Whether you read my top 30 prospect list or other prospect content that I cover here, or you listen to The Mets Pod -- where we go down on the farm every single week -- you’ve heard all about Jett Williams, Nolan McLean, Ryan Clifford and Jonah Tong, among other top prospects in the organization.
While having high-end prospects is certainly important, the true sign of a strong player development infrastructure is the depth of a farm system. Big leaguers are found at every single level of the draft, undrafted free agency, or international free agency.
The Mets system today may not have a prospect who is going to be ranked in the top 10-15 in the entire sport according to public rankings, but they feel as good about their overall system as they have in years.
There’s been plenty of positive development stories this year, but here are five prospects having a breakout 2025 season...
Outfielder A.J. Ewing
Ewing was drafted in the fourth round in 2023 out of high school in Ohio with the compensatory pick that the Mets received when Jacob deGrom signed with Texas. At one time he was ranked in my top 30 prospects, and he ended up landing just outside the list entering the 2025 season.
Let’s call that one a miss by me.
Ewing is having a massive season in 51 games split between Low-A St. Lucie (18 games) and High-A Brooklyn (33 games). He is slashing .347/.437/.495 (.932 OPS) with nine doubles, seven triples, two home runs and 32 RBI. Ewing also has a whopping 41 stolen bases while only having been thrown out four times.
The 20-year-old Ewing is a plus athlete who was drafted as a second baseman but has transitioned into primarily an outfielder, showing the ability to play all three spots. He has strong bat-to-ball skills and possesses an advanced plan at the plate. On the season, he is sporting a well-above-average walk rate (13.4 percent) and strikeout rate (16.5 percent). He does a very good job of not expanding the zone and putting in-zone balls in play.
There are questions about how much power Ewing will have as he moves up to the upper minors and beyond, but he shows a propensity to line the ball into the gaps, where his speed can be a significant factor. He is likely to be the biggest riser in the Mets system in the next top 30 update.
LHP Zach Thornton
One of the best overall performers in the Mets system this year has been Thornton, a fifth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Grand Canyon University. In 11 starts between High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton, Thornton is pitching to a 1.53 ERA. In 58.2 innings he has allowed only 34 hits (5.2 hits per nine) and a minuscule seven walks while striking out 65. Among all minor league pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched, Thornton ranks second in walk percentage (3.3), first in WHIP (0.70), and seventh in ERA.
Thornton is not going to blow anyone away with the biggest stuff, but he is a pitchability left-hander who can control his entire arsenal. He throws both a four- and two-seam fastball that will be in the 91-94 mph range. He also throws a gyro slider, curve ball and changeup. At 23 years old, it's fair to wonder how long it will be before he's promoted to Triple-A if he continues to perform this way. He has the look and feel of a future back of the rotation type of starter, which would be a huge player development win.
RHP Dylan Ross
The Mets selected Ross in the 13th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of Georgia. Ross had undergone Tommy John surgery in college and then had a UCL revision in 2023. He did not make his professional debut until September of 2024, and he also appeared in the Arizona Fall League.
Now healthy, Ross is pitching to a 2.70 ERA in 20 innings between High-A and Double-A. He has allowed 15 hits, eight walks, and struck out 38. Among all minor league pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched, Ross is fifth with a 44.7 percent strikeout rate.
A pure reliever, the 24-year-old Ross comes equipped with three power pitches, headlined by a big four-seam fastball that will sit in the upper 90s and touch 101. His best secondary offering is his splitter in the low 90s that can have Double-A hitters waving. He also throws a hard upper-80s slider.
The biggest development with him at the Double-A level is his command. Control issues stemmed back to college with Ross, but thus far in eight games with Binghamton, he has walked zero batters. This is a product of him getting further away from injury and getting back into the rhythm of pitching.
It’s been some time since the Mets have developed a homegrown, true power reliever with late-game potential. Ross has a chance to break that trend.
RHP Jack Wenninger
Wenninger was the Mets' sixth-round pick in the 2023 MLB draft out of Illinois. My preseason No. 27 prospect in the system has made 11 starts this year at Double-A and has posted a 3.14 ERA. In 57.1 innings, he’s allowed 44 hits, 13 walks and struck out 69. Among all minor league pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched, he is 16th with a 30.2 percent strikeout rate.
Wenninger is a physical 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, and he attacks the zone with a five-pitch mix, headlined by a four-seam fastball that will touch 95 mph. His splitter is a swing-and-miss offering and he mixes in a curve ball. This past offseason, he added a two-seam fastball to help against right-handed hitters and ditched the sweeper in favor of a hard gyro slider.
He projects as more of a tweener swingman/back-end starter. But this is another example of the Mets taking a college pitcher in the mid-rounds and developing them into a legitimate prospect.
RHP Wellington Aracena
The Mets signed Aracena as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2022. Prior to 2025, he struggled mightily with command -- in 2024, he walked 42 batters in 40.2 innings, and that simply won’t play.
This year, the 20-year-old has taken a step forward. His command isn't perfect yet, but he has trimmed his walk percentage by four percent while increasing his strikeout percentage by four percent. In 10 appearances (three starts), Aracena has a 3.86 ERA over 32.2 innings, while allowing 26 hits and 21 walks while striking out 45. He has been utilized in a bulk inning role, whether that is starting the game or working relief for multiple innings.
While there is refinement still ahead for Aracena, he comes with some natural big-time power stuff. His primary offering is a cutter that will sit in the low 90s and touch 94. His four-seam fastball could use some work shape-wise, but you cannot teach averaging 97 and touching 99-100. He also shows a natural ability to spin a ball with an upper-80s slider and curve ball. And he will occasionally mix in a hard changeup.
Aracena is still a work in progress, but he has made significant strides in 2025 that has Mets people buzzing. He is another young, power arm who has unteachable traits to keep a close eye on.
