A checkup on the top Mets prospects acquired in last summer's trades

Drew Gilbert was shipped to Flushing from Houston last season in the Justin Verlander trade.
Drew Gilbert was shipped to Flushing from Houston last season in the Justin Verlander trade. | Christopher Pasatieri/GettyImages
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Ryan Clifford showed a new element to his game, earning him a promotion to Double-A.

SNY's Joe DeMayo reported on Sunday that the Mets are promoting Clifford to Double-A Binghamton. Perhaps it was due to his exceptional plate discipline this season, as he registered a league-best 23.5 percent walk rate and a .412 on-base percentage at High-A Brooklyn that ranked fifth best in the High-A level South Atlantic League.

Clifford was the other prospect the Mets acquired in the Justin Verlander trade last summer and was touted for his raw power. He hit 22 homers last season in 290 plate appearances, yet only hit one home in 102 at-bats this season (perhaps due to the winds on Coney Island). But he made up for hit by hitting .362 on balls in play, so he is at least hitting the ball hard.

At 20 years old, Clifford will be one of the youngest players in all of Double-A when he makes his debut at that level this week. It will give him a chance to showcase his raw power translated into game results among the talents he has shown in the minors, while coaches in Binghamton can make him a more polished prospect.

In MLB Pipeline's new rankings list, Clifford is the No. 78 overall prospect and 4th on the Mets list.

Luisangel Acuna is beginning to settle in at the Triple-A level following a slow start.

After impressing the Mets in limited action this spring, Luisangel Acuna earned a promotion to Triple-A for the start of the season, and he continued to show his exciting athleticism and, more recently, bat-to-ball skills.

Acuna got off to a slow start adjusting to the Triple-A pitching, batting just .210 through his first 20 games. But he has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games, including each of the past nine contests. In his last 14 games, he is batting .262 with 14 runs scored, six extra base hits, and five stolen bases. It seems like he is settling in a bit against the tougher pitching.

Acuna is still splitting his time among the same three positions he's played throughout his pro career. This season, he has played 17 games at shortstop, 10 at second base, and seven in center field. It looks like Acuna could be coming for Jeff McNeil soon as a super-utility star

Luisangel Acuna was the main return piece in the Max Scherzer trade with the Texas Rangers in July, and he is now the Mets No. 5 prospect and MLB's No. 80 prospect.

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