Braden Ramsey

Image courtesy of Hank Layton/WholeHogSports The 2026 MLB Draft offered the league's 30 franchises the opportunity to add its next wave of stars. This year, the New York Mets had a clear plan to add pitching depth to the organization. They accomplished that goal by spending 13 of their 19 selections -- and six of their first seven choices -- on collegiate arms. In all, New York utilized nearly half its picks (9) on players from college baseball's consensus top conference (SEC). The Mets only dipped into the high school ranks for two players, including a catcher in the 13th round that easily could have been selected much earlier. No matter where these players were chosen, or where they were plucked from, they're now on the same team, competing together and against one another for the same goal: to reach the majors. Let's break down the totality of the New York Mets' 2026 draft class: Round 1, Pick No. 27: Carson Wiggins, RHP - Arkansas Wiggins did not play for the Razorbacks in 2026 due to injury. The prior year, he racked up 20 strikeouts in 14 innings out of the bullpen. He is the 16th Arkansas player, and seventh Hogs' pitcher, to be a first-round MLB Draft choice. He now has bragging rights over his brother, Jaxon, who went No. 68 overall (Chicago Cubs) in the 2023 MLB Draft. Round 3, Pick No. 92: Aiden Robbins, OF - Texas The Mets surely had more access to watch Robbins in-person when he was at Seton Hall in 2024 and 2025. He was unfazed by the higher caliber of competition the SEC offered, posting a .333/.426/.696 slash line (1,122 OPS) for the Longhorns in 2026. Round 4, Pick No. 120: Shane Sdao, LHP - Texas A&M Sdao is a rarity in college sports these days, having stayed an Aggie for his entire collegiate career. His ERA ballooned to a 7.07 last season, but he still tallied 83 strikeouts across 71 1/3 innings. For an extended read of the Mets' first three draft choices, click here. Round 5, Pick No. 152: Luke McNeillie, RHP - Florida McNeillie's 18 appearances in 2026 were his fewest in any single campaign as a Gator. His 3.97 ERA, though, was the best of his career. Forty-eight strikeouts in 34 frames is also far from shabby. Round 6, Pick No. 181: Alex Petrovic, RHP - Auburn Through two years on The Plains, Petrovic made 14 appearances (5 starts) for the Tigers. He made 17 starts in year three, producing a 92:24 K:BB ratio and 10-2 record across 92 2/3 innings. Like McNeillie, his college-best ERA (3.21) came in 2026. Round 7, Pick No. 210: Aidan Keenan, RHP - Stanford Keenan functioned as a reliever in 2025, but six of his seven appearances in 2026 were starts. His best outing of the season came versus Cal State Fullerton, against whom he fired six innings of one-hit ball against on Feb. 21. Round 8, Pick No. 240: Landon Koenig, RHP - Ole Miss The ERA for Koenig (6.35) doesn't jump off the page, but 33 punchouts in 22 2/3 frames does. The North Dakota native posted a career WHIP of 1.77, though, hinting that he'll need to focus on his command if he wants to rise through the system. Round 9, Pick No. 270: Ryan Tayman, C - Cal Poly Tayman earned Co-Big West Player of the Year honors last season behind a .357/.447/,.672 slash line and 38 extra-base hits. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament's Los Angeles Regional after hitting .500 to lead the Mustangs to the Super Regionals. Round 10, Pick No. 300: Nate Isler, RHP - Dartmouth At 6-foot-6, Isler holds a big presence on the bump. He tossed at least six frames in seven of 11 starts for Big Green a season ago, including a game against Columbia where he went 9 2/3 innings. Dartmouth got the win that day, but he had a no-decision. Round 11, Pick No. 330: Kuhio Aloy, OF - Arkansas Aloy took a step back in 2026, as his OPS dropped more than 100 points (.943 to .838). We don't mention this to bash him; in fact, it's the opposite. The Mets helping him regain his 2025 form would be quite the coup this late in the draft. Round 12, Pick No. 360: AJ Krodel, RHP - UC Santa Barbara Jackson Flora was the Gauchos' headliner last year, but Krodel led the team in appearances (25). Each of those outings were in relief, but his four-pitch mix -- fastball, changeup, sweeper and curveball -- suggests there's starting potential in his arm. Round 13, Pick No. 390: Jacob Madrid, C - Notre Dame High School Madrid, New York's first high school selection, is an Oregon commit. The 6-foot-5 backstop was MLB.com's No. 171 draft prospect and is lauded for an "advanced" defensive package, which scouts believe give him a high floor. Madrid hails from the same high school as big leaguers Hunter Greene and Giancarlo