Mets prospect continues to push for a .400 batting average after his recent promotion

The last time a minor league player with enough qualified at-bats hit .400 was in 1999. Erubiel Durazo hit .404 for the Arizona Diamondbacks in Double-A and Triple-A after coming over from Mexico. He’d end up as a .281 lifetime hitter in 7 MLB seasons. A New York Mets prospect will look to bump Durazo off the mantle as the most recent minor league player to do the impossible.

Nick Morabito started off his professional career going 2 for 22 in 2022. In his sophomore season, he did anything but slump. Slashing .306/.421/.407 in 254 trips to the plate, Morabito did enough to land himself on multiple top prospect lists for the Mets.

Light on power, amazing at putting his bat on the ball, and brilliant with drawing walks, he’s a throwback type of player to the days when guys could reasonably bat .400. After graduating from a .397 batting average in St. Lucie, Morabito is now with the Brooklyn Cyclones still pushing the elusive mark.

Nick Morabito is still one of the most fascinating Mets prospects even if he doesn’t hit .400

Hitting .400 will make Morabito a more recognizable name. But regardless if he does or not, he’s a fascinating prospect.

Through 33 games and 141 plate appearances, Morabito is batting an insane .384/.504.491. He has walked 23 times and has struck out 25 times. His numbers in High-A Brooklyn have “plummeted” down to .353/.436/.441 in his first 9 games.

Drafted in the second round back in 2022, Morabito’s gifts profile him as more of a fourth or fifth outfielder than an actual starter in the major leagues. The way teams value power more than anything else won’t have him accelerating up the pipeline. To suggest he changes anything about his style would be a mistake. Every team could use a bat-on-ball player with some decent speed buried on their bench.

Interestingly, the Mets drafted a similar player in the same 2022 draft. Taken in the 11th round was Rhylan Thomas. He hit .328 last season and is putting up similar numbers in Binghamton this season. Thomas is even better at drawing walks versus striking out than Morabito. He lacks the same stolen base prowess but otherwise feels like he was created in the same lab.

Could Major League Baseball actually trend in the other direction where players like these two have more value? Striking out isn’t looking down on as much as it once was. The early 2000s and 2010s constantly had players crossing over the 200 mark. We only don’t see it today because guys simply don’t play as often.

Morabito’s quest for a .400 batting average will be a tough one. Even if he comes up well short of it, there’s nothing wrong with hitting .360.