New York Mets owner Steve Cohen liked what he saw from Christian Scott. So much so that he went on X to talk about it after his team was swept down in Tampa by the Rays.
“Tough weekend in Tampa. It can be frustrating but these are the ebbs and flows of a season,” Cohen wrote. “Prospect-wise, I love how aggressive we are promoting our young talent at all levels. There are lots of new names that make our future bright.”
The 24-year-old right-hander ranked the No. 5 prospect in the organization’s farm system by MLB Pipeline, went 6.2 innings in his MLB debut, allowing one run with six strikeouts and a walk. He showed the same electricity as seen during his Triple-A debut to start the 2024 season, showing that president of baseball operations David Stearns does not have to wait until a certain amount of minor-league service time is accrued before getting a call to the big leagues.
Of course, Scott’s promotion came out of necessity. The Mets are at the start of a 26-game-in-27-day stretch and the starting rotation was in need of reinforcements. With Kodai Senga and Tylor Megill working their way back from shoulder injuries, Adrian Houser was demoted to the bullpen, leaving New York with four relievers that have more often than not taxed its bullpen due to an inability to consistently go deep into games.
Stearns’ aggression coupled with Cohen’s delight suggests that there could be more MLB debuts on the horizon for other top prospects on the Mets’ farm. Here are three options that could get the call this season:
Drew Gilbert, OF
The 23-year-old center fielder is the No. 2 ranked prospect in the Mets’ system and caught the eye of team brass throughout spring training.
“He can play anywhere. He’s got speed, he’s got the arm, and he’s a gamer,” manager Carlos Mendoza said in February. “This is a guy that’s going to get the baseball and run through walls. Special player, special talent. He’s capable of playing all three positions in the outfield.”
But his Triple-A debut this season has been stopped dead in its tracks due to a hamstring injury. He has not appeared in a game since April 6 and could be sidelined until late May, at the least.
Regardless, the Mets’ outfield situation is precarious despite strong showings from some of those hypotheticals. Harrison Bader and Tyrone Taylor have been strong but neither have shown a track record of consistent offensive success. Gilbert is believed to be the total package and could be a late-summer call-up if the Mets are desperate for an offensive spark.
Across 133 career minor-league games on all levels, Gilbert possesses a .288 average, an .864 OPS, 21 home runs, 66 RBI, and 18 stolen bases.
Luisangel Acuna, 2B/SS
The middle of the Mets’ infield is not inspiring an abundance of confidence at the moment. While Francisco Lindor continues to work his way out of a dramatic early-season slump, second baseman Jeff McNeil is batting just .231.
Utility infielder Joey Wendle has not impressed much, either, batting .250 while making costly mistakes in the field despite being advertised as a defensive replacement late in games.
Acuna, who is New York’s No. 3-ranked prospect, has hit a bit of a slump during his first season down in Triple-A. He’s batting .210 with a .595 OPS with two home runs, 10 RBI, and nine stolen bases across 29 games.
The 22-year-old is on the Mets’ 40-man roster, however, and a surefire glove at second base coupled with his speed on the basepaths could be something Stearns wants to see near the very top or bottom of his lineup this year.
Blade Tidwell, RHP
Had you asked me at the beginning of the season, I would have said Mike Vasil was more likely to make the jump to the majors this year. That stance has changed quickly, however.
Vasil has a 10.80 ERA in Triple-A, allowing 31 hits, seven home runs, and 13 walks across 20 innings of work.
In Double-A, Tidwell (No. 10-ranked prospect) is lighting it up. He has a 1.23 ERA across five appearances (three starts) with 36 strikeouts and a 0.850 WHIP in 29.1 innings of work.
Injuries have already played a big role in the Mets’ rotation this year and thinking they’ll get through the rest of the year without another is a bit naive. On top of that, the franchise will be asking multiple arms who have not encountered heavy workloads to do just that the later into summer we get. Depth will be vital and the minors could be an important resource.
