The New York Mets announced a list of 10 players the team invited to Spring Training later this month. The list includes top prospects, former first-round picks, an experienced veteran, and catching depth. All 10 players are not currently on New York’s 40-man roster. Each player on that roster is automatically invited to big league camp.
We’ve invited 10 players to Major League Spring Training.https://t.co/XwVaJKo4Ab
— New York Mets (@Mets) February 1, 2024
These 10 players invited to Mets Spring Training are infielder Jett Williams, outfielder Drew Gilbert, pitchers Christian Scott, Mike Vasil, Dominic Hamel, Nate Lavender, and Eric Orze, and catchers Tomas Nido, Kevin Parada, and Hayden Senger.
New York Mets Invite 10 Players to Spring Training
Jett Williams
MLB Pipeline recently ranked Williams as the best Mets prospect and 45th best in the entire league. Picked 14th overall in the 2022 MLB Draft, Williams has quickly impressed many during his time in the organization. Last season, Williams earned the 2023 Minor League Player of the Year Award by leading all Mets minor leaguers in several offensive categories. Overall, he hit .263/.425/.451 in 121 games while climbing to Double-A.
.@PSLtoFlushing and @ConnorJRogers talk about Jett Williams’ development and potential MLB arrival on The Mets Pod: https://t.co/jatH5wJHsQ
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— SNY (@SNYtv) February 1, 2024
While he turned 20 in November, Williams has risen quickly in the system, and getting an invite to Mets’ Spring Training is a positive sign towards his chances at reaching the majors in 2024.
Drew Gilbert
The Mets acquired Gilbert in the Justin Verlander trade last season. Gilbert’s stock might have floundered slightly in Houston’s system, but he seemed rejuvenated after the trade. In 35 games with Double-A Binghamton, Gilbert hit .325/.423/.561 with six home runs and 21 RBI. Often compared to Lenny Dykstra in terms of his playing style and energy, Gilbert will start the year in Triple-A and should have a real chance at earning a promotion sometime this summer.
MLB Pipeline placed him at 53rd in their Top 100 MLB prospects list.
Including the playoffs, Mets prospect Drew Gilbert finished the year on a fantastic stretch in Double-A.
30G: .330/.431/.613, 7 HR, 15 XBH, 19 K%, 13 BB%
📽️: @RumblePoniesBB pic.twitter.com/9KmEmabvHg
— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) September 28, 2023
Mike Vasil
The Mets have a plethora of pitching prospects in the mid-to-upper levels of their system. Vasil might be the most advanced of the bunch, mainly due to his Triple-A experience. He excelled in Double-A last season but did not adapt quickly in Triple-A. He struggled with walks, which he excelled at limiting at the lower level, probably due to the league’s ABS system. While New York added starters this winter, Vasil is a top option to fill in if needed.
Christian Scott
Scott’s profile has risen greatly recently, with many evaluators now projecting him to be the best pitcher in the Mets’ system. The big-bodied pitcher advanced to Double-A last year and greatly improved his command and control. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel recently ranked Scott as the 99th-best prospect in MLB, and he should get on more radars if he has a good start next season.
At 24 and with rising stock, Scott will likely join the Mets at some point next year. One battle to watch next season is whether Vasil or Scott joins the big league team first. Theoretically, the Mets inviting them to Spring Training opens the door, though incredibly slightly, for one of these pitchers earning the fifth starter or a bullpen role if others get injured or severely underperform in March.
Mike Vasil 🤝 Christian Scott. Nice morning for a catch. 😎🌴 pic.twitter.com/cwMsdUW7bK
— St. Lucie Mets (@stluciemets) January 25, 2024
Dominic Hamel
Hamel is another one of the Mets’ better pitching prospects who pitched well in Double-A. A third-round pick in 2021, Hamel features a mid-90s fastball that fools hitters due to its excellent spin and ride. Hitters perceive the fastball as lower than it actually is and typically swing under it.
Got eeeeeeeeeeeeeem.
