The spring training countdown has officially hit 35 days for the Mets.
The club will play its first game in the Grapefruit League against the Cardinals on February 24, which will mark the beginning of the David Stearns’ era in Queens. Which by the way, should excite every single Mets fan.
In case anybody needs a reminder, Stearns has proven to be one of the best executives in all of the majors since his promotion to General Manager with the Brewers before the 2016 season. His Brewers made the postseason five times in seven seasons during his tenure, and again in 2023 after he shifted into an advisory role with the organization.
The Brewers’ success during Stearns’ tenure is directly linked to savvy moves he made as the GM. He traded Lewis Brinson, now playing in Japan, and other top prospects for Christian Yelich, who won the 2018 National League Most Valuable Player and has been a staple for the Brewers’ offense since.
Other brilliant adds from Stearns include acquiring Freddy Peralta for Adam Lind, signing Avisaíl García to a short-term deal, and bringing in Yasmani Grandal, who clubbed 26 homers and made the All-Star team in his one year in Milwaukee. You can read more about Stearns’ tenure with the Brewers here on Metsmerized.
Stearns’s success is undeniable. And it will carry over to Queens. But he has work to do with the system he was left. The Mets have multiple top prospects waiting in the upper levels, and with 2024 being an evaluation year, Stearns could call upon certain prospects to debut in Queens this season.
Here are my top five prospects that could make an impact on the 2024 roster.
5. Christian Scott
Christian Scott is the first and debatably most exciting starting pitcher on this list.
Scott made headlines last season in the minors for the Mets. After making a rehab start in St. Lucie to start the season, the righty soared through Brooklyn with a 2.28 ERA and then dominated again in Double-A with a 2.47 ERA in 62 innings.
Run prevention wasn’t the only aspect of the game Scott dominated. The former Gator struck out the competition, recording 11.2 strikeouts per nine behind his 93-96 mile per hour fastball and 82 miles per hour slider, which he credits to Max Scherzer after watching video of the former Met during the offseason.
The stuff is legit. Enough so that Stearns spoke about Scott and his stuff in an interview with Andy Martino.
“[i]t’s three very good pitches. It competes at a high level. It’s swing-and-miss stuff. All the things that you look for in potentially top-end starters, he has.”
The third pitch Stearns spoke of is Scott’s changeup. As of now, it’s primarily thrown to left-handers and “doesn’t do much but change speeds,” according to MLB.com.
One major reason that Scott is also listed here is his command. He walked only twelve batters in 83 1/3 innings between Single-A and Double-A last season, while also posting a combined 0.82 WHIP in both leagues.
Scott lands at five due to one final test left. The right-hander hasn’t pitched in Triple-A in his career and will turn 25 years old this June. The stuff to dominate is there, and if Scott can succeed in Syracuse this season, then the 88th-overall prospect (Baseball Prospectus) could be starting games in Queens in 2024.
4. Nate Lavender
Like Scott, Nate Lavender had a breakthrough year in the minors last season.
The left-hander recorded a 1.74 ERA in 10 1/3 innings in Double-A, and was then rewarded with a call-up to Syracuse. Lavender continued his success throughout the Triple-A season, recording a 3.27 ERA and 13.7 K/9 in 44 innings.
Lavender isn’t a flamethrower like Scott, who reached 98 miles per hour last season. The reliever sits at 91-92 miles per hour on his four-seam, but takes advantage of an abnormal arm slot to deceive batters. The fastball is his bread and butter, which he threw 66 percent of the time in…
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