New Prompt Chat

The Mets promoted four prized prospects to Triple-A Syracuse on Monday — Jett Williams, Jonah Tong, Carson Benge and Ryan Clifford — in a move that leaves six of the club’s top seven prospects at the same level. Williams, the No. 1 Mets prospect, is a 21-year-old switch-hitter who slashed .281/.? with 10 homers and 32 stolen bases in 96 games between High-A and Double-A this season. Tong, the top pitching prospect at No. 2, ran an 8-5 record with a 1.59 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 102 innings across 20 starts at Double-A. Benge, No. 4, hit .317 with eight homers and a 0.978 OPS in 32 Double-A games after a June promotion. Clifford, a left-handed outfielder/first baseman, hit .243 with 24 homers and an .848 OPS over 105 Double-A games; he arrived in the 2023 Verlander trade from Houston.

Tong has generated the loudest buzz, with MLB Pipeline praising his 6-foot-1 frame, over-the-top delivery and a fastball that sits in the low-90s but plays up due to elite vertical deception. He leads the minors in strikeouts and delivered five solid innings of one-run ball in a recent outing. Both Tong and Benge played in the All-Star Futures Game in Atlanta last month. Six of the Mets’ top seven prospects are now at Triple-A, joining right-handed starters Nolan McLean (No. 3) and Brandon Sproat (No. 5). Sproat has spent all season at Syracuse, posting a 4.10 ERA in 22 starts; McLean carries a 2.78 ERA in 16 appearances at that level. Mets fans have clamored for longer outings from the affiliates, and Stearns emphasized that player development and roster needs must align before any major-league call-ups. Syracuse opens a six-game homestand against Indianapolis, the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate, on Tuesday night, a preview of the pipeline feeding the big-league club.