To say last season was disappointing for the Mets would be an understatement. This team was one of the favorites to win the NL East last season and the World Series. However, the team came nowhere close to that finishing with a 75-87 record, nine games back of the final wild card, and 29 games back of the division. Not just that but the Mets did something unthinkable this time last season, being sellers at the deadline.
With the 2024 season looking to be one of transition for the Mets, many fans have looked to this brand-new top-farm system for hope for the future. However, the Mets aren’t years away from seeing some of their prospects make the majors. Several prospects could have a major impact on the Mets’ 2024 season.
Mike Vasil
Embed from Getty ImagesOne of the few positives of the 2023 season, is the Mets were able to open their state-of-the-art pitching lab. Something that has become a necessity for any major league franchise. This has had a major impact on a lot of the pitchers in the organization, however none more so than Mike Vasil.
Vasil was an 8th-round pick back in the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Virginia. Once in their system they immediately got to work on his pitching mechanics. They made this delivery more athletic which has helped him a lot in his career. The Mets even changed which pitches he threw, scrapping his two-seam fastball, and reworking his four-seamer. All of these changes have caused Vasil to get better each season.
Last season Vasil put himself on Mets fans’ radars with a strong start in Double-A Binghamton. In 51 innings he pitched to a 3.71 ERA with 57 strikeouts and eight walks. This was good enough to give him a promotion to Triple-A. Although not as dominant he still put together a respectable season. With questions at the back end of this Mets rotation, if Vasil puts on a strong showing in Triple-A, he could get another promotion fast.
Chrisitan Scott
Vasil isn’t the only pitcher the Mets have making noise in the minors. Former 5th-round pick in 2021 Christian Scott showed last season, that he deserves to get some hype around him. Starting the season in Brooklyn he pitched 23.2 innings to a 2.28 ERA with 27 strikeouts and four walks. This was good enough to get him promoted to Double-A Binghamton, where his strong start continued.
Scott’s success has been credited to his ability to control the ball. His control took a major step forward in 2023 which is why we saw him with career-best numbers. Now although he’s got his control lockdown he is still not guaranteed to be a starter. He’s going to need a third pitch in order to have the potential of a starter.
However, as is the case with Vasil with the back end of the Mets rotation being full of questions, a strong start in the minors, or start to the season could see Scott get promoted to Queens. There is also the chance the Mets might want to use him in the bullpen early on in the season as a guy who eats innings—essentially being a swing man in the rotation and bullpen. What Trevor Williams was so good at in the 2022 season.
Jett Williams
No Mets prospects had a better season than Jett Williams. Williams was seen as a guy who had a lot of upside and potential but was definitely a long-term project. He was seen as a couple of seasons away from making a major league impact. However, after a strong 2023 season, there are talks of him being called up as soon as possible.
Williams started last season in Single-A Port St.Luice. It was expected he would be in St.Luice for the entirety of the season. He might get a cup of coffee at a higher level but nothing crazy. Williams thrived at getting on base posting a .422 on-base percentage through 79 games. This was good enough to get his promotion to Brooklyn. It was his time in Brooklyn that made Williams a household name. In 36 games he slashed .299/.451/.567 with a 1.018 OPS as well as seven home runs and 18 RBIs.
His time in Brooklyn gave him another promotion, this time to Double-A Binghamton. If Williams can repeat the season he had last year he will be in Queens by the end of the season. The only thing Williams has to work out is learning a new position. He’s played most of his time as a shortstop and Francisco Lindor has that locked down for the foreseeable future. His best bet is to learn an outfield position.
Luisangel Acuna
The reason why the Mets are paying 35 of the remaining 58 million of Max Scherzer’s contract is the promise Luisangel Acuna shows. Acuna who is the younger brother of Braves Superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. has been talked about since he was signed out of Venezuela at 18. He showed so much promise that upon acquisition he became the Mets’ number one prospect.
Acuna spent the first half of the season playing for the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. In 84 games he slashed .315/.377/.453 good for a .830 OPS with seven home runs and 51 RBIs. His numbers did take a bit of a hit when he was acquired by the Mets but that’s to be expected when young players come to a new team.
Acuna probably needs a little more time in the minors. He probably should spend about a quarter to half the season in Triple-A, probably longer to be safe. However if Acuna gets off to a hot start, and the Mets struggle out of the gates. We could see Acuna get called up earlier than expected.
Thanks for reading! Credit for my feature image goes to Eliot J. Schechter. You can find more MLB content at Belly Up Sports and follow me on Twitter.