Dominic Hamel capped his 6 shutout frames this evening with his 6th strikeout.
Hamel is now 7-2 overall in 2022 with 99 punchies in 83.1 innings. #amazinstartshere pic.twitter.com/EkGK5JgNBz
— Brooklyn Cyclones (@BKCyclones) July 30, 2022
Hamel struck out 160 batters last season, the most by a Mets minor leaguer since 2018. He will be 25 in March, which is on the older side of Triple-A players with no MLB experience. He needs to continue working on his walk rate, but he has a shot at making his debut in 2024.
Nate Lavender
Lavender opened some eyes with an excellent 2023 Triple-A campaign, though he did not get called up. The 24-year-old lefty is a soft tosser who can struggle with command due to a funky delivery and low arm slot. In 35 games last season, Lavender tossed 44 innings with a 3.27 ERA with 86 punchouts and 26 walks.
The Mets are about to add a second veteran lefty to the bullpen, but Lavender should get a call this season if a need arises.
Five strikeouts in two scoreless frames for Nate Lavender yesterday. 💪 pic.twitter.com/BKCo0k2Epd
— Mets Player Development (@MetsPlayerDev) September 17, 2023
Eric Orze
Orze made headlines when the Mets drafted him in 2020 due to his history with cancer. However, Orze was drafted because of his upper-90s fastball which features great spin.
🎥 Two-time cancer survivor Eric Orze, one of the feel-good stories in the Mets organization, delivers a bullpen session Monday at prospect camp.
Orze put up a 3.08 ERA with 12.1 K/9 last year, jumping from Brooklyn to Syracuse as a full-time reliever. pic.twitter.com/6DT5BRP4lj
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) February 21, 2022
While he rose fairly quickly in the Mets’ system due to big strikeout rates, Orze’s career has stalled at Triple-A. The Mets surely hope that the new pitching lab can get the most out of Orze’s potential. One more bad year in Triple-A would likely end his Mets tenure.
Tomas Nido
Nido spent several years with the Mets before losing his roster spot in 2023 due to the team’s sudden catching logjam, struggles, and injuries. That said, Nido has a solid defensive reputation and many expected him to be claimed/traded when the Mets designated him for assignment in June.
Perhaps a trade of a veteran, like Omar Narvaez, could come into play and free up some money, writes @rygiglio
Could this work out for the #Mets? #LGM #MLB @IBWAA https://t.co/FlapiVd3YY
— LWOS Baseball (@LWOSBaseball) January 15, 2024
The Mets reportedly might prefer to trade a more expensive catcher ahead of Nido on the organization’s depth chart and use Nido as a backup. It’s possible that Nido takes advantage of the Mets’ invite to Spring Training by raking, then getting traded to a team that can offer him MLB playing time. For now, he likely will start the year at Triple-A and serve as quality depth at an important position.
Kevin Parada
The Mets drafted Parada a couple of spots ahead of Williams in the 2022 draft. However, the Georgia Tech product’s stock has dipped a bit recently, including falling out of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list.
Tonight in the Arizona Fall League Kevin Parada launched a home run over the 410 mark in center field. It was off of top Tigers prospect Jackson Jobe pic.twitter.com/8Kqh2qv9lo
— Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) October 15, 2023
Parada hit well in High-A last season but struggled mightily at Double-A and in the Arizona Fall League. While he hit under .200 in both leagues, the sample sizes were pretty small (14 Double-A games, 18 AFL games). Fatigue possibly caught up to the 22-year-old at the end of the summer, but he will need to rebound well next season to gain some of his stock back.
Hayden Senger
Senger will turn 27 in April, and he hit under .200 in 81 Double-A games last season. Players like Senger hold value as organizational depth and don’t project as big-league prospects. The Mets will invite Senger because Spring Training days can be long, and teams typically prefer to have extra catchers at big league camp to share the load.
Photo Credit: © Jeff Miller / Special to the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin / USA TODAY NETWORK
