Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
At the beginning of the 2025 season, the Mets were many people's favorites to make a deep run into October. They had a deep and powerful lineup, a lot of depth in their rotation, and a solid bullpen, not to mention a very good farm system in case they wanted to spend some prospect capital on a trade deadline acquisition. The first half was pretty good for them, with a 55-42 record, the Mets found themselves battling the Phillies for first place in the NL East. They were well-positioned to buy some pieces at the deadline and did so, acquiring Cedric Mullins, Ryan Helsley, and Tyler Rogers to fill some gaps. Little did they know, they would fall back to the pack, going 28-37 the rest of the way, missing the playoffs.
Fast forward to the offseason, where three long-time core players have all found new homes: Edwin Diaz (signed with the Dodgers), Pete Alonso (signed with the Orioles), and Brandon Nimmo (traded to the Rangers). Uncle Steve and David Stearns have seemingly tightened the purse strings and are choosing a different path to contention, one that is unclear at the time of writing. Whatever it is, it involves reducing some payroll for the time being and letting franchise icons leave the Mets family.
With the losses of Alonso and Nimmo and the additions of Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco, this lineup will look very different. The dynamic duo of Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor is as potent as any 1-2 punch in the league. It won't be these two that make or break the Mets in 2026 and beyond; it will be the supporting cast. This group includes slugging catcher Francisco Alvarez, third baseman Brett Baty, slugging corner infielder Mark Vientos, and the trustworthy Jeff McNeil.
The rotation is very interesting as the dynamic has shifted for the Mets. They are now led by youngsters Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong, the former of whom pitched extremely well in his eight big league starts. The veterans have taken a back seat, but can still be valuable pieces for the Mets and your dynasty rosters. Kodai Senga, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, Tylor Megill, and Sean Manaea can all go on multi-start runs where they are dominant starters. Don't forget that the Mets also have Christian Scott, who should be back with the team early in the season. There is a lot of depth, but no clear hierarchy. The bullpen will look very different with Devin Williams stepping in for Edwin Diaz. The arms leading to him are less proven than in previous seasons, which might prove to be a weakness for this club.
Several prospects have arrived in the upper minors and deserve mention. Carson Benge should get every opportunity to be the everyday centerfielder in Queens right out of Spring Training, as the Mets do not have anyone in his way. Ryan Clifford made big-time improvements in 2025 and now looks like a legitimate slugging first baseman/corner outfielder at the highest level. Jett Williams, Jacob Reimer, and A.J. Ewing round out a quintet of notable upper-minor hitters who could have relevance for the Mets in 2026 and beyond. Don't sleep on low-level prospects like Mitch Voit and Elian Pena either; they both have dynasty value that should grow steadily. On the pitching side, aside from McLean and Tong, the Mets have a number of young arms who have made strides under the Stearns regime. Brandon Sproat, Jack Wenninger, and Jonathan Santucci are three of many names to remember.
This team could still very well be a playoff contender, but there is no doubt the losses of Polar Pete, Brandon Nimmo, and Edwin Diaz will be tough to replace.
Clifford may be one of the most overshadowed prospects in the Mets’ system right now. While all the hype is on Carson Benge potentially earning a big league job on Opening Day, with Brandon Nimmo getting traded to the Rangers and the Mets shopping Jeff McNeil as well, there’s room for Ryan Clifford to play in the big leagues sooner rather than later as well. Benge is a great prospect who rose all the way to Triple-A, and while he didn’t hit well there, his .271 wOBA in 24 games massively underperformed his .376 xwOBA. Similarly, Clifford played 34 games there in 2025, and his .348 wOBA underperformed his .373 xwOBA. Clifford is also exactly six months younger than Benge and has shown more power upside, with higher EVs and better air-pull rates.
Will Watson
Watson was drafted by the Mets in the 7th round of the 2024 MLB draft, and in his first full pro season, he worked his way up from Single-A to Double-A and posted a 2.60 ERA and a 3.53 FIP in 121.1 IP across three levels in 2025. He has great stuff, headlined by a 95 mph fastball with 17” iVB that comes in from a low 5.3’ release height. He also throws a slider that sits 86, a changeup that sits 88 (with good separation from his heater), a cutter, and a sinker. His main issue right now is his command (he walked 11.6% of batters faced in 2025), but it’s manageable given his strong strikeout stuff, and since he’s currently unranked on our dynasty prospect rankings, he has a lot of upside for someone so cheap to acquire.
