Rising NY Mets prospect may need to shoot up through the minor leagues quickly in 2027

After yet another unsuccessful regular season, the New York Mets have pivoted towards rebuilding and have already done quite a respectable job. They're stacked with outstanding young talent on their big league roster and have even more prospects waiting in the wings, especially with their recent trade deadline acquisitions.

Thus, it's understandable that someone like Randy Guzman isn't as well-known as other marquee names like Jonathan Santucci or Mitch Voit. To his credit, he has come a long way since signing for just $10,000 as an international free agent in 2022 and cracked the organization's Top 30 prospect list this year, landing at No. 21, and after his numbers in 2026, he arguably deserves to be even higher.

He finished the season with a 125 wRC+ across 294 minor league plate appearances and seems poised to take the next step. Unfortunately, despite playing just seven games in High-A, he's already Rule 5 eligible. Given how early he is in his development, it's unlikely that he'll be selected by another organization this year but if he maintains his current trajectory, next offseason could be a different story.

If Randy Guzman isn't added to the Mets' 40-man roster next season, he could be taken by someone else in the Rule 5 draft

The reason Guzman is safe this year is because according to the rules of the Rule 5 draft, players that are picked are assigned directly to their new club's 26-man roster and must be placed on outright waivers to remove them. Given his lack of experience at the upper levels of the minors, he definitely isn't ready for the show just yet so he'd be a wasted pick. However, it's reasonable to assume that if he starts the year in High-A, is quickly promoted to Double-A, and posts strong results in both levels, he could be an alluring target this time next year.

In order to protect him, the Mets would have to add him to the 40-man roster but in order for them to do that, they'd have to feel that he's ready. This puts both Guzman and the organization in a tricky situation. If he's outstanding, then the answer is easy — simply add him to the roster. If he's good but not great, the Mets would have to either risk wasting a spot on a player that never pans out or watch a future star take his talents to another club.

This year's Rule 5 draft is already forcing the organization to make more immediate roster moves so they'll likely be more than happy to kick the can down the road with Guzman, but it's a situation they'll undoubtedly be monitoring over the course of the season. With more than a year left to decide, there's still time for him to make meaningful strides towards the 40-man roster but for now, his future with the team that signed him hangs in the balance.

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