Mets Prospect Rankings, July 2026 Update: Little Changes After One Big Graduation

The 2026 New York Mets' month of June was one to forget. A 10-17 mark, highlighted by a seven-game losing skid that cost Carlos Mendoza his job, has the squad comfortably in the NL East's cellar. Fortunately, we can distract ourselves with an overview of the farm system, courtesy of our latest Top 20 Prospect Rankings.

As you wind down your Fourth of July festivities, do your best not to let the team's struggles get you down. Eat a burger, drink a beer (if 21+) and try to find hope while searching for AC. The names below will eventually take us to the promised land (fingers crossed).

Here are Grand Central Mets' updated Top 20 Prospect rankings. New additions to the list can be found in italics.

New York Mets Top 20 Prospect List

1. Jonah Tong - RHP, AAA (Previously No. 2)
2. Jack Wenninger - RHP, AAA (Previously No. 4)
3. Ryan Clifford - 1B, AAA (Previously No. 5)
4. Elian Pena - SS, A (Previously No. 3)
5. Nick Morabito - CF, AAA (Previously No. 7)
6. Jacob Reimer - 3B, AA (Unchanged)
7. Mitch Voit - 2B, A+ (Previously No. 8)
8. Jonathan Santucci - LHP, AA (Previously No. 9)
9. Zach Thornton - LHP, AAA (Previously No. 11)
10. Chris Suero - C, AA (Unchanged)
11. Will Watson - RHP, AA (Previously No. 13)
12. Wandy Asigen - SS, DSL Mets (Unchanged)
13. Eli Serrano III - OF, AA (Previously No. 14)
14. Randy Guzman - OF, A (Previously No. 15)
15. Dylan Ross - RHP, AAA (Previously No. 17)
16. Ryan Lambert - RHP, AAA (Unchanged)
17. Antonio Jimenez - 3B, A (Previously No. 18)
18. R.J. Gordon - RHP, AA (Previously No. 19)
19. Jonathan Pintaro - RHP, AAA (Previously No. 20)
20. Marco Vargas - SS, AA (Previously Unranked)

Six players moved up two spots in our rankings, while 12 either naturally climbed one single rung -- because of Ewing's departure -- or maintained their position. Only one player slipped down the board, and just one player pulled himself from the sea of the unranked.

The lack of movement, relatively speaking, doesn't allow us to glean much. The way this season has trended, though, we're likely to see one of the higher-end prospects make, or return, to the big-leagues at some point, even if their collective June showings leave A LOT to be desired.

No. 1: Jonah Tong - RHP, AAA (Syracuse)

Tong, 23, was extremely unlucky in his five MLB starts in 2025, where he rocked a 7.71 ERA against a 4.31 FIP across 18 2/3 innings. His 3.60 ERA in three MLB appearances this season spits in the face of a 5.11 FIP in 10 innings. Those underlying metrics, and Tong's seven walks in those frames, proved fortuitous. He posted a 6.50 ERA and issued 10 more free passes in 18 innings at Syracuse last month. 

Assuming New York trades Freddy Peralta at the trade deadline, there will be an opening in the Mets' rotation for the final two months of the season. Tong would be wise to get back to form if he wants to have the opportunity to showcase himself when that time arrives.

No. 2: Jack Wenninger - RHP, AAA (Syracuse)

If Tong had competition for filling Peralta's potentially vacated spot in August, it'd theoretically be from Wenninger. The 24-year-old started his first Triple-A campaign with a 1.51 ERA in 33 1/3 innings, but he has not sustained that production. Over his last 32 1/3 frames, his ERA is 6.45.

Overall, Wenninger's FIP (5.61, per Prospect Savant) is nearly two full runs worse than his season-long ERA of 3.84. His BB/9 (5.00) is comparable to Tong's (5.48 for Syracuse). New York would surely love to give both arms some run at season's end, but if neither can command the zone at Triple-A, it's hard to expect anything to change in the majors.

No. 3: Ryan Clifford - 1B, AAA (Syracuse)

Clifford recorded a .842 OPS in May, earning him a place on our MiLB Hitters of the Month list. His June OPS? An anemic .355 (yes, OPS -- his slash line, across 88 plate appearances, was .099/.207/.148). The culprit? A 40.9% strikeout percentage, up almost 12% from the prior month.

Barring a drastic change, the Mets are going to have innings and at-bats for younger players after the deadline. They're not going to give any of them to Clifford if he doesn't rebound from what we'll kindly call a June swoon.

No. 20: Marco Vargas - SS, AA (Binghamton)

Vargas was acquired from the Miami Marlins in a 2023 trade deadline deal -- along with Ronald Hernandez -- for David Robertson. The now 21-year-old made his Double-A debut earlier this year, but has played only 26 games with the Rumble Ponies due to injury. His last appearance, as of publishing, came on May 31.

One look at Vargas' Prospect Savant profile (seen above) shows he's a speedy, contact-first hitter. He has 10 triples and only six home runs in more than 1,000 MiLB plate appearances. 

Vargas doesn't swing at a ton of pitches, but when he does, he puts the bat on the ball. That approach, combined with his impressive speed and baserunning -- he's 12/12 on stolen base attempts this year -- could amount to something as he matures and goes through New York's system. He's a worthwhile addition to this list and could be a staple on it moving forward.