Stanton. Round 14, Pick No. 420: Zach Crotchfelt, LHP - Troy Crotchfelt ranked second on the Trojans in appearances (29) and ERA (3.49) last year. His efforts helped Troy reach the College World Series for the first time. In Omaha, he recorded the final three outs of the program's first CWS victory, a 12-8 win over Ole Miss. Round 15, Pick No. 450: Dustin Hagens Jr., RHP - Missouri-St. Louis You probably haven't seen Hagen twirl a baseball before, considering he's a Division-II player. He posted a 3.89 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings for the Tritons. Nine of his 18 walks came in his first three appearances (10 IP). The Mets hope the strides he made in that area will stick. Round 16, Pick No. 480: Gavin Guidry, RHP - LSU A back injury sidelined Guidry for the entirety of 2025. Prior to his ailment (2022-24), he pitched his way to a 3.23 ERA. He got back into the swing of things by striking out 59 batters in 43 2/3 innings this year. Round 17, Pick No. 510: Cooper Dossett, RHP - Arkansas Dossett is the third Razorback of this New York draft class. He allowed seven earned runs in his first two appearances of 2026, but yielded just six in the 14 appearances that followed. Round 18, Pick No. 540: Marcus Ward, OF - Kings Ridge Christian High School Ward, the second high school draftee of the Mets, is a Western Carolina commit. There's optimism that he'll be able to play center field because of his speed. As a hitter, he projects to have more of a contact tool than true power stroke. Round 19, Pick 570: John Smith III, OF - UCF Smith was a second-team All-Big 12 choice in 2026 thanks to a .322/.383/.574 slash line. He paced the Knights with 49 RBIs, seven of which came in a doubleheader against Utah. That day, he went 7-for-11 (.636) with three home runs. Round 20, Pick 600: Kooper Schulte, SS - Iowa Schulte spent time at two community colleges -- Central Arizona and Southeastern -- before latching on at Iowa in 2024. Last season, he homered twice in a game against Nebraska and led the Hawkeyes with 18 doubles. View full article

He was someone I considered as an honorable mention; he raised his OPS more than 140 points from May to June. 11 extra-base hits! As you mentioned, the K% is an issue. But, at only 22, he still has plenty of time to grow in that department. Definitely an intriguing player to follow. I appreciate the kind words on the analysis. Glad you enjoyed the piece!

Image courtesy of © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Breaking news: hot boy summer is in full swing. You hadn't noticed? Well, if April showers brought May flowers, the June heat gave the New York Mets' farm system a heartbeat. Sometimes, it's a struggle to find players to talk about in this space, but we're overflowing with options this month. Yonny Hernandez provided a .931 OPS, with nine doubles and a 10:9 K:BB ratio, at Triple-A Syracuse; meanwhile, 2024 sixth-round pick Corey Collins posted 18 RBI and a .409 OBP for High-A Brooklyn. Normally, they'd get their own section. Instead, they're honorable mentions. The guys below? They CRUSHED it. Monthly stats referenced are from milb.com at the player's listed level. Prospect Rankings are from Grand Central Mets. Ranking Mets' Best Minor League Hitters from June 4. Nick Morabito - AAA (Syracuse, No. 5 Prospect) If you read our latest prospect ranking update, you know that June was not the... strongest month, we'll say, for the Mets' top three prospects. Thankfully, Morabito stood out as a better-performing higher-end farmhand. In May, his OBP (.344) was higher than his slugging percentage (.342). He changed that in June. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 24 (92) .304/.390/.478 (.868) 9 (3) 18 7 The 23-year-old -- whose sprint speed is in the 96th percentile, per Prospect Savant -- also went 11-for-11 on stolen base attempts last month. He could have dwelled on his 12 plate appearance, nine-strikeout sample with the big-league club (May 19-25) when he returned to Syracuse. Instead, he got back on the horse. Another opportunity in New York could be right around the corner. 3. Mitch Voit - High-A (Brooklyn, No. 7 Prospect) Prior to June, Voit hadn't posted a month in MiLB with an OPS greater than .700 (min. 5 games). Something clicked for the No. 38 overall pick of the 2025 MLB Draft last month, though, which allowed him to produce the best 20-game stretch of his brief career. