Editors Note: As part of our efffort to provide Nationals Fans with the most up-to-date information about the minor leagues, we will compare fellow NL East teams' minor league systems to the Nationals farm system. For this article, we asked Ernest Dove, who covers the New York Mets minor leagues, to share his thoughts.

The Mets MiLB Farm System: Current Missteps and Future Prospects

The Mets farm system took a hit, quite literally in the 2024 MiLB season that is. Depending on personal rankings, you could argue that half of the organization’s top 10 prospects missed significant time this season due to injury. IF/OF Ronny Mauricio missed the entire season, and IF/CF Jett Williams, OF Drew Gilbert, IF Marco Vargas, and IF Jesus Baez all missed time throughout the season due to various injuries. Potential “Big Bopper” OF/1B prospect Ryan Clifford spent most of the season hovering around the .200 AVG mark with a high K rate but the ability to walk. However, he did not show any power, perhaps due to his time in High A Brooklyn, where the swirling winds are not kind to left-handed power bats.

The system came into 2024 with multiple top 10 and highly regarding pitching prospects entering the upper minors, but many struggled at the AAA level. Initially highly ranked arms RHP Mike Vasil, RHP Dom Hamel, and RHP Blade Tidwell seemed to all struggle at the highest level, perhaps a combination of factors from development, the difference in the feel of the baseballs to the ABS challenge system causing high walk rates. The bright spots were the emergence of former senior sign draft pick RHP Brandon Sproat (116.1 inn 87 H 131 K) and young RHP Jonah Tong (113 inn 85 H 160 K).

Consensus looking over the farm during the season saw issues with pitcher command and a system of bats collectively not showing any significant power numbers. However, many showed versatility, plate discipline, and speed, specifically in the low minors.

Going into the 2025 season, the Mets have decisions to make regarding multiple position players fielding similar spots on the field to go with similar affiliate-level projections and what to do overall position-wise with some of their top prospects. With IF/OF Luisangel Acuna electrifying the club in flashes to end the 2024 Mets MLB regular season, what role does he play, and at what position? Acuna plays the same three potential positions (2B/SS/CF) as Jett Williams, the equally highly regarded prospect with speed and pop despite being on the short side as far as height. How soon is too soon to call up RHP Brandon Sproat, the senior sign who, in his first pro season, managed five starts in A ball, 11 in AA, and finishing with seven starts (28.2 inn) with the AAA Syracuse Mets affiliate? His full potential and career may come down to command, something the 98+ MPH arm has dealt with since college. As their top pick in the 2024 draft, and as a college bat, what kind of jump can OF Carson Benge make in 2025? His short debut pro season included showing his power to the opposite field and a respectable 11/15 BB/K ratio in Low A in limited action. College two-way player Nolan McLean will begin 2025 solely as a pitcher, showing potential as a power arm. Coaches love McLean’s potential, but at this time, I’m not sure if there is a full consensus on his future as far as starter vs. reliever.

What will become of the Mets' overall 2023 trade deadline fire sale? Along with Acuna, acquired in the Max Scherzer trade, the Mets acquired Ryan Clifford and Drew Gilbert in the Justin Verlander trade. Can Clifford, perhaps best suited for 1B, morph into a true power bat and make enough contact? Can the excellent defending Gilbert surpass some of the recent rumblings across other prospect sites that may have him more as a good but not solid everyday outfielder?

In the lower minors, there is IF Jeremy Rodriguez, who, immediately after being acquired by the Mets for Tommy Pham, proceeded to put up Barry Bonds slash lines to end the 2023 MiLB season in the DSL, followed by an overall solid 2024 season stateside in the complex league. Initial concerns are about his overall glove and where that may take or move him up the levels. Personal favorites of mine include young infielders Jesus “Exit Velo” Baez and Boston “Jeff Mcneal” Baro, but showing ability sees pitches well. Baez, showing the power and barrel rate, was praised all season by multiple Mets staff internally, and Baro’s swing was exciting to watch. There's also speedy OF Nick Morabito, who seemed to be a video game stolen base threat every time he reached base but with rumblings of concerns for hit tool due to a lack of power/exit velo in his swing.

When comparing the Mets and the Washington Nationals' farm systems, you can’t help but notice the top 10 grouping of high first and second-round picks across the Nats’ rankings during their ongoing rebuilding process. Some of the top prospects like Brady House and Seaver King seem to, at least for now, be already entrenched at a particular position, while the Mets organization, perhaps out of necessity due to affiliate rosters, had almost every prospect up and down the farm playing 2+ positions throughout the season. The top-ranked Nats arms seem to collectively be longer to wait for than the Mets organization, who will enter the 2025 season with almost all of the top 5+ pitching prospects capable of starting the minor league season at the AAA level outside of young Jonah Tong.

Position by position, you can argue the OF spots are the most intriguing for both organizations, as the rankings are filled with highly regarded prospects not thriving in the box scores in 2024. On the pitching side, did the Nats steal one from the Mets in RHP Tyler Stuart? The college reliever has shown to be a solid and reliable SP who eats innings (110.2 in 2023, 122.1 in 2024). He has an assortment of up to 5 pitchers in his arsenal, which includes a highly raved-about slider and a new cutter taught to him in the past year by a Mets minor league coach. He’s known to get stronger as games go along, and towards end of season his velocity spiked higher, showing consistent ability to be a 94+ mph arm through later innings.

In recent years, advancements, including a new pitching lab and a much-praised new assortment of resources, including nutritional services, have spoiled Mets prospects and made them miss those resources in their new organizations. However, the Mets have enough in place to show further progress in the future. New front office head David Stearns has shown himself to be more aggressive in promoting prospects than any other prior front office I can think of in my 11+ years covering the Mets system.

The Changeover has continued throughout the 2024 season, with numerous staff through minors and scouting departments being let go, so there will be more changes ahead to finalize the group from top to bottom. At the end of the 2024 MiLB season, there are reports of multiple coaches being told they will not be returning to the organization. System-wide, the minor league Mets prospects, perhaps much like their major league counterparts, will have their work cut out for them in the command department regarding pitching. Who will improve pitch command, utilize the new pitches taught, and thrive?

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Over the past year, I’ve been told of countless pitching prospects being shown new pitches that mostly include the cutter and sweeper, including both lefty and righty arms throughout the lower minors. There’s also a strong emphasis on bats attacking the plate, focusing on power, slugging, and exit velo. Which players will shine in this philosophy of the system? With the Mets having Steve Cohen money and coming off a successful and still going MLB playoff season, how many prospects will be packaged in deals ahead?

I mentioned the number of players in similar positions with similar profiles, along with the Mets having up to four catching prospects in their top 30. And due to command issues, and with the 2024 major league emergence of RHP Jose Butto as a reliever, will the Mets begin to transition any of their top pitching prospects who struggled in AAA to the pen? Regardless of what happens, I will be there every step of the way, providing updates and interviewing players.

For example, please check out my interview earlier in the 2024 season with Nationals pitching prospect Tyler Stuart.