Reviewing the Mets Minors During June
Credit: USA TODAY Sports/Treated by SNY
With June coming to a close, Major League Baseball’s minor leagues are halfway through their annual season.
While there are still three more months to go, it’s worth reviewing how the New York Mets minors have performed. As well as how have their top prospects fared, which players can contribute to the big leagues, and which players could be traded before or during the July 31 trade deadline?
One player that will unquestionably remain with New York past the deadline is catcher Francisco Álvarez. Partly due to Alvarez’s pedigree as baseball’s best catching prospect now that Adley Rutschman and Gabriel Moreno have reached the big leagues. Mainly, though because there is no star brighter in the Mets minors than Álvarez.
Through 24 games this month with Double-AA Binghamton, Álvarez has a .284 batting average, and a 1.072 on-base plus slugging (OPS) with 10 home runs and 24 runs batted in (RBI). Those numbers have propelled Álvarez to first on the team in slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases, while he is second on the team in batting average and on-base percentage (OBP) among active players.
What makes Álvarez's ascension so impressive is at 20 years old, the catcher is four years younger than the average position player in Double-AA. Even amongst his teammates, Álvarez is the youngest player on the team. Yet despite that, he is by far the team's best player.
In addition to his youth, the catcher has excelled despite the struggles of the offense around him. Binghamton is below-average in team RBI, home runs, batting average, OBP, and slugging while striking out the third-most in the Eastern League. Because of this, opposing teams can theoretically avoid Álvarez, yet he still continues to post incredible numbers.
Another player excelling with Binghamton in June is third baseman, Brett Baty. The 2019 first-rounder touts a tremendous .321/430/.513 slash line with a .942 OPS in 23 games. Baty also boasted a 16-game hitting streak in June, which saw him hit .355 during its span.
Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Baty’s success is it comes on the heels of a disappointing May. In those 18 games, the Texan hit .206 with a pair of home runs and five RBIs. It was by far the most disappointing month of his professional career.
Yet because of his recent success, Baty has improved his season slash line from .250/.349/.409 with a .758 OPS to a .278/.381/.449 slash with a .830 OPS. Play like that has shown Baty's resilience in his first real struggle in Double-AA, and when the trade deadline comes, he should stay in the system.
One player that could be a casualty at the trade deadline is shortstop Ronny Mauricio. Where Álvarez and Baty have excelled during June, Mauricio has played adequately with a .260 average and an.819 OPS in 25 games with Binghamton.
Given his .764 OPS this season, Mauricio's performance alone hasn't played him out of the organization. At just 21, his future is far from determined. Yet there are causes for concern. His walk percentage, line drive percentage, and infield fly ball percentage are all the worst they’ve been since 2019 when Mauricio was in Single-A.
Mauricio's lack of positional versatility also casts doubt on his future in Flushing. Through 318 minor league games, the Dominican Republic native has played 313 of them at shortstop.
With Francisco Lindor tied to the team until 2031, that position will not be available for Mauricio in the big leagues. Nor will other infield positions. Baty is the third baseman of the future, Jeff McNeil should hold down second for years to come, and first belongs to Pete Alonso. Mauricio is a man without a home in the Mets system.
Because of this, along with his prospect pedigree, Mauricio’s most valuable contribution to the club could be via trade. One that could allow Mauricio to keep playing the only position he’s ever known while giving the Mets to obtain a player that can bolster their playoff push.
Honorable Mentions
After a hot May, third baseman Mark Vientos had a down month of June. The 22-year-old slashed .242/.373/.484 with an admirable OPS of .857 for Triple-AAA Syracuse.
His teammate, Travis Blankenhorn, however, had an excellent month. In 24 games this month, the infielder hit .416 with a staggering 1.187 OPS.
The Mets dearth of pitching prospects is starting to come to the surface. Double-AA Binghamtom’s 4.49 team ERA is third-worst in the Eastern League, while Triple-AAA Syracuse’s 4.97 ERA is fifth-worst in the International League.
