4 Mets prospects the team could lose in the Rule 5 Draft next month

3) Luke Ritter

Luke Ritter is a utility prospect who the Mets drafted in the 7th round of the 2019 draft. Ritter is coming off his second strong season in the Mets’ system. He hit .257/.369/.480 this past year with 26 home runs. This marks the second year in a row Ritter has topped 25 dingers. That led to an isolated slugging percentage of .223. Ritter drew walks at a healthy 12.9% rate, but the downside is he struck out in 30.7% of his trips to the plate.

Ritter’s peripherals are what you’d expect from a high-strikeout/big power hitter. Ritter had a whiff rate of 35.7%, but when he did make contact, it was typically loud contact. The slugger had an 89.7 MPH exit velocity and a 12.7% barrel rate. Among Triple-A batters with at least 400 plate appearances, Ritter had the 6th-best barrel percentage but also the 9th-highest swing-and-miss rate.

Ritter saw time all over the field in 2024. He is primarily an infielder and spent a lot of time between first, second, and third base. But he also logged 233 innings in left field. It was the first time since his days at Wichita State he started multiple games in the outfield. Ritter’s arm is about average, and he’s athletic enough to play wherever he is needed.

A team may see Ritter as a low-risk pick-up, given his power potential and versatility. But it’s also unlikely that the soon-to-be 28-year-old is a high-priority target for a team looking to take a player in the Rule 5 draft. Teams like to take players with upside, and a high strikeout slugger who is approaching 30 years of age is not going to be on many team’s radars. In the event that a team does take Ritter, the Mets likely are not going to worry too much.