President of baseball operations David Stearns has stated that part of the Mets’ strategy this year is to provide young players with a pathway to big-league success as they assemble their team for 2024.
Francisco Álvarez behind the plate, Brett Baty at third base, and maybe Mark Vientos at first base, third base, and designated hitter will all likely see consistent playing time as a result.
It also entails taking a peek at certain farm system prospects who are rising to the top and poised to enter the major leagues.
Since the Mets have avoided free agents tied to qualifying offers and have been picky about which prospects they would give up in deals, this has been a part of their organizational plan for the past couple of years.
The wait will soon pay off, as I predict that many indigenous talent—whether or not they are highly regarded prospects—will have possibilities in Queens by 2024.
The following five prospects have the potential to affect the 2024 Mets:
OF Drew Gilbert
Stearns acknowledged that the prospect who was the centerpiece of the transaction that brought Justin Verlander to the Astros will begin the 2024 season in Triple-A.
After joining the Mets system, Gilbert immediately made an impact, leading Double-A Binghamton in batting average (.984).
With Starling Marte’s injury danger and Harrison Bader, a defense-first player who could easily move into a fourth outfield role, the Mets now have an outfield scenario that presents a chance for a player from the farm system to get into the starting lineup this season.
Gilbert is the most suitable for this role since he can play all three outfield positions and has the arm and range necessary to cover right field and center field.
This kind of player puts in a lot of effort, has a good baseball IQ, and does everything well even if he might not possess any one exceptional quality.
Gilbert is someone I could see going up in the first part of the season and getting work as an almost daily outfielder if he performs at the Triple-A level.
INF Luisangel Acuña
Acuña has everything going for him, even though the return in the Max Scherzer deal might not have nearly as obvious a route to a call-up as Gilbert’s did.
From a roster management perspective, a call-up is made easier because he is already on the 40-man roster. It is anticipated that he will start the season at Triple-A.
He doesn’t have much home run power offensively, but he is a bat-to-ball hitter with developing plate discipline. He has 30-plus stolen base potential at the next level, demonstrating his great athleticism on the basepaths.
Right now, his route isn’t quite obvious when it comes to the defensive end of things. The majority of scouts think that second base will be his permanent home.
Currently, Jeff McNeil will mostly play second base for the Mets, but he is versatile enough to play third base or the outfield if Acuña puts pressure on him.
RHP Christian Scott
As the best pitching prospect in the Mets system for SNY moving into the 2024 season, Scott was named the Mets’ 2023 organizational pitcher of the year.
He pitched for the Mets at three different levels, all the way up to Double-A. In eight7.2 innings, with 107 strikeouts and just 12 walks, he posted a 2.57 ERA in 19 starts.
The former University of Florida fifth-round pick was more of a sinker/slider pitcher who pitched to contact while serving as a reliever in college.
After a few years in pro ball, the Mets turned him into a starter, and it appears like he has finally found his calling. His fastball sits between 93 and 95 mph, with a commanding touch of 98. His second slider pitch is a swing-and-miss offering, and he is now fine-tuning his third pitch to be average or above.
Scott is still learning how to start and has a young arm because he hasn’t put many innings on it. He has demonstrated a strong blend of pitch prowess and insightful analytics checking out.
According to one scout, Scott might be the first pitcher in the organization’s top prospects class to reach the major leagues in 2024. Scott will start the season in either Triple-A or Double-A, depending on how the rosters come together.
Scott and the others will get an opportunity to see the field this summer because of the offseason short-term additions made to the rotation.
RHP Mike Vasil
The first person that comes to mind when I say others is Vasil, who has already attained Triple-A. Vasil dropped out of the 2018 MLB Draft, where he was rated as one of the top 25 prospects, in order to honor his vow to Virginia.
His collegiate career did not go as planned, since he had high expectations of being selected first overall. He was selected by the Mets in the eighth round of the 2021 draft
Virginia, like Scott, had altered Vasil’s repertoire so that his main pitch was a sinker, which he used more often to make contact and induce ground balls. With a four-seam fastball that can reach 96 mph, the Mets returned him to his high school repertoire when he was acquired.
He offers a cutter, curveball, and change-up as his three secondary weapons in addition to his fastball. Vasil may not have a true plus pitch, but he can locate a good four-pitch mix.
In Triple-A, he did saw an increase in walks; however, some of that was due to getting used to the automated balls and strike system (ABS), which is still being refined at the minor league level. Though, as you have seen this offseason, No. 4 starters are making upwards of $14–16 million per season, he may project more as a No. 4 type of starter.
He’ll open the season at Triple-A and be just a phone call away should a need arise in the rotation.
RHP Hamel Dominic
I’ve had a strong like for Hamel for a long time since, in my opinion, he has many traits with former Met Seth Lugo.
Hamel is a skilled ball spinner, possessing a high-spin mid-90s fastball that can generate a 20-inch vertical break. The ball appears to be climbing toward the batter because of the vertical split, which also helps it miss the bat barrel.
His 3,000-rpm slider, which he can throw between 82 and 84 mph and cause swings and misses, may be his greatest pitch.
This year, he added a cutter to his repertoire. However, both pitches require improvement to become a trustworthy third pitch.
Hamel has all the tools needed to be a starting pitcher in the major leagues, but he will need to put them all together.
The bullpen is another area that the Mets still need to improve. Furthermore, the Mets must begin cultivating their own relievers even if they want to acquire players from outside the club.
If Hamel does not make the necessary progress with his third and fourth pitches, he can become a potential high-leverage reliever with the versatility to pitch numerous innings with mostly his fastball and slider. He is a bulldog on the mound who relentlessly pursues batters, and he has the demeanor and confidence of a reliever.
Though I think Hamel will open the season at Triple-A as part of the rotation, the bullpen might possibly see a promotion at some point this year, giving the Mets something they haven’t had in a while: a real homegrown reliever.