The New York Mets have always been known for producing pitching at a high level. From Matt Harvey to Zack Wheeler, Jacob deGrom, and Noah Syndergaard, it’s fair to say that New York has a knack for pitching. At the present moment, the club has made its farm strength much more offensive and has produced some fairly talented position players including Michael Conforto, Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Dominic Smith, and Brandon Nimmo.
Currently, some big bats are on the rise including Francisco Alvarez, Ronny Mauricio, and Brett Baty. The Mets also boast immense talent on the pitching end with Matt Allan, J.T. Ginn, and Thomas Szapucki all progressing consistently. New York recently had David Peterson, a top lefty pitching prospect graduate after a fairly impressive rookie season, despite skipping Triple-A. The Mets also sent away Andres Gimenez, Josh Wolf, and Isaiah Greene to Cleveland for Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco. This was a blow of sorts to the farm but the Mets still have a nice stable core.
The Mets farm is right around the middle of the pack in terms of depth and has a chance to shoot up with some breakout seasons. Players like Jaylen Palmer, Mark Vientos, Junior Santos, Carlos Cortes, and Tony Dibrell have a shot at really establishing their prospect value and putting themselves on the map. This season the Mets may look for some contributions from players like Szapucki, Sam McWilliams, Khalil Lee, and others down the stretch.
Make sure to check out all of our other MLB Team Top Prospects.
1. Francisco Alvarez – C
Scouting grades
Hit: 60
Power: 65
Run: 35
Arm: 65
Field: 65
Overall: 65
The Mets signed Alvarez as one of their two prized signings in the 2018 international signing period. Still just 19-years-old, Alvarez is very advanced for his age despite playing under 50 minor league games. His defense has been lauded by major leaguers after playing at the Mets alternate site and his bat is almost developed. Alvarez has the potential to be an All-Star catcher once all is said and done. The Mets employ James McCann who is starting out his first year of a four-year contract but Alvarez may be ready in time for year three. The Mets will likely cross that bridge and be happy to have the backlog problem at catcher for the first time in a while.
ETA: 2023
2. Matthew Allan – RHP
Scouting grades
Fastball: 70
Curveball: 60
Changeup: 60
Control: 60
Overall: 65
When the Mets selected Allan in the third round of the 2019 draft, there were some signability questions. Allan was a first-round talent high-school arm with a college commitment. The Mets were able to entice the young righty into signing for first-round money. Allan has a plus fastball that can reach 98 miles-per-hour. He pairs that fastball with a super-advanced curveball and an above-average changeup to absolutely dominate hitters. Over spring training, Allan has spent time alongside deGrom and one may be able to see some similarities between the two. Allan should move extremely fast through the system once the season gets underway.
ETA: 2021
3. Pete Crow-Armstrong – OF
Scouting grades
Hit: 60
Power: 45
Run: 60
Arm: 50
Field: 70
Overall: 60
Crow-Armstrong was one of the best players in the 2020 draft class. This wasn’t because of some light-tower power or crazy hitting ability. This was because of his big-league caliber defense. Many scouts have dubbed the Los Angeles native ready for the majors with his defense. He also boasts a powerful arm to gun down runners. Pair that with his speed, all Crow-Armstrong needs on offense to be successful is a decent hit tool. He sure does possess that and even has a little pop in his bat. If Crow-Armstrong can polish up what he has at the moment, the league should watch out for a new premier centerfielder before too long. Expect him to be ready with a season and a half of learning.
ETA: 2022
4. Ronny Mauricio – SS
Scouting grades
Hit: 55
Power: 60
Run: 45
Arm: 60
Field: 55
Overall: 55
When the Mets signed Mauricio in 2018, there was a lot of work to be done. That work has seemed like clockwork, with the shortstop being ranked the team’s top prospect in back-to-back seasons. With a bat beyond his years and some flashy defense, Mauricio will be part of a major league infield for years to come. He is a mature switch hitter with great opposite field ability to add to his impressive talents. The Dominican native will have to cut down the strikeouts but the overall body of work by Mauricio is impressive. He can be expected to play in Double-A by the end of the season and an ETA of 2023 is a safe number.
ETA: 2023
5. J.T. Ginn – RHP
Scouting grades
Fastball: 65
Slider: 60
Changeup: 55
Control: 50
Overall: 55
Ginn is one of the rare players to be a top-60 pick not once but twice. In 2018 the Dodgers couldn’t meet Ginn’s asking price, sending the young righty back to college. In 2020, the Mets were able to snag the righty in the second round as he had just undergone Tommy John surgery and was rehabbing. His fastball can reach triple digits and has a great sink. The slider that Ginn employs is just as nasty as his fastball and can fool hitters. He also has a changeup that is developed to tunnel with the fastball and slider, further keeping the hitters off-balance. Once he is done with his rehab, Ginn should fly through the minors and make an impact as soon as 2022.
ETA: 2022
One may say that there are a few snubs for the top five and they are absolutely correct. The Mets finally have an array of prospects at a high level and many deserve to be mentioned here. Players like Brett Baty (3B), Mark Vientos (SS, 3B, 1B), Thomas Szapucki (LHP), and Kahlil Lee (CF) all could jump into the top five and a few may even be able to make an impact this season.
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