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 21 (82) .305/.426/.476 (.902) 8 (3) 19 13 Voit tallied 44 strikeouts and 15 walks combined across April and May. In June, he recorded 13 of each. Maintaining the latter ratio could be the key for him getting to Binghamton by season's end. 2. JT Benson - High-A (Brooklyn) Benson was our top MiLB Hitter of the Month in May. He has raked from the moment he arrived in the Mets' system earlier this year. His promotion from St. Lucie didn't change a thing. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 19 (66) .288/.405/.652 (1.057) 12 (5) 14 14 The Louisville product earned his step-up in competition after 33 games at Single-A. His OPS in those contests was .939. His OPS through 33 games at Brooklyn? A nearly identical .938. He has all the momentum in the world right now; there's no telling when (if?) his train will stop chugging right on down the tracks. 1. Nick Lorusso - AA (Binghamton) You can't knock Lorusso for anything in June. The 2023 ninth-round pick (Maryland) led all qualifying Rumble Ponies in just about everything, including hits, home runs, RBIs, average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The only thing he didn't do was hit a triple. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 19 (73) .315/.398/.616 (1.014) 12 (5) 14 18 Lorusso's OPS, which he raised a whopping .337 points from May, was eighth-best in the Eastern League for the month of June. He pulled off a similar feat last year, going from a .618 OPS in June to a .984 OPS in July. This time, he's hoping to avoid the .461-point OPS drop that followed his 2025 outburst. But no matter what transpires for him going forward, he'll always be our June 2026 MiLB Hitter of the Month. Honorable Mentions: Yonny Hernandez (AAA, Syracuse), Corey Collins (High-A, Brooklyn) View full article

Image courtesy of © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images 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. View full article

Image courtesy of © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Entering action this past weekend, the New York Mets' offense ranked 29th in hitting fWAR (3.0) this season, ahead of only the Colorado Rockies (2.8). That's not exactly where anyone thought it'd be when the team took the field on Opening Day. The struggles plaguing the big-league club have traversed their way through the Mets' system. Despite this, there were a handful of players who avoided such problems. One of the team's best prospects took big strides, and a career minor-leaguer improved his April OPS by more than 50 percent. Neither of them, though, compete with the man on top of the podium, who *checks notes* wasn't in MLB/MiLB on New Year's Day. Monthly stats referenced are from milb.com at the player's listed level. Prospect rankings are from Grand Central Mets. Ranking Mets' Best Minor League Hitters from May 3. Ryan Clifford - AAA (Syracuse, No. 5 Prospect) Clifford, the second player who came to New York -- along with current San Francisco Giants outfielder Drew Gilbert -- in the Mets' trading of Justin Verlander back in 2023, has steadily risen through the club's minor league system since that deal. He paced Syracuse in runs and home runs last month. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 27 (103) .233/.308/.534 (.842) 14 (8) 23 18 The .842 OPS Clifford posted in May was 54 points higher than his April OPS (.786). His strikeout percentage also dropped nearly seven percent (35.8% to 29.1%) month over month. When Clifford first came to New York, the outlook as a first baseman with the MLB team looked bleak. There's an opportunity now, though, for him to establish himself as the team's long-term solution at the position. Once he demonstrates the improvements he made in May are legitimate, he could find himself on the big-league roster. 2. Jose Ramos - AA (Binghamton) Ramos, 25, has bounced around the minor leagues for years. He initially signed a minor-league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers at age-18. He elected free agency after the 2025 season and inked a deal with New York. Eventually, he was assigned to Binghamton. There, he proved April showers -- a .580 OPS -- do indeed bring May flowers. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 24 (84) .262/.392/.476 (.868) 8 (5) 13 18 A .288 month-to-month improvement in OPS? That will play. Ramos' batting average on balls in play (BABIP) going from .189 in April to .321 in May certainly aided this. However, when you consider Ramos' career BABIP over nearly 2,700 MiLB plate appearances is .327, you're inclined to believe April was an aberration. Let there be flowers in June, July and beyond. 