3 NY Mets prospects with superstar potential, 1 who won’t quite get there

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New York Mets fans have the luxury of being able to cheer on the current team and also enjoy what the future holds for this franchise. They have a top-heavy farm system with some notable players many are hoping can start contributing as soon as later this season although next year is probably a more realistic expectation.

The Mets have been able to churn out quite a few notable prospects over the last two weeks. The most recent we can classify as a star would be Pete Alonso. Props should still be given to others who have debuted within the last five years including underdog prospects Jeff McNeil and Tylor Megill.

When it comes to evaluating prospects, guys like them can slip through the cracks. Projecting who becomes a superstar and who will fall short is never easy. Even the best of prospects are sometimes just all right big leaguers. There are, however, three Mets prospects who right now are tracking toward the possibility of superstardom and another who, while good, might fall short.

NY Mets prospect Francisco Alvarez is the easiest choice to become a major league superstar

Catchers who can hit will catch a lot of attention. The number one prospect for the Mets, Francisco Alvarez, entered the season as a top ten prospect in Major League Baseball on most lists—at least in the teens on others.

Only 20-years-old and in Double-A, Alvarez started off the year hot before cooling off. This is a season to learn a few things about himself, his game, and grow as a catcher. No panic should set in with any momentary slumps he may have. Alvarez is a good ballplayer. Like even the greatest of all time, he’s going to have his rough patches.

When it comes to superstardom, catchers with pop can certainly get there. Of course, they don’t want to end up like Mike Zunino and only have power without much else on offense. It would help if Alvarez was at least a .250 hitter.

Prior to 2022, Alvarez finished both of his minor league campaigns with promising numbers. Built like a freight train, he even showed off some surprising athleticism when he stole 8 bases in 2021.

There are parts of Alvarez’s game he has to continue to improve before the Mets give him major league innings. Nevertheless, if you’re going to expect one prospect to become a superstar, it’s this guy.

NY Mets prospect Alex Ramirez could be this organization’s Juan Soto or Ronald Acuna Jr.

An international outfield prospect is something all teams desire. They have taken the league by storm in recent years with two of the very best playing in the National League East against the Mets: Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals and Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves. Young superstars in this game, could Alex Ramirez be the guy to do the same for the Mets?

Ramirez had a good first year in St. Lucie last year batting .258/.326/.384 in 334 plate appearances. A speedy outfielder with minimal pop, he hit five home runs and swiped 16 bases down in Single-A. One thing he had to work on was quite clear: his strikeouts. Ramirez fanned a total of 104 times in only 76 games played.

This year, while early, Ramirez is playing spectacularly well. He’s looking like he will have one of those stretches where the organization has no choice but to promote him to the next level. Ramirez has done everything the Mets could have hoped he would including cutting down on the strike three calls.

At only 19, there’s no urgency to rush Ramirez to the major leagues. As he continues to catch the attention of fans, his star power potential will continue to grow. Fans love a young and talented outfielder. This is precisely what Ramirez is.

Fans want to see NY Mets third base prospect Brett Baty become the next David Wright

As a third baseman with a lot of potential, the hype for Brett Baty isn’t going away anytime soon. He happens to play a position where the best position player in the franchise’s history called home. In the absence of any long-term solutions since David Wright did retire, the pressure is on.

Baty won’t be much like Wright and that’s okay. He can be his own unique player who may never win a Gold Glove but can win games for the Mets with his bat similarly to the way Wright did. Still in development, exactly what type of hitter he will become at the major leagues remains a little unknown.

Fans are hoping for some good power from him. He hasn’t shown much yet as a professional which is a little bit of a disappointment. Home run numbers in the minor leagues don’t always translate into how a player performs once they reach the majors. Francisco Lindor, for instance, never hit more than 11 home runs in any minor league season. During his best days with Cleveland, he was hitting 30+.

Baty probably doesn’t have the same superstar potential as Alvarez or Ramirez. However, if he can be anything like Freddie Freeman, a guy he has often been compared to and not just because they look similar, the Mets could have another young star on the roster.

NY Mets prospect Ronny Mauricio has a lot more to prove for superstar status

Ronny Mauricio has been hanging around as one of the best Mets prospects for a few years now. The shortstop who most definitely will not play the position if he continues on with the Mets has been just all right throughout his professional career.

This isn’t to completely negate anything he has done. Mauricio made huge strides last year in the power department, launching 20 home runs which even for a guy who isn’t a power hitter is nice to see.

Mauricio hasn’t been a great stolen base threat, a top-notch hitter for average, or even a hitter with a great eye to draw walks. He looks, unfortunately, much more like an average player. This could simply be a lack of experience and given more time those shining abilities many believe he has can begin to show.

From what we have seen thus far, Mauricio may be nothing more than a bottom-of-the-order type of hitter. On the Mets, second base is probably where he’d end up if he can even play well enough to have a starting role. His future may have him as a fifth infielder roving around the diamond to give players a day off.

Until one particular skill of his begins to stand out, Mauricio will at best be a good player and not a star.

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