Mets Minor Leaguers Who Have Excelled Early

It is closing in on two weeks since the minor league baseball has all gotten underway. Among the New York Mets’ four levels of minor league system, they have had several players stand out early. Who has been the most impressive thus far?

Note, all statistics as of before play on April 13.

Eli Serrano III

One of the Mets’ better prospects through the early stages of the season has been outfielder Eli Serrano. Serrano is fourth in the Mets’ system in wRC+ at 182. Through 21 at-bats, the 6-foot-5 left-handed hitter is hitting .296 to go along with a staggering 1.013 OPS. Among his eight hits with High-A Brooklyn, three are of the extra-base variety, and, to top it off, Serrano has already stolen three bases. He will have to cut down on his high strikeout rate though, as he is striking out 22.9% of the time thus far this season.

New York drafted Serrano in the fourth round of last year’s draft. The former member of the NC Wolfpack baseball team had a .778 OPS across 63 at-bats to end the season with Single-A St. Lucie last season.

A.J. Ewing

The 20-year-old outfielder has gotten off to a terrific start for Single-A St. Lucie. A.J. Ewing leads the entire Mets system with a wRC+ of 214. He is slashing .448/.514/.690 (1.204) across 35 plate appearances. That 1.204 OPS ranks 25th of 920 qualified minor leaguers thus far this season.

The 5-foot-11 Ewing was drafted by the Mets in the fourth-round back in 2023. Between the Florida Complex League and Single-A St. Lucie last season, Ewing only posted a .751 OPS. So far this season, he has improved on that number immensely.

Chris Suero

Another member of the Brooklyn Cyclones (High-A), Chris Suero, trails only Ewing in the Mets’ system with a 209 wRC+. Suerro is hitting .346 with an OPS above 1.000 (1.162). Through his 26 early season at-bats, he already has five doubles and two home runs.

The 21-year-old Suerro is in his fourth season in the organization. He only had a .730 OPS between Single-A and High-A last season. If he sustains even a bit of his current hot start, this would surely be a break out season for the versatile Bronx, New York native, who can play catcher, first base, and the outfield

Joey Meneses

Easily the most recognizable name on this list, veteran Joey Meneses has been one of the few bright points thus far this season for Triple-A Syracuse. Through 45 at-bats, Meneses is slashing .311/.380/.556, good for a .936 OPS. Specifically, his 11 doubles leads the International League (next highest is seven) and his OPS ranks 18th among 144 qualified hitters.

Meneses, a veteran of 286 major-league at-bats across parts of three season, had a decent spring training (.733 OPS). The 32-year-old likely would not factor into the Mets’ plans at the major league level unless injuries really get the best of the big club. Though, nice to see the strong start.

Jack Wenninger

Right-handed pitcher Jack Wenninger enters the season as Metsmerized No. 29 prospect. Through two starts, Wenninger has been terrific for Double-A Binghamton. Across 10 innings, he has struck out 16 while only allowing four hits and one run. That strikeout total leads the Eastern League and his xFIP of 2.19 further shows how great he has been to start the season.

Wenninger threw 115 innings split across Single-A and High-A posting a 4.30 ERA last season. However, his performances with High-A Brooklyn were much more encouraging, as he had a 3.12 ERA and 51 strikeouts across 43 1/3 innings. The 23-year-old was a sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft.

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