You’ll never guess which former NY Mets player looks like an elite closer in Mexico right now

Exaggerated hype based on what a player is doing in the minors or a foreign league during the winter isn’t an uncommon occurrence. Live baseball games of any kind feed our desire for new stats, flashy highlights, and hope for the coming year. Down in the Mexican Pacific Winter League, one of the newer members of the New York Mets organization is putting together one of those red hot stretches.

Signed to a minor league deal this offseason, Joey Meneses is putting up the kind of numbers we could only dream he can contribute to the Mets. A member of the Tomateros de Culiacan, the veteran first baseman/outfielder is batting .322/.388/.515 with 10 home runs and 58 RBI through 258 plate appearances.

How this measures up to the competition is important. His 10 home runs is tied for the second most in the league with the leader at 12. His 58 RBI leads the league by a decent margin.

A former Mets player is having an even better time in Mexico

A teammate of his South of the Border, Stephen Nogosek is working in relief for the club as their closer. A lifetime 5.02 ERA in 57.1 innings all with the Mets, he spent last year in Triple-A for the Washington Nationals (also playing alongside Meneses at times) where he had a 9.77 ERA in 11 appearances.

Nogosek would make his way to Lancaster in the Independent League, delivering an improved 4.32 ERA in 33.1 relief innings. Down in Mexico, the word “elite” comes to mind with the totals he has.

A miniscule 1.39 ERA in 32.1 innings should have Nogosek on the radar of a few ball clubs. A terrific walk rate of 1.4 per 9 to go with 10 strikeouts per 9, the 29-year-old is performing similarly to how he did back in 2019. That year featured a 1.15 ERA in 50.1 innings at the Double-A and Triple-A level. His other numbers, like walks and strikeouts, weren’t nearly what they’ve been in Mexico.

On one hand, Meneses’ MVP-caliber numbers can be justified as a player performing against inferior competition. On the other, if a pitcher like Nogosek looks as much like 2022 Edwin Diaz as anyone could, it somewhat negates the argument.

Meneses will probably never play much of a factor for the 2025 Mets. The team had multiple players like him stashed in Triple-A last year. None ever saw big league action. A good stretch in Mexico may, however, help him gear up before spring training. More than likely an opt out candidate or even a guy the Mets could trade to a team in need of a first baseman for a controllable minor leaguer, it’s still promising to see anyone affiliated with the organization right now succeed at such a high level.