Dynasty Sells
Mark Vientos
In 2024, Vientos broke out to the tune of a .266/.322/.516 slash line (132 wRC+), but afterwards, he was seen by some as a sell candidate due to his poor plate discipline and batted ball luck going in his favor that year. Those who sold him were somewhat rewarded, as Vientos followed up his 2024 campaign with a .233/.289/.413 slash line (97 wRC+) in 2025, and hit ten fewer homers despite playing ten more games. Meanwhile, his plate discipline didn’t get much better, and his bat speed actually went down by about half a tick. Vientos is one of the worst third basemen in baseball defensively, and is likely getting bumped to 1B/DH due to Brett Baty coming into his own offensively. Vientos would really have to mash to be viable there, and it’s hard to see him doing that when he’s shown declining offensive production.
Clay Holmes
Holmes received an opportunity with the Mets to convert into a starter in 2025, and he looked to be excelling in that role: through his first 8 starts, he posted a 2.74 ERA and a 2.64 FIP over 42.2 innings, with three quality starts. He slowed down the rest of the way, however, with a 3.80 ERA and a 4.61 FIP, and struggled enough that he was moved to the bullpen for a couple of outings near the end of the year. The decline was led by a tank in his strikeout rate, which went from 24.7% in the first 8 starts to just 16.0% the rest of the way. Holmes is projected to be in the rotation again in 2026, and while there’s still a chance he starts off strong again, he’s someone who could be sold high on in May or June, as he doesn’t seem to have the stamina necessary to sustain a full season of starting.
Top Fantasy Prospects
Players are in order of their fantasy prospect ranking from our September end of season list.
After spending two seasons developing as a two-way player, Nolan McLean set his bat down for good in 2025 to focus exclusively on pitching, and boy, did it pay dividends! McLean forced a promotion to New York with a dominant run in the upper minors, and quickly announced his presence with 5.1 shutout innings and 8 strikeouts against the Mariners on August 16th. By the time the season ended, McLean had accumulated 48 major league innings and had become the de facto ace of the New York Mets. He has an elite ability to keep the ball on the ground and an arsenal of six pitches that he uses to keep hitters off balance. If there’s cause for concern, it’s with McLean’s struggles to get lefties out. While McLean limited batted ball damage versus lefties, 13 of McLean’s 16 walks issued in the majors were to left-handed batters. Even still, it’s easy to be bullish on the former third-round pick out of Oklahoma State, especially considering this was just his first season focusing on pitching full-time. - David Gofman
With his outstanding performance, Benge became one of the biggest helium prospects of the 2025 season. The foundation was already in place for him to be a solid hitter, but he leveled up in a major way this year. At Triple-A, he posted a 53% hard-hit rate while maintaining excellent contact skills. He added 22 steals and 15 home runs during the season, showcasing the early makings of a true five-tool player at the big-league level. Even if one tool slumps, the others can carry his value. He walks enough to profile near the top of a lineup, and if he continues to reach base at a 38% clip, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to run. Early reports suggest he could compete for an Opening Day roster spot in 2026. Benge now finds himself on prospect lists alongside long-established names—and there’s every reason to buy into what he’s doing. - Tom Gates
Jett Williams was a force to be reckoned with at Double-A, slashing .281/.390/.477 (156 wRC+) in 96 games, and hit 10 home runs and stole 32 bases while bouncing around between shortstop, center field, and second base. His offensive numbers regressed to a .209/.285/.433 slash (81 wRC+) upon promotion to Triple-A, but his .307 xwOBA was closer to average for the level, and he should have overperformed it based on his strong 23.8% air pull rate. It’s unclear where Jett will play once he reaches the majors, as the two middle infield spots are held by franchise cornerstone Francisco Lindor and the newly-acquired Marcus Semien. He could slot in at center field, but the Mets are more likely to hand over the keys to Carson Benge and give him some runway first. The most likely outcome is that Jett is the replacement for Jeff McNeil, where he gets playing time at all three positions in addition to left field in a super utility role. Keep a close eye on what the Mets do this offseason to see if Jett's opportunity changes. - Raj Mehta
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
A Giants fan living in San Diego, been playing fantasy baseball since 2005 and dynasty since 2021. Started the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast in June 2023 and joined Prospects Live in March of 2024.
Dynasty player of 10+ years. Helping you find the building blocks of your championship rosters as a co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023, joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
Director of Amateur Scouting, proud to lead and share the team's work. | Check out Path to the Show on Bally Sports Live and College Baseball Now everywhere! | Grateful for family, the Vols, and everyone who reads Prospects Live. | For His Glory.
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
