Braden Ramsey

Image courtesy of © Jim Rassol-Imagn Images The New York Mets' MiLB hitters put on a show in August. Their collective performance made it difficult to separate players for our August MiLB Hitters of the Month article. Thankfully, a good group of pitchers gave us the same chore. In August, a handful of Mets starters and relievers put together strong showings. The most encouraging uptick in production came from GCM's No. 1 prospect, Jonah Tong. Were his numbers good enough to claim the top spot in our rankings, though? Let's find out. 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 Rankings are from Grand Central Mets. Ranking Mets' Best MiLB Pitchers in August 3. R.J. Gordon - AA (Binghamton) Gordon, New York's 13th-round draft pick (No. 383 overall) in 2024, has been with the Rumble Ponies for a full calendar year now. His best month in Binghamton was August 2025, where he took Double-A by storm with a 2.08 ERA and 42:9 K:BB ratio in 34 2/3 innings. Prior to August 2026, he had not posted an ERA below 4.00 in any single month since then. G (GS) IP H R (ER) K/BB 5 (5) 29.0 7 10 (7) 27/10 Injuries played a role in Gordon's early-season struggles. He started finding himself again in July, then fully strut his stuff last month. His 2.17 ERA, .198 batting average against and 1,07 WHIP, with a strong September, could push him to Triple-A to begin the 2027 campaign. 2. Nicolas Carreno - High-A (Brooklyn) The Mets added an 18-year-old Carreno in a swap for Josh Walker back in 2024. Now 20 years old, the lefty twirler joined the Cyclones on June 11, two days after cracking the two-decade threshold. Growing pains defined his first six weeks at High-A, but he got himself acclimated well in August. G (GS) IP H R (ER) K/BB 4 (4) 23.0 12 4 (3) 27/11 Like most young hurlers, Carreno needs to rein in his command (5.58 BB/9 this season). Posting a 1.00 WHIP -- and 1.17 ERA -- for August despite 11 walks demonstrates the filth of his repertoire. He's a fun, under-the-radar piece of clay in this organization. 1. Jonah Tong -- AAA (Syracuse, No. 1 Prospect) Tong desperately needed August 2026. New York's top prospect opened the month by allowing five solo shots versus the Columbus Clippers (not great). In the four starts that followed, he yielded just 11 hits and two earned runs across 21 1/3 innings. G (GS) IP H R (ER) K/BB 5 (5) 26.1 16 8 (7) 26/11 For those curious, that's a 0.84 ERA. Tong's command woes can still flare up, but he walked only six hitters in his final three starts and followed those games with a solid line -- 5.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R (4 ER), 1 BB, 7 K -- in his return to the majors on Sept. 7. He earned his second-ever MLB win (and first as a starter) with that effort, and our MiLB Pitcher of the Month honors for his Triple-A dominance. Honorable Mentions: Ryan Dollar (High-A Brooklyn), Ernesto Mercedes (A-St. Lucie), Zach Franklin (AAA-Syracuse), Tobias Myers (AAA-Syracuse) View full article

Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Throughout July and into August, the New York Mets' minor-league system received a major influx of talent, courtesy of the MLB Draft and trade deadline. This gave fans a bevy of new names to latch on to for the future. Well, one month later, the early returns are... pretty good! Players across every level of the organization mashed baseballs throughout August. Most of those players are in the upper echelon of the Mets' prospect rankings, which was nice to see. However, strong August numbers weren't exclusive to the highly-regarded club. Five honorable mentions and five ranked players gives you a strong group to study as we enter the true dog days of the big-league season. 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 August 5. Jose Ramos – OF, AAA (Syracuse) Ramos was our Hitter of the Month runner-up in May while at Double-A Binghamton. He finally reached AAA for New York in early August, then raked once he got there. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 20 (65) .277/.382/.523 (.905) 8 (3) 13 8 The 25-year-old Ramos has more than 2,500 career MiLB at-bats. He has grinded his way through the minors for six years and is just one step away from The Show. Prospects with his MiLB journey are the kinds of guys you want to root for in your system. 4. Chris Suero – C, AA (Binghamton, No. 13 Prospect) Talk about Jekyll and Hyde. Suero, the Mets' top catching prospect, had an .868 OPS in June, then a .642 OPS in July. He rebounded in August, posting a nearly-identical-to-June slash line. In fact, his batting average and slugging percentage were the exact same in the two months. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 23 (80) .250/.386/.500 (.886) 10 (5) 17 15 Suero didn't lead the Rumble Ponies in any single category during August, but that had more to do with the quality of hitting across the board in Binghamton last month than anything else. The speed he possesses (nine steals in August) gives him such a high ceiling. If he can put all the pieces together, he could be something special. 3. Aidan Smith - OF, High-A (Brooklyn) Smith landed in Brooklyn after the Tampa Bay Rays shipped him to New York in the Freddy Peralta trade. The 2023 fourth-round pick subsequently raised his July OPS more than 200 points with the Cyclones. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 18 (69) .319/.429/.565 (.994) 7 (5) 17 10 Can a guy make a better first impression? I doubt it. Smith's .319 batting average and .429 OBP were team-highs among players with 10 games played for Brooklyn in August. The better he performs, the smarter the Mets will look for dealing Peralta, even after selling low on him. 2. Jefferson Rojas – SS, AA (Binghamton, No. 14 Prospect) The last time New York and Chicago's NL team made a major deadline deal, the Mets gave up Pete Crow-Armstrong for Javier Baez (apologies for the reminder). New York is hoping to recoup some of that value in Rojas, who the Cubs coughed up in exchange for Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 21 (86) .279/.326/.605 (.931) 13 (7) 18 25 Rojas paced the Rumble Ponies -- and tied for the Eastern League lead -- in RBIs for August. There's a reason some publications consider him the top MiLB player in New York's organization. He's someone fans hope they'll see in Queens next season. 1. Mitch Voit – SS, AA (Binghamton, No. 4 Prospect) The Mets' 2025 first-round pick went BONKERS in August. His 27 runs were tops among Rumble Ponies and five more than any other Eastern League player tallied last month. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 19 (75) .400/.489/.600 (1.089) 11 (2) 27 15 Voit fell just short of qualifying for rate stats last month. Among players taking at least 75 at-bats, though, he ranked first in batting average and OBP while slotting fourth in slugging percentage. Even with Rojas as one of the three men in front of him in that category, he's the runaway MiLB Hitter of the Month for August. Honorable Mentions: D'Andre Smith (AAA/AA, Syracuse/Binghamton), Kevin Parada (AA, Binghamton), Corey Collins (AA, Binghamton), Yonatan Henriquez (High-A, Brooklyn), Elian Pena (No. 3 Prospect; Single-A St. Lucie) View full article

Image courtesy of © Jim Rassol-Imagn Images The New York Mets' 2026 campaign has not been defined by a lack of pitching. Through the trade deadline, the team ranked 12th in the league in ERA. While not exceptional, that looks pretty dang good when compared to what's happening with the bats. New York hopes it addressed its future offensive concerns at the trade deadline (hello, Jefferson Rojas and others). Its future rotation and bullpen, though, feels like it's in great shape, even as the two most-heralded arms in their system struggle with their command. 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 rankings are from Grand Central Mets. Ranking Mets' Best MiLB Pitchers in July 4. Noah Hall - High-A (Brooklyn) Hall posted a 2.72 ERA in 25 games (21 starts) for the Cyclones in 2025. The 2023 seventh-round pick failed to carry that momentum into 2026, posting monthly ERAs of 5.32, 7.84 and 5.24 to open the season. Then, in July, he locked in. G (GS) IP H R (ER) K/BB 4 (2) 23.1 9 1 (1) 30/10 I'd be impressed if you put up those numbers pitching to your kids in the backyard, let alone at High-A. Opposing hitters batted just .115 against Hall last month. That, a 0.39 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 11.57 K/9 rate earned him a promotion to Double-A Binghamton on July 28. 3. Garrett Stratton - AA (Binghamton) The third-to-last pick (No. 613 overall) in the 2025 MLB Draft has been dominant during his first full minor-league season. Stratton's lone MiLB frame post-draft was enough for him to open this year in Brooklyn. He went through the usual hiccups in April and May, but has been otherworldly from June onward, tallying 36 strikeouts to just two walks in 18 appearances. G (GS) IP H R (ER) K/BB 9 (0) 11.2 7 5 (3) 15/1 Stratton's ERA (2.31 in July) was better in June (1.32). However, he lowered his batting average against more than 80 points (.245 to .163) month over month, giving him a minuscule 0.69 WHIP. Whether you believe his June or July was better, there's no disputing his credentials for placement on this list. 2. Jonathan Santucci - AA (Binghamton, No. 6 Prospect) Santucci, the highest-ranked left-handed starter in New York's pipeline, made what he likely hopes are the final Double-A starts of his career in July. The 2024 second-round pick from Duke got two more outs last month than he did in June despite making one fewer start, and significantly improved his K/9 rate (10.23 to 14.69) in the same span. G (GS) IP H R (ER) K/BB 4 (4) 22.2 14 9 (7) 37/10 Jonah Tong has not posted a BB/9 rate below 5.00 in any month of MiLB play this year. Jack Wenninger's lowest rate, 4.84, came in April. Santucci now has two months with a rate lower than 4.00 after July's 3.97 clip. Five walks across four innings in his Triple-A debut don't set him to repeat that effort, but at least he has shown he's capable. If he can rein in those free passes the rest of this month, it's possible he earns a look with the big-league club in September. 1. Nate Lavender - AAA (Syracuse) The Mets drafted Lavender in the 14th round of the 2021 MLB Draft (No. 412 overall). He opened a couple games for Syracuse this summer, but is a reliever by trade, and a darn good one. Through August 1, his career MiLB K/9 rate was 13.84. He sat a shade lower than that in July, when he punched out 17 batters in 11 2/3 innings. G (GS) IP H R (ER) K/BB 8 (0) 11.2 5 3 (3) 17/4 Opposing hitters can tag the ball hard when they touch Lavender's offerings, but they don't put bat to ball very often. His 41.4% strikeout percentage sits in the 98th percentile, per Prospect Savant. And unlike the other players on this list, we've seen this translate to the majors. Through two MLB outings, Lavender has three strikeouts and one walk -- his only baserunner allowed -- in 2 2/3 innings. For making a successful big-league debut after a strong July showing, he's our MiLB Pitcher of the Month. Honorable Mentions: Carlus Guzman (AA-Binghamton), Elwis Mijares (A-St. Lucie), Conner Ware (A-St. Lucie) View full article

