Laura Albanese: Several Mets farmhands on horizon
Mets pitcher Jonah Tong throws during a spring training baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Feb. 25, 2026, in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
PHOENIX — Nolan McLean took the mound for the Mets against the Diamondbacks on Friday. Christian Scott held down the Rockies the day prior. And Carson Benge has spent the last week making dazzling catches, heating up offensively, and showcasing th speed that makes him such a versatile piece of this lineup.
It’s a testament to the organization’s player development, yes, but also in its willingness to promote and showcase young talent on an as-needed basis. The month of April certainly wasn’t kind to the Mets, but this western road trip has provided some modest promise, courtesy, at least in part, of the team’s rookies. Going into Friday’s game against the Diamondbacks, they were 4-2 in May, with those two losses coming in very winnable games against the Angels and Diamondbacks.
Though there’s vast room for improvement, no one is punting on the season quite yet, and president of baseball operations David Stearns has made it clear that he wants to learn from the sins of last year’s disastrous season. Part of that equation is not waiting too long to lean on young talent (by the time McLean, and, to a lesser extent, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat were called up last year, the Mets were in a tailspin).
With core pieces on the injured list, and with a slew of pitchers underperforming, there could be opportunity for young talent.
These are the six names to watch.
Jonah Tong, RHP. Tong had a horrific start to his Triple-A season and holds an unsightly 7.71 ERA in the majors, but after skyrocketing through the system last year, it appears the righthander has found his footing. He allowed one run (none earned) and one hit over six innings Sunday vs. Lehigh Valley, and those around Tong are confident he can turn it around, with one front office official telling Newsday that he “took some really positive strides forward” particularly as his velocity returned to where it was in 2025.
“He had a pretty good outing [the other day] and we needed to see that,” Carlos Mendoza said. “He’s a guy that’s important for this organization, for us, and we will continue to watch him closely. But it’s good to see him put together another good outing here.”
Tong showed his mental toughness last year, and the organization believes that the confidence and conviction that he flashed early in his career will allow him to flush the tough start and eventually contribute.
Jack Wenninger, RHP. Despite an early-season velocity dip, Wenninger has been excellent for Syracuse, going 3-1 with a 1.27 ERA over six starts, with 15 walks and 31 strikeouts. He’s also proved he can pitch out of the bullpen as needed. Wenninger flirted with the upper-90s last year but has been throwing in the mid-90s, though that may change as the weather warms up. He also has an excellent splitter that tunnels off his fastball, and his curveball is another weapon; he’s been lauded, too, for his in-game IQ.
“He’s a pitchability type guy — split, changeup, but a guy that’s going to fill the strike zone,” Mendoza said. “He’s doing everything that we’re asking him to do, so obviously, all of us are watching him and we need him to continue to throw the ball the way he’s been doing.”
The organization believes both Wenninger and Tong have the ability to contribute this year.
A.J. Ewing, OF. Ewing has made himself undeniable, beginning last year with Low-A Port St. Lucie and catapulting to Syracuse this season. He was impressive in spring training, too. Stearns has preached patience with Ewing, given his speedy timeline, but there might come a time when the speedster forces the team’s hand. He’s slashing .364/.432/.455 with four stolen bases in the nine games since he was promoted to Triple-A. He’s known as a slasher, who can hit to all fields. Add good swing decisions and what’s described as “double-plus” speed, and you have what Mendoza calls “a ballplayer.”
Stearns said last month: “I think he’s progressed fast at this point in his career and I think he’s demonstrated he can master levels pretty quickly, so I wouldn’t put anything past him … Players each progress at their own pace. It’s really difficult to predict how a player is going to do at various stages of their development in the minor leagues. He’s done a great job. He’s met every challenge so far and we’re going to continue to challenge him.”
Zach Thornton, LHP. Not as well known as Tong and Wenninger, Thornton is nonetheless an intriguing possibility. He was just promoted to Triple-A, with a front office source calling him an interesting lefthanded pitcher with a high baseball IQ. In 14 starts in Single- and Double-A last year, Thornton pitched to a 1.98 ERA; his walk to strikeout ratio really shines, though — 78 strikeouts to 11 walks in 72 2/3 innings. Lefties with pitchability tend to find themselves in the majors sooner rather than later, and Thornton may be no exception.
Nick Morabito, OF. Morabito is slashing .282/.394/.445 in 32 games with Triple-A, with 12 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. His speed, base-stealing, excellent defense and his righthanded bat, a boon for a big-league team that’s struggled against lefties, could eventually earn him a call-up. Morabito is hitting .367 against lefties, with a 1.008 OPS; the Mets, meanwhile, are hitting .221 against lefthanders, 24th in baseball.
Ryan Clifford, 1B. After a slow start, the power-hitting Clifford is heating up, hitting .316 with a homer, a double and three RBIs in his last five games. Clifford is finding his footing, the front office source said, and is hitting the ball “incredibly hard.” His mental makeup is a plus, too. He’s known to be an even-keeled player, even when struggling.
Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.
