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Fallen NY Mets prospect hit a necessary insurance HR in Brooklyn’s playoff win

Rarely discussed these days, Colin Houck had an important swing in a playoff game for the Brooklyn Cyclones.
ByTim Boyle|
Los Angeles Dodgers v New York Mets
Los Angeles Dodgers v New York Mets | Jim McIsaac/GettyImages

The lower level minor league playoffs have begun with the Brooklyn Cyclones up against the Greensboro Grasshoppers as one of the matchups to follow this September. The High-A affiliate of the New York Mets opened their best of 3 series on Tuesday night with a 4-3 win. They'll have a chance to play two more in Brooklyn to advance.

The win wouldn’t have been possible without a big insurance home run from Colin Houck. The club’s top draft pick in 2023, taken 32nd overall, hit "State Farmer" to put the team up 4-1. Some relief for the bullpen, right? Well, it mattered with the Grasshoppers scoring twice more in the ninth.

Mets prospect Colin Houck could use a big postseason for Brooklyn

Houck is one of the most lost former first round picks in recent Mets history. Never highly hyped, a terrible 2024 season had him sliding off of everyone’s radar as a possible future solution on the infield. He played all of last year with St. Lucie, batting .206 with 171 strikeouts in 112 games. After a slow start in St. Lucie again this year, Houck found his stride. He’d split his year between St. Lucie and Brooklyn, falling into some familiar bad habits in Brooklyn. He hit only .198/.269/.289 in 54 games. He struck out 78 times while homering twice. He was far better in St. Lucie, finishing with a .252/.351/.461 slash line and 8 home runs in 62 games. He did, however, fan 77 times.

As slow to develop as he has been, so too has been the team’s attempt to clear a path for him to be more than a shortstop. Regular playing time at third base has given the Mets another future option as long as Houck eventually lives up to the draft position. He is, of course, a long way from making it happen.

To his credit, Houck played well in August. He hit .267/.360/.413. It was his poor July featuring a .147 batting average that dragged his overall numbers in Brooklyn down. Clearly, with his dinger on Tuesday, he’s not a complete pushover against High-A pitching.

The home run was his first since August 6 when he went yard for the second consecutive day. Just 15 total home runs since his professional career began, it’s an attribute we’d love to see him add given how many strikeouts he accumulates. If there’s a prospect on the lower minor league level who could use a strong postseason, it’s probably this guy.

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