3 scorching NY Mets prospects who are demanding a promotion to the next level

The New York Mets have some prospects who are performing exceptionally well this season. Now that we're heading into June, we may start to see some of these top prospects get a bump to the next level of the minor leagues.

A few top-performing Mets are so hot they don't just deserve a promotion. Rather, their play should be demanding priority when it comes to minor leaguers getting sent to the next level.

3 NY Mets prospects who are practically begging to be promoted

Carson Benge

The Mets drafted Carson Benge out of Oklahoma State with their first-round pick last year. The top outfield prospect made a nice first impression last season at A-Ball St. Lucie, collecting 15 total hits, five of which were extra bases (three doubles, two home runs), and walked 11 times with just 15 Ks in his first 69 professional plate appearances. Benge has since opened 2025 at High-A Brooklyn, and his torrid start to the year should put him on the cusp of a promotion to Double-A.

Benge is slashing .305/.439/.506 with a .429 wOBA, and 169 wRC+. He has hit four home runs in 189 plate appearances and has a .201 isolated slugging percentage. The outfielder has only struck out in 19% of his trips to the plate and has an outstanding walk rate, clocking in at 16.9%. On top of that, he's gone 10/12 in stolen base attempts. Benge has been especially good during May, with more walks (20) than Ks (19), an OPS over 1.000 at 1.008, and a wRC+ of 184. Three of his four home runs have come this month, and his ISO sits at .250.

Benge isn't just one of the best batters in the Mets' system, but across all of High-A. There are currently 209 total qualified High-A hitters this year. Benge ranks fourth in wRC+, eighth in OPS, and 12th in wOBA. He also ranks ninth in OBP and 16th in batting average. According to MLB Pipeline, Benge had the best bat-to-ball skills in the 2024 draft class. He's also shown a strong eye at the plate. He walked more frequently than he struck out throughout college, and now has 43 walks to only 50 Ks in 258 minor league plate appearances.

When Benge gets the call to Double-A isn't the only question that needs to be asked. How far he'll start moving up top 100 prospect lists is another question that is on the table. Baseball Prospectus ranked him as the 71st-best prospect in baseball heading into the year, while MLB Pipeline currently ranks him 89th. Baseball America does not have him ranked in the top 100 yet. With how he's playing, it's possible we see him approach the top 50 by the end of the year, especially if he rakes at Double-A.

Zach Thornton

Zach Thornton was a fifth-round pick by the Mets in 2023. He had a solid year overall in 2024, pitching to the tune of a 4.10 ERA, 3.88 FIP, 6.1% walk rate, and 0.53 HR/9, along with a 49.5% GB%, but a poor corresponding 18.4% K%. All told, he pitched 68 innings for St. Lucie and Brooklyn. But 2025 has been a completely different story for Thornton, and despite already getting one promotion this season, he's demanding a second one.

Thornton started the year off with Brooklyn, but is already up to Binghamton. Overall, he carries an astounding 1.56 ERA, 2.49 FIP, and 0.73 WHIP in 52 innings. The right-hander's strikeout rate is up dramatically to 29.4% this season, but his already strong walk rate has been cut down even further. He has basically been allergic to walks, with a 2.6% BB%. 

There are over 550 minor league pitchers who have thrown at least 30 innings. Thornton has the fourth-best walk rate and WHIP. His K%-BB% of 27.2% is the 15th-best mark in the game. Only 45 hurlers have a sub-2.00 ERA, with Thornton ranking 20th. But there are very few pitchers who are as good as Thornton at limiting runs while putting up both a strong K% and BB%. Only 10 minor league hurlers have a sub-2.00 ERA, a K%-BB% of at least 25%, and have tossed at least 30 frames.

Thornton may have already gotten promoted once this year. But he's already 23 and has done nothing but mow down opposing batters like it's nothing, both at Brooklyn and at Binghamton. It's time to see what he can do at Syracuse. With how well he's done, he should start to appear on top Mets prospect lists.

Jacob Reimer

The Mets took Jacob Reimer in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. After a promising 2023 season, 2024 was a lost cause, as Reimer only appeared in parts of 25 games. The infield prospect missed most of the year with a hamstring strain. Reimer is now stationed at Brooklyn, and with how he's been playing, he may not stay there much longer.

Reimer has 197 plate appearances and is batting .331/.421/.604. Reimer has drawn a walk in 11.2% of his trips to the plate and has only struck out 19.2% of the time. The biggest development is that Reimer is hitting for a ton of power. Reimer hit eight home runs in 419 plate appearances in 2023 with a .110 isolated slugging percentage. He already has eight home runs this year in just under 200 trips to the dish, which has led to an ISO of .272. Overall, he has a .460 wOBA and 188 wRC+.

Reimer is doing even better than Benge is at the same level. Reimer ranks in the top five of batting average (fourth), slugging percentage (third), and isolated slugging percentage (fifth). He leads all High-A batters in OPS, wOBA, and wRC+. Both Reimer and Benge have similar numbers in May, as the former is posting a 1.004 OPS, .461 wOBA, and 188 wRC+.

Reimer is only 21 and won't turn 22 until next February. But his absolutely torrid pace through High-A pitching should earn him a promotion to the next level of the minor leagues. He is arguably the best overall hitter at his level, leading High-A in three of the most important offensive statistics and ranking top five in multiple other notable numbers.