2 things to love, 1 to hate about NY Mets first-round pick Mitch Voit’s first year

If there is one thing that New York Mets fans can be grateful for, it's that the club has built a strong minor league system. We've seen top prospects like Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat debut in 2025, setting them up for bigger roles in 2026, while other talented youngsters like Carson Benge, Jett Williams, and Ryan Clifford aren't all that far behind them.

As the cream of the crop begins to ascend to the majors, replenishing the pipeline is of paramount importance. That's where players like 2025 first-round pick Mitch Voit come in. The former University of Michigan standout didn't get much run in his first pro action, playing just 22 games and logging 99 plate appearances at Single-A St. Lucie, but in that time, there were a couple of things he showed to really love, and one to hate.

Two things about Mitch Voit's pro debut that will have Mets fans falling in love

Very solid on-base skills driven by a strong walk rate

Voit hit just .235 while transitioning from the metal bats of the college ranks to the wood the pros use. That was a far cry from the .346 mark he put up this year at Michigan. However, one thing he developed in his final collegiate season was a strong eye at the plate, walking 15.3% of the time while posting a .471 on-base percentage.

Transitioning to a higher level of competition didn't faze him, as the former Wolverine managed an impressive 13.1% walk rate in A-ball. That drove a .343 OBP, which is higher than what you would have expected given his paltry batting average.

The reason to love this is that it signifies an advanced feel for the strike zone at a very young age. Voit turned 21 on September 30, making him wise beyond his years with his plate discipline. While not the end-all, be-all, typically, guys who display strong plate discipline early on have better-than-average pitch recognition, which can translate to elite contact skills and could project an increase in power output later on.

Even better than advertised speed and instincts on the basepaths

Voit is a good athlete who played all over the field and also pitched in college, and as a result, scouts expected him to display plus speed. They might not have foreseen this, though.

Voit stole 14 bases in 56 games in his final year at Michigan, setting the highest mark of his collegiate career. So it might surprise you to learn that he stole 20 while playing for St. Lucie. Remember, he only played 22 minor league games, so that's almost one per contest.

It wasn't just that Voit was running wild, as he was also ridiculously effective. Despite going early and often, Voit was caught just once. Pair that with his on-base skills, and the two can work hand-in-hand to create havoc. His wheels will help him beat out infield hits, while his patience will lead to walks that he'll then convert into steals. It all comes together into a lethal package.

Again, the most important part of this is the instincts. He's not just relying on athleticism; he's got the soft skills to make the best use of his gifts, and that will serve him well as the level of competition increases.

This one thing is what Mets fans will hate about Voit's debut

Non-existent power output

After 14 homers in each of his last two collegiate campaigns, scouts believed that Voit could produce average-to-above-average pop. Instead, we saw just one homer and two doubles from the gifted youngster.

The sample size is small, but it's important to note that it's only going to get harder to produce power as he advances and the pitchers he faces have more developed repertoires and get better at keeping hitters off balance. If he doesn't improve soon, he might not have enough power to reach his full potential and will be limited to a bench role at best in the bigs.

That's the worst-case scenario, and we're a way away from determining that to be his future. There are two silver linings to take into account. One is that the aforementioned plate discipline could allow him to get better at picking his spots to sell out for power on hitters' pitches early in the count. Second is that he posted an 18% pull air percentage that was in the 62nd percentile of A-ball bats, and typically serves as a good indicator of power production.

Getting more run in 2026 will tell us a lot more about how big a concern this should be, but for now, it's definitely something to monitor.