3 prospects the Mets just acquired that we're excited for the most
Which new prospects will shape the future of the Mets?
The New York Mets effectively conceded the 2023 season yesterday, trading away their veterans (along with over $100 million) for a revamped farm system. The Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander experiment proved to be a failure, and Billy Eppler and the front office wisely cut their losses.
Whether the Mets do end up taking a step back or not in 2024, these newly acquired prospects figure to make their way to the Mets roster sooner rather than later. These three prospects in particular have garnered some justified excitement from Mets fans, and can soon become part of the Mets young core for the long term.
Luisangel Acuna was the premier acquisition of the deadline and might already be the Mets best prospect
The Mets trading away Max Scherzer become a certainty once he realized they would sell, and even with a no trade clause the Mets were able to get an incredibly high ceiling prospect in return.
At just 21 years old, Luisangel Acuna is rising through the minor leagues quickly. He batted .315 with seven home runs and 42 stolen bases with the Texas Rangers Double A affiliate this season, and continues to improve every season. Most importantly for a young player, Acuna has drastically improved his strikeout percentage. After recording a 26.8 K% in 2022, he is down to 20.9% this season.
Acuna has primarily been a middle infielder during his time with Texas, and would be a fantastic long term replacement for Jeff McNeil in a few seasons. Acuna has all the tools necessary to translate into a top end talent, and the rivalry between him and his brother Ronald would make for some must watch television.
New outfield prospect Ryan Clifford is a young talent Mets fans will get to know soon
The Mets shipped Justin Verlander back to Houston yesterday, reuniting him with his former team. The major piece of the deal in return was outfielder Drew Gilbert, but the second prospect sent over might be even better.
Ryan Clifford was the 4th best prospect in the Astros system, compared to Gilbert as the 1st. However, Clifford's rapid ascent through the minors and up the rankings is hard to ignore. The Astros 11th round pick last season, Clifford has already made his way to High A, hitting .291 on the season with 18 home runs and 61 RBIs. His strikeout count is a bit high, but being such a young player he will continue to grow in that department. The consensus from analysts on Twitter is that the Mets got a great return on Verlander, and Clifford is a crucial reason why.
Clifford is an ascending talent, and having just turned 20 years old just a few weeks ago. Both Clifford and Gilbert figure to be long term replacements for the Mets current outfield and can continue to develop and grow in the farm system. If developed properly, the Mets could potentially have the power hitting lefty they've been looking for in no time.
Justin Jarvis is the new pitching prospect Mets fans need to keep an eye on
Going into the trade deadline, many fans were hoping that Max Scherzer or Justin Verlander would land them a high end pitching prospect. While that wasn't the case, the player they got back from the Mark Canha trade has the chance to develop into a key member of the pitching staff as soon as next season.
Jarvis posted a 3.33 ERA in his 14 starts in the Milwalkee Brewers farm system to start the season before being called up to Triple A. While he has struggled at the higher level so far, the Mets have a lot of time to continue his development for the future.
Jarvis has been a strikeout machine, recording the 9th best K/BB% across all of Double A. He still has a lot to improve on while in Triple A for the Mets, but getting a high ceiling pitching prospect for Canha should be seen as a win.
The Mets don't have a truly elite pitching prospect in their system, meaning Jarvis has a clear path to promotion in just a few seasons. With the team having traded away their veterans earlier in the week and signaling a rebuilding season in 2024, there is a decent chance Jarvis finds his way to Citi Field in a short amount of time.