SNY's Joe DeMayo answers your Mets prospect questions…
From James (@j4m35p4lmtr33 on X): How many of the Mets top 5 prospects do you think can make the Opening Day roster in 2026?
For reference, the top five I will be referencing comes from my midseason top 30 update. Mets No. 4 prospect Nolan McLean is slated to make his major league debut on Saturday, according to SNY’s Andy Martino.
It is an exciting time for the Mets, as the top six prospects in their system are now all at the Triple-A level, making them just one stop away from the big leagues.
With that said, without accounting for injuries, etc., it is hard to envision the Mets carrying more than two of these prospects come Opening Day 2026. More likely just one. I look at No. 1 prospect Jett Williams and No. 2 prospect Jonah Tong as options during the 2026 season, but probably not right out of the gate.
My No. 3 prospect, Carson Benge, has had a meteoric rise through the Mets' system in his first professional season, hitting .308 with a .926 OPS with 24 doubles, 12 home runs and 60 RBI in 93 games between High-A Brooklyn, Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse.
The Mets are continuing to develop Benge as a center fielder, and he has made strides as the season has worn on.
With center field being unsettled beyond 2025, there is at least a chance that Benge could push for an Opening Day spot if he performs both offensively and defensively at the Triple-A level and shows growth in spring training next year.
I believe the Mets would very much want one of McLean and No. 5 prospect Brandon Sproat to be a part of the Opening Day 2026 rotation. Unless their plan is to go with a six-man staff out of the gate, it may be a competition for one spot, if they don’t fill that externally via a veteran trade or the free agent market.
The Mets have Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, David Peterson and a second year of Clay Holmes as a starter under contract.
Whether these young players are on the Opening Day roster or not, 2026 is shaping up to be a big year for the Mets, as far as invigorating high-end young talent into what is already a strong roster.
From Noel Eisenberg (@NoelEisenberg on X): Marco Vargas came to the Mets as a helium prospect. How would you characterize him now? Is there anyone else in the organization you’d currently call a helium prospect?
Marco Vargas was acquired from the Marlins in the David Robertson trade at the 2023 trade deadline, when he was one of the most impressive prospects in the Florida Complex League. He quickly rose as a top 10 prospect in the Mets' system. That’s the helium that Noel speaks of.
Since then, Vargas missed most of 2024 with injury, and 2025 has been an up-and-down season. At this point, most believe he projects as more of a backup infielder if his hit tool can carry him through the upper minors.
As far as current prospects with helium, that list must be topped by outfielder A.J. Ewing, who went from unranked in the preseason top 30 to making it all the way to No. 9 in the system. Ewing was just promoted to Double-A Binghamton after he hit .288 with a .775 OPS with 44 stolen bases in 78 games for High-A Brooklyn.
He is a plus athlete who thrives in his pitch recognition skills and swing decisions. He can stand for some physical maturation to impact the baseball more, but with his speed, he can thrive as a gap-to-gap line drive hitter and utilizing his wheels.
Another name worth mentioning is No. 14 prospect, right-hander Will Watson. The Mets took Watson in the seventh round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of USC. In 93 innings to start his pro career, split between Low-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn, he has a 2.71 ERA with 109 strikeouts.
Watson's velocity has ticked up in pro ball — he’s now sitting 94-95 mph and touching 97. He will need to continue to refine his command, but this has the early signs of another Mets pitching development win.
