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Three Mets prospects who will be future stars in years to come

By John Alexandre |
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 08: Ronny Mauricio #2 of the New York Mets in action against the Houston Astros during a spring training baseball game at Clover Park on March 8, 2020 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The Mets defeated the Astros 3-1. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 08: Ronny Mauricio #2 of the New York Mets in action against the Houston Astros during a spring training baseball game at Clover Park on March 8, 2020 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The Mets defeated the Astros 3-1. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
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PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – MARCH 11: Ronny Mauricio #2 of the New York Mets in the dugout before a spring training baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Clover Park at on March 11, 2020 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – MARCH 11: Ronny Mauricio #2 of the New York Mets in the dugout before a spring training baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Clover Park at on March 11, 2020 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

A baseball team’s farm system is their ticket to long-term success. Elite prospects with the promise to be the next biggest names in the sport are the reason many top-tier players are traded each season at seemingly no cost. Who among the best on the New York Mets farm will join the ranks to help the Jacob deGroms, Noah Syndergaards, and Dominic Smiths?

Every season mlb.com releases its prestigious ranking of the top 100 prospects in baseball. This season the Mets have four players in the top 100, all of which are 21 years old or younger.

However, it’s these three I suspect will become stars in the big leagues one day.

1) Mets shortstop prospect Ronny Mauricio

Ronny Mauricio passes the eye test with flying colors. Standing at 6’3”, the 20-year-old switch-hitting shortstop showed up to Spring Training looking like he had been living near a squat rack all winter. Impressing statistically in spring as well, Mauricio produced, getting five hits in 14 plate appearances, equalling a .357 batting average.

The Dominican-born infielder was acquired as a 17-year-old during the 2017 international free agent signing period for a then club record of $2.1 million dollars for an international free agent.

In 2019, Mauricio’s most recent full season playing baseball, he led the single-A Met affiliate, the Columbia Fireflies in plate appearances with 504, and produced respectable .268/.307/.357 splits.

Mauricio is ranked as the number two prospect in the Mets organization, and the number 57 ranked prospect overall. Mauricio’s greatest strengths are considered to be his arm as a fielder and his ability to hit for power as a batter. He will begin this season with the single-A St. Lucie Mets.

Mets fans have been missing a world-class third baseman since the glory days of David Wright. Now, especially because of Francisco Lindor’s new contract to be the team’s starting shortstop through the year 2031, it is predicted that Ronny Mauricio will move over to the hot corner as a third baseman for the future. If Mauricio can keep maturing physically and wholly as a ballplayer expect him to be an important bat in the Mets lineup for years to come.

NEW YORK – APRIL 07: The home run apple is seen before the New York Mets play the Florida Marlins on April 7, 2010 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK – APRIL 07: The home run apple is seen before the New York Mets play the Florida Marlins on April 7, 2010 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

2) Mets catcher prospect Francisco Alvarez

Who doesn’t love a catcher that is known primarily for his bat? Francisco Alvarez, of Venezuela, signed for 2.9 million dollars as a 16-year-old on the international free agent market back in 2018, breaking the expensive record set by Ronny Mauricio the year before.

In the last full year of minor league baseball, 2019, Alvarez shined in rookie ball, posting .312/.407/.510 splits in a league where he was on average three years younger than the rest of the competition.

Only 19 years old, Alvarez is also noted for his natural leadership skills, an essential trait for a team’s future franchise catcher who will command the pitching staff and characterize the right attitude in the clubhouse.

Alvarez’s greatest strengths are his ability to hit for average as well as power, and his arm strength as a catcher defensively. His bat was publicly highlighted in a Twitter video when he hit a home run off of Mets legend Jacob deGrom in a Florida intrateam scrimmage.

The Mets belief and desire to keep Alvarez has also been the reason for the team not making moves to acquire sluggers like Kris Bryant on the trade market.

Alvarez will begin this season playing alongside teammate Ronny Mauricio with the single-A St. Lucie Mets. Pending his promising potential actualizing, Alvarez is expected to arrive at the major league level in 2023. This will be the perfect time for his arrival in his then age 21-year-old season. By arriving in 2023 Alvarez will be given the proper amount of time to adjust to the major league level and gain valuable experience learning from James McCann before the veteran’s contract expires.

JUPITER, FLORIDA – MARCH 17: Pete Crow-Armstrong #91 of the New York Mets scores a run against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning of a Grapefruit League spring training game at Roger Dean Stadium on March 17, 2021 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
JUPITER, FLORIDA – MARCH 17: Pete Crow-Armstrong #91 of the New York Mets scores a run against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning of a Grapefruit League spring training game at Roger Dean Stadium on March 17, 2021 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

3) Mets centerfielder prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong

The New York Mets drafted the left-handed Crow-Armstrong with the 19th pick in the first round of the most recent 2020 MLB draft. 19-year-old Crow-Armstrong is a product of California’s prestigious Harvard Westlake Highschool, a school known for producing elite MLB talent.

The first-round draft pick is already considered to be an MLB-ready centerfielder defensively and was viewed as the “best defensive outfielder in his (draft) class” (mlb.com).

Standing at 6’1”, Crow-Armstrong gained his most value as a prospect during his time with Team USA’s 2019 U18 national team. The team went on to win gold at the Pan-American Championships. Crow-Armstong was arguably the team’s best player, achieving .364/.405/.606 splits and leading the team in stolen bases.

Crow-Armstrong has flashed his excellence in the field, most notably highlighted by a video of him sticking his glove over onto the other side of the centerfield wall and robbing the U18 Taiwanese team of a home run in the Pan-American Championships. Crow-Armstrong then showed off his strong arm by throwing a ball, on a line and without a bounce from the centerfield wall to the first baseman to try and get the runner who had neglected to tag up.

Crow-Armstong also highlighted his speed, and his bat, when he ran out of his helmet to leg out a triple on a line drive over the right fielder’s head in spring training this year.

Dominic Smith took batting practice with the young centerfielder in February, saying afterward that “this kid is going to be a stud.” Mets manager Luis Rojas also had high praise for him, saying he has great confidence and body control.

Jacob deGrom, a later bloomer on the mound. Next

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Crow-Armstrong will begin the season playing Rookie Ball with the Gulf Coast League Mets. Expected to arrive in the year 2023 to the MLB, Crow-Armstrong bolsters a most promising collection of young talent in the New York Mets organization.

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