Much has been made of how the New York Mets revamped its farm system in the past year. While big deadline trades punctuated the fate of a disastrous 2023 season, New York’s future looks as bright as ever. That is apparent when looking at the Mets roster for Major League Baseball’s Spring Breakout event.
The league announced the inaugural Spring Breakout earlier in the offseason as a way to showcase the game’s future stars. The event will last four days, from March 14 to March 17, at various Spring Training stadiums in Arizona and Florida.
The Mets Spring Breakout game official roster:
The game will be broadcast LIVE on @SNYtv on March 15th at 3:10 PM EST vs the Nationals
It is a great opportunity for fans to check out 18 of my top 30 Mets prospects in the system in game action pic.twitter.com/LoI9f8cpaA
— Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) March 7, 2024
Each of the 30 MLB teams will have a roster consisting of their top prospects. Over four days, 16 exhibition games will be played, with the Mets facing the Washington Nationals on March 15. The event represents the first time future MLB stars will play on such a big stage in professional baseball.
Mets Spring Breakout Roster
Headliners
Headliners of the Mets Spring Breakout roster include infielders Jett Williams and Luisangel Acuña and outfielders Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford. Williams has shot up the Mets system since being drafted in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft. This event will allow the 20-year-old to showcase his elite on-base abilities, swing decisions, and electric speed before beginning the year in Double-A Binghamton.
Acuña, Gilbert, and Clifford are the biggest names that the team acquired at last year’s deadline. Like Williams, Acuña provides dazzling speed and athleticism on the bases and all over the field. Gilbert is a gifted defender in center field with a solid overall offensive profile. Williams, Gilbert, and Acuña have seen time during Grapefruit League games this spring and have impressed.
Last summer, Clifford’s acquisition went under the radar compared to Acuña and Gilbert. Gilbert represents the bigger name; he, but many evaluators, are incredibly bullish on Clifford. He can play first base or right field and will make his money with his left-handed power. Some believe that Clifford will be better than Gilbert, and Mets fans should take notice.
When Ryan Clifford looked out the window during the descent, he saw the promised land in all its glory, surrounded by parking lots and empty plots: Citi Field.
From recent interviews with and about Clifford: https://t.co/w8tj1AuStx
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) March 7, 2024
Under the Radar Pitchers
Brandon Sproat and Blade Tidwell might have the highest upside among the pitchers on the list. The Mets drafted Sproat twice and finally convinced him to sign last summer. He is a big righty with a mid-to-upper 90s fastball and impresses with a solid array of pitches. Despite decent velocity, he fails to generate strikeouts with his fastball due to low-spin and inconsistent command. However, he strikes hitters out mainly with a high-spin slider. He also tunnels his changeup well with his fastball to induce punch outs and weak contact.
Tidwell was selected in the second round of the 2022 draft and already progressed to Double-A last year. In his first full season in professional baseball, Tidwell displayed great strikeout ability, limited homers, and featured a low ERA and opponents batting average. He likely will take his upper-90s fastball and sharp breaking slider to Triple-A to start the season. If he continues to succeed, a 2024 debut is not out of the question.
Dominic Hammel and Tyler Stuart also appear on the roster and could make their MLB debuts this season. Hammel does not throw that hard but fools hitters due to high-spin fastballs and sliders. Batters often chase his high fastballs and sliders that drop out of the zone. He must live on the edges of the zone to compete but has a decent floor as a reliever in the majors.
Stuart is a little behind Hammel but displayed great control and strikeout ability in the minors. His best pitch is his slider, which often fools hitters with great movement. He also features a sinking fastball that gives him two solid pitches. He doesn’t have the ceiling as other pitchers in the system, but his decent stuff and great command could play in the bullpen.
Under the Radar Hitters
Kevin Parada and Alex Ramirez are former Top-100 prospects who made the Mets’ Spring Breakout roster. Both have high ceilings but struggled in the lower minors last season. Parada is a bat-first catcher who hits the ball hard and displays solid power. He has not developed his defense and struck out way too often in 2023.
Ramirez possesses great athleticism and speed in right field but has not been able to advance past High-A Brooklyn. His speed gives him solid range in the outfield, while his 6’3″ frame gives him plus offensive power. To fully tap into his power potential, he will need to improve his swing decisions and possibly pull the ball more.
Lastly, Colin Houck, Marco Vargas, and Jeremy Rodriguez are intriguing names on the roster. Vargas and Rodriguez were 17 when the Mets acquired them in separate trades at last summer’s deadline. They are athletic shortstops that many expect to make Top-100 lists with solid 2024 seasons. Both possess great eyes at the plate and solid bat-to-ball skills, especially for their age.
Houck also joined the organization last summer but as a first-round draft pick. A shortstop, Houck benefitted from playing multiple sports in high school and displays solid bat speed and power. He might grow out of shortstop, but at just 19, that decision will be made later. The Spring Breakout event will be his biggest stage in professional baseball, and Mets fans will surely keep an eye on him.
Where to Watch
The Mets Spring Breakout game will be aired live on SNY at 3 p.m. EST. Fans can watch all of the games live and blackout-free on MLB.com, MLB.TV, and the MLB app. Six games will be aired live on MLB Network, while ESPN+ will stream at least nine live games.
Full Roster
Below is the Mets Spring Breakout roster.
Pitchers:
Blade Tidwell
Brandon Sproat
Dominic Hamel
Tyler Stuart
Nolan McLean
Calvin Ziegler
Paul Gervase
Daniel Juarez
Wilkin Ramos
Ben Simon
Infielders:
Jett Williams
Luisangel Acuña
Colin Houck
Marco Vargas
Jeremy Rodriguez
Jacob Reimer
Jesus Baez
William Lugo
Junior Tilien
Outfielders:
Drew Gilbert
Ryan Clifford
Alex Ramírez
Nick Morabito
Rhylan Thomas
Catchers:
Kevin Parada
Ronald Hernandez
Vincent Perozo
Main Photo Credits: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
