1 thing to like most about each prospect the NY Mets landed in the Freddy Peralta trade

In their biggest move of the trade deadline so far, the New York Mets finalized a deal to send Freddy Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays. In return, they received three of the Rays' top 30 prospects: outfielder Aidan Smith (Rays' No. 15 prospect), pitcher Gary Gill Hill (Rays' No. 26 prospect), and infielder Émilien Pitre (Rays' No. 27 prospect). None of these players are marquee names but that doesn't mean they don't each bring value to the table.

Émilien Pitre — Contact Abilities

Pitre was a second-round pick in the 2024 draft out of the University of Kentucky where he posted an .893 OPS over 582 plate appearances. He has primarily served as a second baseman but has made a few starts at shortstop in college and the minors.

He has split time between High-A and Double-A this year and has been an offensive powerhouse at both levels. He has accumulated 384 plate appearances across both levels this year and hit to a 139 wRC+. He has been a tough assignment for opposing pitchers all year, posting an 18.2% walk rate against a 10.4% strikeout rate.

In addition to strong plate discipline, his contact abilities are exceptional. His whiff rate of 13.2% is in the 100th percentile of qualified hitters in Double-A and his zone contact rate of 89.6% is in the 97th percentile. He doesn't hit for much power but his quality of contact has shown modest improvement since last year.

Gary Gill Hill — Arsenal Depth

Hill was taken in the sixth round of the 2022 draft out of John F. Kennedy Catholic Preparatory School in Somers, New York. He has had decent results over his four minor league seasons and at just 21 years old, he still has plenty of time to continue developing.

Scouts highlight that while he doesn't have one standout pitch, his four-pitch mix is above average across the board. His four-seam fastball sits in the mid-90s and his cutter sits around the high-80s. His secondary offerings include a sweeper and a changeup, both of which have been great at generating ground balls. Control over all of these pitches has been excellent with 55.0% of his pitches finding the strike zone, landing him in the 97th percentile for qualified pitchers in Double-A.

He has spent most of the year with Double-A Montgomery, posting a 4.43 ERA and 4.40 FIP for the team across 81.1 innings. More impressive than his surface level numbers is his 4.1% walk rate and 33.0% chase rate. His stuff may not blow anyone away but he comes across as a high-floor arm for the Mets that could be a serviceable back-of-the-rotation starter.

Aidan Smith — Defense

Smith was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the fourth round out of Lovejoy High School in Lucas, Texas in 2023. He was one of two prospects sent to Tampa in the Randy Arozarena trade but after having a breakout year in 2024, his offensive production has hit a wall. This season is shaping up to be his worst at the plate with just a 73 wRC+ across 228 plate appearances for High-A Bowling Green.

Fortunately, his defensive value is what has scouts paying close attention. His strong arm and blazing speed are his best tools and perfect for a player tasked with roaming center field for the foreseeable future. This is a notable shift in narrative for him as the Mariners moved him to corner outfield spots before trading him, unsure of his defensive future.

Smith's path to the big leagues is potentially the murkiest of the three. With a 32.0% strikeout rate and just a .283 on-base percentage in High-A this season, he has a ways to go before he's a viable hitter at the highest level. At 22 years old, he has a little more time to get back to where he was in 2024 but the Mets haven't had the best track record of developing flawed hitters. Either way, if he wants the chance to prove his worth with the glove, he'll first have to prove that he can hang with the bat.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow