14 Mets Prospects To Watch Beyond The Top 30

The Mets Top 30 prospects rankings are up now for Baseball America subscribers, with full scouting reports, BA grades and tools grade projections for all 30 players.

Through the process of narrowing the list down to a Top 30, there are other intriguing names who didn’t make the cut but are worth monitoring, with the potential to jump into the Top 30 in the future. Some of those are players who might be in the upper levels and could see big league time this year, though likely in a limited role, while others are lower-level players still in the complex leagues with more upside but plenty of risk.

Beyond the Top 30, these are 14 prospects to watch in New York’s farm system.

Zach Greene, RHP. A Rule 5 pick from the Yankees, the 26-year-old Greene spent the entirety of his fourth pro season in 2022 at Triple-A. His low-90s four-seamer has riding life and heavy cut from a low angle of release. His sweeping slider at 78-80 mph is also a swing-and-miss pitch. Greene could fit in low-leverage relief.

Eric Orze, RHP. Orze touched Triple-A in his pro debut season in 2021 and returned there in 2022. He throws his low-80s splitter as his primary pitch. It has tumbling action and draws swings-and-misses about half the time it is thrown. Orze’s low-90s fastball tops out at 96 mph but tends to get hit hard. He could make his MLB debut as a low-leverage reliever in 2023.

J.T. Schwartz, 1B. Drafted in the fourth round in 2021 out of UCLA, Schwartz has hitting pedigree but must develop power to profile as a pro first baseman. He hit just six homers and slugged .400 in 109 games for High-A Brooklyn in 2022, but beneath the surface his exit velocity data has improved.

Kevin Kendall, 2B/SS. The athletic 2021 seventh-rounder out of UCLA missed all but three games in 2022 with a thumb injury and then didn’t hit in the Arizona Fall League. Kendall gets a mulligan based on his encouraging 2021 pro debut. He has the potential to develop into a utility player who stands out for his on-base ability, speed, athleticism and versatility. 

Daviel Hurtado. The Mets signed Hurtado, a 19-year-old Cuban lefthander, in January. He is a strike-throwing machine who works with a three-pitch mix headlined by a fastball that gets up to the mid 90s and a promising curveball. 

Wyatt Young, 2B. A 15th-round pick out of Pepperdine in 2021, Young is the epitome of the short, scrappy middle infielder who lacks tools but gets results. The 5-foot-7 lefthanded hitter spent most of his full-season debut at Double-A last season and posted a .369 on-base percentage. Young’s power is not a factor and he doesn’t throw particularly well. Improving his defense is a key developmental focus.

Stanley Consuegra, OF. The 21-year-old has exciting raw power and arm strength but faces major hit tool questions. Consuegra spent half of 2022 in High-A Brooklyn, turning in his second healthy pro season out of six.  

Omar De Los Santos, OF. Just two minor leaguers stole more bases in 2022 than De Los Santos (70), the Low-A Florida State League MVP. He has some power but significant bat risk keyed by high rates of zone miss and chase. 

Bryce Montes de Oca, RHP. The 6-foot-7 reliever pitches at 97-99 mph and regularly hits triple digits. The 26-year-old made his MLB debut in 2022 as a low-leverage reliever, which appears to be his ceiling because of poor control. 

Stephen Ridings, RHP. The Mets claimed the 27-year-old on waivers from the Yankees in November, drawn to the 6-foot-8 reliever’s high-90s fastball with riding life and short slider. Ridings spent nearly all of 2022 on the injured list.

Vincent Perozo, C. The 19-year-old lefthanded-hitting catcher has bat speed and nice raw power, but poor swing decisions undermine his productivity. He is not a lock to stick at catcher, where he is a fringe defender with an average arm.  

Jeffrey Colon, RHP. Colon developed a cutter and added velocity—he now sits in the low 90s—to salvage his career at Low-A St. Lucie. With long limbs and athleticism, he throws a steep fastball with fringe breaking pitches and a changeup.

Junior Tilien, SS/2B. A steady middle infielder with bat-to-ball skill if not exciting raw tools, Tilien compiled a .717 OPS in the Low-A Florida State League, third-best for a qualified teenager. 

William Woods, RHP. A November waiver claim from the Braves, Woods made his MLB debut as a 23-year-old reliever in 2022. He throws a solid-average mid-90s fastball and above-average slider. He was outrighted to Triple-A in January, so he will have to pitch his way back onto the Mets’ 40-man roster.