Ranking the MLB career of every top NY Mets prospect since 2011 (so far)

MLB Pipeline began its list of top prospects in 2011. A decade and a half full of New York Mets prospect rankings now in the books, who’s the best number one prospect they’ve had in a singular season?

In those 16 seasons, 13 different players have held the title of number one Mets prospect. The players who’ve been around longer have an edge. Some young players are still ready to move up the list further, let’s see how their careers have gone thus far and rank them from worst to best.

Where every top Mets prospect since 2011 ranks based on their careers so far

13) Jett Williams - 2024

No major league experience yet, Jett Williams is the default last-place finisher here. He had a rough year in the minors for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2026, but should have a chance at playing big league baseball at some point thanks to his particular set of skills.

12) Ronny Mauricio - 2020

A 0.9 bWAR spread across parts of three seasons for the Mets, Ronny Mauricio has been a major underachiever. He landed as the number one Mets prospect in 2020 and hung around as one of their more coveted minor leaguers in the years that followed. It doesn’t look like he has much of a future as a Mets player. Only because he has actually played some baseball in the majors does he finish ahead of Williams.

11) Brandon Sproat - 2025

A -0.4 bWAR in the majors for Brandon Sproat might fall behind Mauricio in that particular stat and yet who wouldn’t prefer to have him and a 5.43 ERA over Mauricio and his .232 batting average and inability to hit lefty pitchers? Sproat’s career is still very early and he gets a little more of a pass here because he is a pitcher and despite some poor results, has more of an immediate promising future.

10) Francisco Alvarez - 2021, 2022, and 2023

A three-time number one Mets prospect, Francisco Alvarez is going to climb up this list. It’s only a matter of time. Right now, with a 4.1 bWAR, he’s kind of stuck on the lower half of the list. Still one of the more promising younger players the Mets have, his offensive ceiling remains one of the more intriguing aspects of the organization.

9) Nolan McLean - 2026

Yes, Nolan McLean has already put together a better big league career than Alvarez. If the 4.8 bWAR doesn’t convince you, ask yourself where each player ranks at their respective position. McLean is sitting on a 2.93 ERA after 39 big league starts. He’s going to shoot up any sort of update on this list quickly. Within another season it’s not crazy to assume he’s top 5.

8) Travis d’Arnaud - 2013

Travis d’Arnaud has had a fine career yet hardly the level many believed he ever could. A 14-year career in the majors, the Mets’ 2013 number one ranked prospect ended up being passed over by plenty of his peers. Most notably, the pitchers he worked with closely became the real stars.

7) Steven Matz - 2016

The top Mets prospect in 2016, Steven Matz earned that title partly because of how well he pitched in an abbreviated stint with the club in 2015. Matz never quite reached the pinnacle of where some of his pitching peers got to. A 4.29 ERA and 96 ERA+ suggest he’s kind of average. It’s the simplest way to describe much of his career with everything from really good to really bad and right in between.

6) Noah Syndergaard - 2014 and 2015

Quick and flashy describe Noah Syndergaard’s time as a popular Mets player. He was well-hyped in 2014 and 2015 as the back-to-back number one Mets prospect. Certainly a productive career early on with an All-Star appearance and distant Cy Young consideration, he was a classic case of injuries derailing a career too early.

5) Amed Rosario - 2017

Once traded for Syndergaard, Amed Rosario has carved himself a nice MLB career. Statistically not quite measuring up to Thor, the fact that he’s still playing and doing so productively at times and Syndergaard isn’t helps make him one spot higher on the list. Sustainability wins out here for Rosario whose career .271 batting average is kind of good underrated for the era he has played.

4) Wilmer Flores - 2011

The very first number one Mets prospect by MLB Pipeline was a popular one. Wilmer Flores doesn’t have some of the same statistical success as others and yet it’s hard to deny him a higher spot on the list. He hit 169 home runs with a .745 OPS. More beloved than legendary, poor defense brings down his WAR which doesn’t account for all of the clutch hitting he did for New York. His peak wasn't as good as some others, but longevity wins out.

3) Andres Gimenez - 2018

Andres Gimenez had a one-year stay as the top Mets prospect in 2018. He hasn’t done too much hitting, but managed to build himself a 20.5 bWAR since debuting in 2020. His excellent defense is the main reason for it. Three Gold Gloves already, a move back to second base at some point in his career can help him add to his collection.

2) Pete Alonso - 2019

Pete Alonso started 2019 as the number one Mets prospect. He finished it with a record 53 home runs for a rookie and the NL Rookie of the Year honors. He’s a prospect who absolutely lived up to the hype. No position player has had a better career after being ranked number one by MLB Pipeline.

1) Zack Wheeler - 2012

The Mets made out well when they traded Carlos Beltran to the San Francisco Giants in 2011. Months later, Zack Wheeler ranked as their number one prospect. A 46 bWAR as a pitcher, his 127 wins and 3.26 ERA don’t really even tell the full scale of how wonderful his career has gone, especially since leaving the Mets. He has been one of the best starting pitchers of the 2020s. A decade earlier, he was the most promising Mets youngster waiting in the farm.

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