1 Mets prospect whose stock will skyrocket in 2023

For all the moves made to elevate the main roster, the New York Mets still expect to create a synergy with their talented major league roster and their upcoming talent in the minor leagues. Last season, the Mets largely relied on their main roster. Still, we’ve seen players like catcher Francisco Alvarez, third baseman Brett Baty, and starting pitcher Jose Butto get moments on the major league roster. 

In the long term, the Mets are hoping to get more players developed through the system and eventually replace some of these current players with cheaper alternatives to help the Mets in the long run. Guys like Alvarez and Baty feel like potential starters, but guys like infielder Ronny Mauricio and first baseman Mark Vientos are also options to come in and fill holes on the major league roster. 

The Mets have a strong farm system at the top, but a good farm system has strength in numbers, leading to the question - “Who could be the next player to take a step forward and breakout for the 2023 New York Mets system?”

For all of the Mets' success on the hitting side, the pitching prospects lag behind. Blade Tidwell, a 2022 second-round pick leads the way, but with Calvin Ziegler, Matt Vasil, Dominic Hamel, and if healthy, Matt Allan, the Mets have a solid foundation at the top. Throw on long-term prospects like Robert Dominguez, Luis Rodriguez, and Javier Atencio, and the Mets have a solid base of pitching prospects to watch for a few years.

Mets prospect Jacob Reimer will see his stock skyrocket in 2023

After their current wave of hitting prospects, New York’s next group has ways to go for their development. Led by catcher Kevin Parada and shortstop/centerfielder Jett Williams, both 2022 first-round picks, the Mets are still working on building a proper foundation, similar to teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers. Recent draft picks like Nick Morabito (2022 second-round pick) and international free agents like Simon Juan, Willy Fanas, and Jesus Baez are starting to form that proper bridge. 

Reimer is firmly in that group. Coming out of high school, Reimer was seen as a balanced bat, with good contact and power. In his final season at Yucaipa High School, Reimer finished with a batting average of .388 and eight home runs. That was enough for the Mets to select him in the fourth round and pay him $175,000. In his first few plate appearances as a Met, Reimer finished with a .261/.414/.478 with seven RBI, six hits, and six walks to three strikeouts in 29 plate appearances.

The intrigue behind Reimer is if the Mets can tap into his power. Touted as a hit over power bat, Reimer has shown improving exit velocity numbers, a good indicator for bat speed. Perfect Game, which has scouted and measured the data as he was preparing for the draft, had Reimer at 95mph, which is pretty good for a 19-year-old prospect. Between his bat skills and good exit velocity numbers, Reimer has a good base for a player who can stay on the field long enough to figure out how to reach his power. A good barometer for Reimer this season is if he could tap into his power and get 10 home runs and, say, 25 extra-base hits over the course of the 2023 minor league season. 

The defense is the question about Reimer. At six-foot-two, 205 pounds, Reimer currently plays third base and has the arm strength for it, but all signs point to him moving to either left field or first base. In his first stint in the majors, Reimer played both third base and DH. It wouldn’t come as a shock if we saw Reimer get a full run at third base, errors and all, before making a decision whether to move him across the diamond or not.

A solid athlete for his size, Reimer played shortstop in high school, but will almost certainly move to third base at the next level, where he does have a solid arm and the tools to play there long-term. But it’s the Washington recruit’s bat that should push his rise toward Queens in the coming years.

When it comes to the New York Mets, the development of the prospects comes into the frame as New York wants to create a proper cycle of development, with the hope of creating a pipeline from the complex to Queens. If the Mets are going to do that, they’ll not only need to continue to find talent in the draft and in the international scene but develop them as well. 

The Mets have several potential breakout candidates for their system. Kevin Parada and Jett Williams could emerge as top 25 prospects this year if they live up to their draft billing. Matt Allan, with a clean bill of health, could re-emerge as New York’s best pitching prospect, and any of New York’s international players could hit the ground running when they come over to play. 

The player of intrigue, however, is Jacob Reimer. With good bat-to-ball skills and patience at the plate, the Mets getting their hands on him and working with him could help assist in his ability to unlock his power. Between unlocking his power and showing that he could stick at third base as he rises through the minor leagues, Reimer could emerge as one of the next bats emerging in an improving New York Mets system.