1. JT Benson - A/High-A (St. Lucie/Brooklyn) Benson, a 24-year-old outfielder out of Louisville, wasn't in a farm system on Jan. 1. He spent 2025 with the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League after going undrafted the prior season. The Mets signed him in March and promptly assigned him to St. Lucie. He wasted little time getting acclimated to that setting. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 13 (48) .292/.370/.667 (1.037) 10 (2) 7 9 The above numbers earned Benson a promotion to Brooklyn on May 19. His OPS there last month (.697 in 10 games) isn't as sparkling as it was in St. Lucie, but it's far from terrible. And his strikeout percentage is nearly five percent lower (28.2% from 33.3%) despite the rise in competition. For a guy who literally was not in an MLB system until roughly 90 days ago, Benson's start has been mighty impressive. His speed -- 24 steals in 80 games for the Otters, four triples and four steals at St. Lucie -- makes him a really intriguing prospect. It could carry him further than anyone expected. Honorable Mentions: Ronald Hernandez (High-A, Brooklyn), Jamari Baylor (A-St. Lucie/High-A, Brooklyn) View full article

Image courtesy of © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images It's no secret that the New York Mets' 2026 season, thus far, has been defined by a lack of offense. Meanwhile, the pitching staff has done all it can to help the team tread water. Jonah Tong got the opportunity to assist with that mission over the last few weeks. Unfortunately, he provided mixed results and was shuttled back to Syracuse earlier this week. There are only two other arms in the Top 10 of our Prospect Rankings here at Grand Central Mets, both of whom were solid, if unspectacular, during May. A quick dive into the Mets' system's depths, though, gives a glimpse of what could be coming down the pipe. Monthly stats referenced are from milb.com at the player's listed level. Pitchers eligible for inclusion on this list must have pitched at least 10 innings. Prospect ranks are from Grand Central Mets. Ranking Mets' Best MiLB Pitchers in May 3. Jonathan Pintaro - AAA (Syracuse, No. 20 Prospect) Pintaro, who made his MLB debut in June 2025, returned to the MLB roster last month and produced as well as anyone could have hoped. In 3 2/3 innings for the big-league club, he didn't allow a hit, struck out three batters and walked only one. G (GS) IP H R (ER) K/BB 8 (0) 10.2 4 6 (4) 17/5 Prior to his promotion, the 28-year-old right-hander was carving up opponents for Triple-A Syracuse. A home run allowed in his first game back with Syracuse sent him tumbling to a still strong 3.38 ERA, and his WHIP (0.84), BAA (.111) and K/9 (14.34) were all excellent. It wouldn't be shocking to see him back in Queens sooner than later. 2. Hunter Hodges - High-A (Brooklyn) The Mets signed Hodges, 23, as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 MLB Draft. The TCU product sparkled as a reliever his final year in college, posting a 1.86 ERA, 33 strikeouts and 13 walks in 19 1/3 innings. He moved from St. Lucie to Brooklyn after 29 appearances in 2025 and absolutely dominated the South Atlantic League this May. G (GS) IP H R (ER) K/BB 9 (0) 11.2 4 1 (0) 20/4 Hodges' biggest issue has been command. His BB/9 stood at 6.1 with the Horned Frogs in 2024 and at 7.1 across the minors in 2025. Last month, though, he pulled it down to 3.1. If this proves not to be an aberration, Hodges will be primed to take another step through the organization and could appear on the MLB radar. 1. Channing Austin - High-A (Brooklyn) Austin, like Hodges, was an undrafted free agent in 2024. The former USC Trojan was unlike Hodges, though, in that his final collegiate season lacked flair. His ERA before signing with the Mets was 6.28, with 17 strikeouts and 15 walks in 14 1/3 innings. It's hard to fathom those numbers came from the same person who made mincemeat of opposing hitters last month. G (GS) IP H R (ER) K/BB 4 (4) 21.2 10 2 (2) 30/9 Austin, a Brooklyn native, had three starts with 5-plus innings pitched and no earned runs in May. The lone start in which he didn't reach either threshold, he struck out 10 in 4 1/3 innings. His monthly numbers? A patently absurd 0.83 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, .133 BAA and 12.46 SO/9. The 24-year-old's incredible stretch earned him a promotion to Double-A Binghamton on May 26. His final start for his hometown minor league team saw him go 6 2/3 innings with one hit, one walk and eight strikeouts. Austin is quickly gaining steam and is set to become a big name in national circles once he starts treating the Eastern League the same way he treated High-A. Honorable Mentions: Douglas Orellana (AA-Binghamton), Nicolas Carreno (A-St. Lucie) View full article