Jonah Tong, Ryan Clifford Shine in Spring Breakout
Looking toward the future can be fun, especially in baseball. It allows you to get lost in hypotheticals and dream scenarios. One can dream about their favorite prospects turning into superstars and leading the major league ballclub to the playoffs and championships.
For the New York Mets, the Spring Breakout game showed a glimpse into what could be a very exciting future for the team.
On the offensive side of the ball, the breakout performer was third baseman Boston Baro. Selected in the eighth round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Baro has already shown off an impressive hitting tool in the minor leagues. Posting a 122 wRC+ and a .288 average in the Florida State League, Baro set a good foundation for him to build off of in 2025. Against some tough Washington pitching, Baro did just that.
In his first at-bat, the 20-year-old took an Alex Clemmey fastball opposite field for a home run, which gave the Mets a 1-0 lead. It was an impressive swing from Baro that displayed untapped potential. With more power added to his style of play and projection, Baro could become one of the best overall hitting prospects in the majors if he can put it all together. Baro finished his day 2-for-3.
Check out MMO’s prospect ranking of Baro here.
Boston Baro got the scoring started for the Mets at their Spring Breakout game versus Washington.
Baro was an 8th round pick in 2023. Had a .748 OPS between Single and High-A last year.
1-0 Mets, top 3. pic.twitter.com/4hb1KCdFyQ
— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 16, 2025
The most impressive singular play during the game was Ryan Clifford’s mammoth home run to break the game wide open. Facing a lefty on the mound, Clifford smoked a fastball off the batter’s eye in dead center field. The home run had an estimated exit velocity of 106 mph and went an estimated 449 feet.
Check out MMO’s prospect ranking of Clifford here.
Monster shot courtesy of Ryan Clifford scores two more for the Mets.
Clifford, only 21 years old, had an .815 OPS and 18 home runs with Double-A Binghamton last season.
5-0 Mets, top 5.pic.twitter.com/icn0G2gmqi
— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 16, 2025
Clifford spoke about his home run after the game, saying it “always feels good to put a good swing on one like that and help the team win.” The young first baseman also spoke about the experience he gained from the major league camp.
“It was cool to watch the guys’ day-to-day work. Just the environment there; they are ready for the season to start and get after it, as all of us are. Coming off of a season like last year, it is going to be fun to watch them and see how they work together.”
Additionally, Clifford said that he picked the brain of outfielder Jesse Winker the most, mainly because the two shared similar approaches at the plate and Winker “being a great guy overall.”
PITCHING
On the pitching side of things, Jonah Tong was the most impressive player in this game. Relief pitcher Ryan Lambert did hit triple digits on the radar gun, but Tong surpassed him in terms of consistency during the game. His fastball reached 97 mph and he got multiple whiffs on his breaking stuff as well.
Tong, the second-highest-ranked pitching prospect in the Mets’ farm system, consistently worked his way around trouble and had a very impressive display of pitches. His off-speed pitches were on point, especially his curveball. And when it came to his fastball, Tong was either blowing it by batters or using it to buckle hitters at the knees. Simply put, the prospect quickly found his A-game and put it to good use.
Check out MMO’s prospect ranking of Tong here.
Jonah Tong, the @Mets' No. 6 prospect, was sharp in his #SpringBreakout start:
2 IP
1 H
0 R
2 BB
3 K pic.twitter.com/FL3933exIb— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 16, 2025
For the longest time, fans of the New York Mets did not have hope. Whether it was the farm system, the major leagues, or anywhere in between, there was always a big chance that something could go wrong. The “generational” prospects did not work out, the depth never materialized, and the team was always stuck in the same place.
In the modern era of Mets baseball, that is not the case. Along with a great major league roster, there seems to be much more steady and encouraging development in the minor leagues. New York has a plan on how to develop their young players, and the results are being seen consistently.
Sunday night was the most significant glimpse the average Mets fan has had at some of the team’s best prospects. They had a chance to see what the team’s future could look like if everything keeps going according to plan. And while there will be bumps in the road, one thing is certain: the New York Mets have a lot of young talent, and plenty of it is on the right path to Queens.
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