NY Mets could have promising Jorge Polanco solution with another top prospect promotion

Jorge Polanco is finally set to return to the New York Mets this upcoming weekend, following an extended hiatus due to a wrist contusion. He'll play mostly as the designated hitter, with perhaps a few spot starts at first base as needed.

That's a positive development for a team currently missing six key offensive pieces, including Francisco Alvarez and Francisco Lindor. Polanco's switch-hitting capabilities should grant Carlos Mendoza more flexibility when crafting his lineups... assuming he can recover from his pre-injury swoon.

Like most of the roster in April, the 32-year-old struggled mightily, hitting just .179/.246/.286 (54 wRC+) during the first 14 games of his Mets tenure. His power evaporated, rendering him a far cry from the breakout star who guided the Mariners to the ALCS a year ago.

If he returns to New York and his performance doesn't recover, some difficult conversations will need to be had. Jared Young (1.015 OPS vs. righties) has held down the fort with the platoon advantage, while Mark Vientos (107 wRC+ vs. lefties) has proven capable of splitting time with him at first base and DH.

But what if the team wants to give another top prospect a chance to stake their claim? Ryan Clifford has been on an absolute tear in Triple-A, and it may be time for the last-place Mets to lean all the way into their youth movement.

Ryan Clifford should be Mets' next man up if Jorge Polanco falters

For the most part, Ryan Clifford is doing Ryan Clifford things this year. He's hitting for a ton of power, blasting 13 home runs and slugging .483 through the end of May. He's also striking out a ton (34.2% K-rate) and hitting just .229 overall.

Seeing him lose some of the plate approach gains he made in 2025, when he walked more and struck out less, is frustrating, but he's been in an adjustment period since being promoted to Syracuse at the end of last year. Thankfully, he started to find his footing in May; he hit eight home runs throughout the month while dropping his strikeout rate below 30%.

Narrow the window a bit more and you'll really start to like what Clifford is doing. Since an ugly stretch at the plate from May 12-14 when he struck out 10 times in three games, the 22-year-old is running a 22.7% strikeout rate, which is more than palatable for someone with his kind of pop.

Following a month when the youngsters took over the lineup -- A.J. Ewing debuted, Brett Baty bounced back, and Carson Benge finally lived up to his top-prospect billing -- the Mets should feel inclined to give their hottest minor-league hitter a chance to prove himself.

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