Image courtesy of Kari Hodges/UGAAA The end of July and early August are a crazy time for a MiLB system. When the MLB team gets to dealing, you get players going out, players coming in, and players forced both up and down the ladder to make room for or replace members of the first two groups. We’ve known for months that the New York Mets would be selling at the trade deadline. Their efforts netted them more than a dozen prospects, giving the organization another much-needed injection of young talent. It also led to seemingly every hitting prospect already in the system changing levels throughout the month, including all four of the guys mentioned below. Perhaps we’ll see Jefferson Rojas or Sammy Stafura on this list for August. In the meantime, we celebrate the OG farmhands who tore it up in July. Monthly stats referenced in tables are from milb.com for the player’s full month, as opposed to a specific level, like in past editions. Prospect Rankings are from Grand Central Mets. Ranking Mets' Best Minor League Hitters from June 4. Trey Snyder – SS, Low A/High-A (St. Lucie/Brooklyn) Snyder, New York’s fifth-round pick (No. 144 overall) in 2024, opened the year on the injured list. He rehabbed briefly before joining St. Lucie in June, where he posted a .569 OPS across 18 games. His .394/.438/.592 slash line (1.030 OPS) for St. Lucie in the same number of games in July suggests whatever rust impeded him the prior month has been shaken off. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 21 (85) .365/.411/.541 (.952) 10 (2) 12 17 A 3-for-14 start in three appearances for Brooklyn slightly watered down Snyder’s overall monthly numbers, but his dominance more than earned him this spot. If his July performance was not an aberration, but a preview of what happens when things click for him, he should put on a show as a Cyclone. 3. Randy Guzman – OF, A/High-A (St. Lucie/Brooklyn, No. 13 Prospect) July was a busy month for Guzman, who spent time in the Florida Coast League, Single-A and High-A. The FCL stint was a rehab assignment that he didn’t play particularly well on (2-for-14). He shredded that entire script in St. Lucie and Brooklyn, though, posting an OPS of 1.000 or better in both spots. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 18 (59) .339/.432/.576 (1.007) 7 (3) 14 18 The Dominican Republic native has a lot of red on his Prospect Savant page from his 60-game sample in St. Lucie, which is what you want to see. Any improvement in his chase rate could lead to July’s massive numbers over a much larger sample. 2. John Bay – OF, High-A/AA (Brooklyn/Binghamton) Bay played 11 games in Brooklyn before moving to Binghamton on July 21st. He then took the field six times for the Rumble Ponies, and essentially maintained his production from High-A, which is easier said than done. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 17 (59) .305/.438/.576 (1.014) 9 (3) 14 11 We’re being real sticklers if we’re going to bash a guy for *only* boasting a .940 OPS in his first six Double-A games after notching a 1.041 OPS across (presumably) his final 17 contests of High-A action. Not bad for someone who went undrafted out of Austin Peay a year ago, eh? 1. Corey Collins – 1B, High-A/AA (Brooklyn/Binghamton) Collins was an honorable mention here in June despite posting 18 RBI and a .409 OBP. That status had more to do with other incredible months than any slight toward him. Nonetheless, he took it personally. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 18 (59) .356/.465/.508 (.973) 5 (2) 9 9 Like Bay, Collins was promoted from Brooklyn to Binghamton on July 21st. Unlike Bay, Collins somehow played better for the Rumble Ponies than Cyclones, raising his OPS more than 200 points (.881 to 1.082) in just five fewer at-bats (27) than he saw at High-A (32). The increase in production while jumping levels makes him our top hitter of the month. Honorable Mentions: JT Schwartz (AA, Binghamton), Antonio Jimenez (High-A, Brooklyn) View full article

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