After their fire sale at the trade deadline last week, there is not much else for the Mets to do in 2026 but to see what they have to work with moving forward.
David Stearns has re-stocked the farm system, bringing in 13 prospects that he hopes will build the sustainability that has eluded this organization for years. The problem is that the Mets should also be contending for the postseason, at least. That has not happened, meaning the last seven weeks of the regular season will be filled with auditions, scouting, and perhaps even some major-league debuts.
Here is a look at some of New York’s top prospects and their potential ETA to the majors.
Jefferson Rojas, INF (Mets’ No. 1-ranked prospect)
The Mets’ biggest prize from the trade deadline came over from the Chicago Cubs in the deal for Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor and was immediately ranked No. 1 in the farm. The 21-year-old infielder projects better as a second or third baseman rather than a shortstop, with an average glove, but his bat remains the big ticket. He had an .800 OPS with 15 home runs and 57 RBI in 91 games at the Double-A level before his trade to the Mets. After initial concerns about a dip in getting the ball in the air, he is back to hitting with a bit more conviction. But there is still a bit more seasoning to go before he should be seriously considered for a call-up to the majors.
MLB ETA: 2027
Jonathan Santucci, LHP (No. 3-ranked prospect)
The 23-year-old left-hander’s stat line is not the most flattering. He was 3-7 with a 3.57 ERA in Double-A before getting the call-up to Triple-A Syracuse, where he has a 4.82 ERA in two starts. But Santucci leads all of minor-league baseball with 133 strikeouts this season, so there is obviously something there with his four-pitch arsenal. This has an awful lot in common with what the Mets went through with Jonah Tong over the last year. They called up the youngster after he made just two starts in Triple-A, where it was abundantly clear he needed more time in the minors. He is struggling in Triple-A, though he posted a 3.60 ERA in three appearances in the big leagues during an emergency call-up.
Like Tong, Santucci is struggling to stay in the zone consistently. He has nine walks in 9.1 Triple-A innings — a main contributor to a swollen 1.93 WHIP. Still, a late-September call-up could be in the cards if he can stabilize in Syracuse.
MLB ETA: 2026
Jacob Reimer, 1B/3B (No. 5-ranked prospect)
A groin injury added further issues to an already difficult season for the 22-year-old, who was batting just .212 with Double-A Binghamton before going on the IL in mid-June. He has four RBI in his first four games back with the Rumble Ponies, suggesting that he can get back to the kind of offensive threat he was last year when he posted an .853 OPS with nine home runs and 38 RBI in 61 games with Binghamton. Strikeouts have been a major problem this season, with 61 in 195 at-bats (31.3%). He is not the only Mets prospect with that issue right now, but that has to come down if he wants to keep climbing the minor league ladder.
MLB ETA: 2027
Mitch Voit, 2B/SS (No. 6-ranked prospect)
For a 21-year-old infielder who earlier this year was considered two, maybe even three years away from seeing the majors, Voit seems to be knocking weeks off his MLB wait every time he’s out on the field. The sample size is still significantly small, but he has been mashing against Double-A pitching since his call-up to Binghamton late last month. In 10 games (37 at-bats), he is slashing .568/.644/.892 (1.536 OPS) with one home run, seven doubles, a triple, nine RBI, and six stolen bases. At this rate, he could see Triple-A before the end of the year, and maybe Queens is just a year away, now.
MLB ETA: 2027
Ryan Clifford, 1B/OF (No. 8-ranked prospect)
The regression has been significant for the lefty slugger, who came from Houston in the Justin Verlander trade in 2023. After hitting 29 home runs with 93 RBI in 139 games with Double-A Binghamton last year, Clifford has stalled, and an alarming strikeout rate has his stat line plummeting. He is batting .185 with a .642 OPS, 16 home runs, and 50 RBI in 98 games this season, while striking out a staggering 150 times in 356 at-bats. That’s a punchout rate over 42%, and it needs to be fixed if he has any hope of seeing the big leagues.
Still, the Mets do not have a legitimate first baseman after Stearns’ disastrous decision to let Pete Alonso walk in free agency. Jorge Polanco was not the answer, Mark Vientos was not either before he got hurt, and Jared Young is a nice stopgap to get reps in more of a utility role. Clifford is supposed to be the answer here.
MLB ETA: 2027
Jack Wenninger, RHP (No. 9-ranked prospect)
Wenninger’s call-up to the big leagues this season seemed like a given earlier this season. Over his first seven starts with Triple-A Syracuse, he had a 1.08 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 33.1 innings pitched. There have been significant bumps in the road since. Over his last 13 outings, he has a 6.36 ERA and zero consistency. On July 4 against Worcester, he went seven shutout innings and allowed just one hit and three walks. In 16.1 innings of work since then, he’s allowed 17 runs on 20 hits.
Does his early-season dominance earn him a spot start or two in the majors? Considering the Mets don’t have much else to complete their rotation — veteran Robert Stock was hammered in Saturday’s loss to the Pirates — it’s a possibility.
MLB ETA: 2026
For more on the Mets, visit AMNY.com
