not justify being overly concerned.
Over the course of the last 2 seasons, he batted a respectable .236 across 182 at-bats versus lefties, with 7 homers and 10 doubles. Considering that was mostly against Double-A pitching and being well below the league average as far as age goes, there is optimism he can continue to improve his numbers against both righties and lefties.
2025 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:
Led all Mets Prospect's Homers 2024 & 2025 -> 29 (Career High)
Led all Mets Prospects RBI 2024 & 2025 -> 93 (Career High)
Led all Mets Prospects Walks 2024 & 2025 -> 85
Led all Mets Prospects -> 4 Multi-Homer games (Career High)
Led all Mets Prospects -> Reached Base at least once 107 Games
Reached Base 77% of GP -> 107 / 139 Games
32 Multi-hit games
61 games -> reached base multiple times 44% of total games
63 games -> drew at least 1 walk
21 Multi-RBI games
7-RBI game -> Grandslam & 3-Run HR
May - July -> 261 AB
Clubbed 18 Homers during this stretch
Drove in 67 RBI
Averaged 6 Homers & 20 RBI a month -> May - July
Batted -> .264
Respectable -> 24% K-Rate
Above average -> 16% BB-Rate
Clifford had an outstanding 2025 season, flashing the type of all-around ability that has Mets fans and Mets brass very excited about his future potential. Alonso’s departure means fans will be asking, “can he replace Alonso?”, and the answer is, “No.”
It is unreasonable to expect any of our young sluggers to replace Pete Alonso, who is arguably one of the best power hitters in the game. That’s not their job, nor should they be burdened with the expectations of having to replace Alonso. Their job is to continue developing into the best version of themselves, and if Clifford continues to improve, the best version of Clifford, will be a tremendous asset for the Mets lineup in the very near future.
Clifford’s offers more than just power potential, arguably among the best in the minors, he also has the ability to draw walks, and .300+ batting average when ahead of the count shows the potential to be more of complete hitter with more experience.
Clifford offers significantly more defensive upside than people think, because he has an ABSOLUTE CANNON for an arm, receiving a 70 scouting grade in 2024 by Baseball America. Carson Benge, Ronny Mauricio, and Luisangel Acuna are arguably the only players with the same caliber arm as Clifford, and it feels like a waste having him at 1B. That’s why the Mets have been giving him 50+ starts at corner outfield positions over the past 2 years, and he’s been more than serviceable at either RF or LF.
The 2026 season is going to be a pivotal year for the Mets as they try to rebound from a tough 2025, and their plan is to do so with a new nucleus of high-upside talent to pair their duo of stars, Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor. Clifford will start the season in Syracuse and will be among the first few players considered for a call-up at some point during the season.
Fans want to sign every free agent available in order to replace Brandon Nimmo and Alonso; that’s not only unrealistic, it’s also exactly what the Dodgers want us to do, so they could accomplish their goal of adding Tarik Skubal and Mackenzie Gore to their starting rotation without any competition.
The more players the Mets integrate into their starting lineup who are making pre-arbitration salaries, the more payroll flexibility that is created. The misconception that the Mets cannot remain competitive by integrating more young talent into their lineup is comical, especially considering the Bluejays literally came within two outs of winning the World Series by deploying the same type of youth movement.
Ryan Clifford remains one of the key pieces in a potential youth movement, his development continues to trend in the right direction. Providing hope of a finished product that gives the Mets an impact bat who can play first base or outfield.
Frankly, it’s time for the Mets to break their cycle of trying to use as many veterans as possible, and begin to start utilizing their impressive collection of prospects they have knocking on the door for a promotion.
Let the “Kids” play.
Let the “Kids” develop.
Watch the “Kids” finally end the World Series drought.
8 comments:
Mike,
Excellent analysis. Let the kids play in 2026 and be " locked and loaded" for 2027. It will not be easy, but it can work.
All for the kids moving forward that’s why try not to trade them away
Clifford apparently has Rusty Staub speed, so I am not sure first base is not his ultimate position. But a cannon arm helps his outfield chops.
The concept is noble, but “The Kids” all acclimate in different speeds - some sooner and some later. We have seen Baty take a while and do we know if he has really arrived? And Vientos is looked at as a failure, just because he had a slow start to last year… no one in baseball does that. Then, Stearns went and got a stiff in Mullins that took out Mauricio after he had just a great July and was getting his footing…. I mean, do these people really have the determination to let these kids develop and live through growing pains?
Gus, I think the answer to your question is no.
Clifford is the picture of a developing talent. His development needs to be further along before facing MLB level pitching. If his K-rate is high now, just wait until he faces more deceptive deliveries, more vertical and horizontal movement, and the pinpoint precision of major league pitching.
Clifford in 2025 hit just .204 vs. lefties. They should hire lefties to pitch to him in the off season.
I have high hopes for Clifford.......I think the Mets do, too. It may be one of the reasons they were willing to let Pete walk and they are going short term at first base with Polanco and/or whoever shares the position with him.
If Clifford is ready by 2027, Polanco is an excellent option for DH/bench depth.
Also, if Clifford is the future, they need to keep him at first base moving forward so he gets comfortable (we don't need another defensive liability over there). There's nothing wrong with a strong armed first baseman, when you still have a need for throws to other bases and/or plays at the plate.
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