Two Under-the-Radar Mets Prospects to Look Out For at Each Level

The Mets have interesting prospects at every level. Here is one under-the-radar pitcher and hitter to follow in 2026 at the start of the minor league season!

Syracuse Mets

Hitter: Nick Morabito

This may be cheating a bit, as most people probably know Nick Morabito by now, but by the time a prospect gets to Triple-A, they have done enough to be recognized. If Morabito makes the majors, it will be through his glove, though some analysts disagree about how strong he is in center field. He has enough speed that he should be capable there as a fourth outfielder, but likely not as an everyday option. He is a high-contact bat that has not shown much power, though he did manage to hit a single ball 111.8 miles per hour in the Arizona Fall League. His true value is in his defense and base-running.

Pitcher: Jonathan Pintaro

Jonathan Pintaro already got a cup of coffee in the majors last season, coming straight up from Double-A Binghamton. He profiles similarly to Michael King in that they throw from the same arm angle, with a similar pitch mix and movement profile. The big difference is that King tunnels much better and has better overall control, and Pintaro throws a cutter while King throws a slider. Pintaro has three plus-rated pitches that he generates a significant amount of swing and misses off of, rating in the 95th percentile in whiff rate in 2025. He is probably more of a swing man because of his poor control, but if he could ever fix that, his ceiling could be a mid-rotation starter, though that would be a very high percentile outcome.

Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Hitter: Marco Vargas

When the Mets acquired Marco Vargas, he looked like he could potentially be a rising star. Two injury-plagued seasons with some bad results, though, have diminished that outlook. It is unclear if he could really handle shortstop everyday at the major league level anymore, and as a second baseman, his value does take a bit of a hit. He does not have much power in his bat, so his hit tool is what will lead him. Analysts are divided on whether his hit tool issues in 2025 came just from his injuries or if they are lingering issues for the future, which is why he is someone to watch in 2026. If he is an 85-86% contact rate hitter or better, there is reason for optimism. If Vargas is an 81-82% contact rate hitter again, there is reason for concern. But his speed, ability to take walks, low swing-and-miss rate and defensive versatility in the infield could still help him forge his way to the majors as a light-hitting utility player like Luis Guillorme. The best comp I have heard for Vargas is Chase Meidroth from the Chicago White Sox.

Pitcher: Ben Simon

Ben Simon is a very interesting pitcher who could potentially join the Mets’ bullpen at some point in 2026. In spring training, he had two different fastball shapes, which he tunneled with his changeup. He also threw a slider, which he tunneled with his cutter. He does not seem to be throwing a curveball anymore, and his new slider is much tighter than the one he threw when he was drafted. Simon has added velocity over the last few years, touching 99 mph, has dropped down his arm angle to get more horizontal break, and has greatly improved his ability to tunnel pitches. He does not always know where the ball is going, but he still excels at generating swing and misses.

Brooklyn Cyclones

Hitter: Ronald Hernandez

Ronald Hernandez has struggles offensively with both poor contact rates and poor power metrics, but he has a plus glove, which for a catcher could be enough to bring him to the majors as a defensive-minded backup catcher, similar to Hayden Senger in 2025 or Tomás Nido before him. He does not have great sprint speed, but he did manage to swipe 23 bags in 2025. He does pull the ball, but he struggles to lift it, so maybe there could be some more to unlock with the bat.

Pitcher: Irving Cota

Irving Cota profiles like the old-school pitchers your dad probably loves. He does not have elite velocity or wipe out swing-and-miss stuff, but he has some of the best control in the Mets’ system and can command five pitches with ease. He is a rare pitcher that has a curveball as his primary offering, similar to Charlie Morton and Adam Wainwright. Morton threw from a much lower arm angle, but Wainwright’s was similar. None of Cota’s pitches truly profile as “plus” from a stuff perspective, but his ability to place them where he wants should help him limit hard contact.

St. Lucie Mets

Hitter: Randy Guzman

Randy Guzman, younger brother of former Rangers first baseman Ronald Guzman, reached Low-A in 2025 and may be the best power prospect in the Mets system not named Ryan Clifford. The chase rate is a concern, but his contact is consistently loud. His 90th-percentile EV of 108.8 MPH ranked in the 100th percentile in Low-A, with a 91.3 MPH Average EV (95th percentile) and 111.9 MPH Max EV (92nd percentile). His 82% zone-contact was above average, but a 5.6% walk rate and 4th-percentile selectivity underscore his aggressiveness. Better discipline will be essential against upper-level breaking balls. Defensively, Guzman profiles as a first baseman long term, with some corner outfield and third base reps potentially mixed in. If he keeps refining his approach, he could climb these rankings quickly.

Pitcher: Cam Tilly

Cam Tilly is one of the many high-slot pitchers in the Mets system that throws a plus splitter. Baseball America rates his splitter as a 70-grade pitch. His sweeper also rates well above average and he has a good fastball that comes in at 92-94 mph and tops out at 97 mph. His control needs to improve for him to remain a starter, and increasing the fastball velocity could elevate all of his stuff. It will be exciting to see what the Mets can do with his already high floor.

St. Lucie Mets

Hitter: Edward Lantigua

Edward Lantigua was the Mets’ top IFA signing in 2024, and while the power has yet to develop, he just turned 19 in November. This season will show if that power is starting to develop as he continues to fill out. He looked to have put on muscle when he showed up to camp this year. He hit .288 in the Florida Complex League last year and looks like he could have a 50-grade hit tool. This is interesting because when he first signed, it was believed he would be a power-over-hit player. To this point, however, he has been the opposite. Lantigua is currently a center fielder, but he could move to a corner spot if he continues to bulk up. It is exciting that we will have Statcast data for him in St. Lucie so we can see his exit velocities and zone-contact rate.

Pitcher: Camden Lohman

You may notice a bit of a pattern here of the Mets signing high-slot pitchers with good splitters. The organization is showing that they have the right personnel in place to develop these types of pitcher, and they have been skyrocketing through the system. In the majors, the Mets already look like they may have helped Tobias Myers take a step forward, and at this moment, they profile somewhat similarly. While Lohman was drafted in the eighth round in 2025, he signed for the third-highest bonus of the draft class, and in January, he took part in the Mets’ “Top Guns” pitching development camp. Lohman is the type of pitcher that could skyrocket up the system in 2025.

Dominican Summer League

Hitter: Cleiner Ramirez

As someone who is not the tallest person, I had to shout out at least one short king, and recent international free agent signing Cleiner Ramirez is one of them at 5′ 9″. He has exceptional bat speed, good pitch recognition and plate discipline, and has been showing gains with his power. Defensively, he has shown versatility across the diamond and could profile well at either shortstop or center field. This will be his first taste of pro ball, which is a big step at such a young age. We saw how it took Elian Peña a few weeks to adjust, so we should be patient with Ramirez too.

Pitcher: Yordan Rodriguez

Yordan Rodriguez was the return for Jeff McNeil in the trade with the Athletics this past offseason, and while every pitcher at his level is arguably a bit of a lottery ticket, there are plenty of reasons to be excited and optimistic about him. Rodriguez has good feel for his changeup and curveball and has enough weapons behind his fastball that he may be able to develop as a starter. His fastball has topped out at 97 mph and he has good extension, which helps that velocity play up even more. He has had good feel for spin too, with his slider topping out around 2,800 RPM. He is a very interesting pitcher who has the stuff to shoot up the system at such a young age if he can improve his control.

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