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Mets Spring Breakout Notebook: Ryan Clifford's power, Bohan Adderley's Jazz Chisholm connection headline notes on top prospects

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Clifford knows that power is “probably going to be the carrying tool” as he works his way through the Mets’ farm system. But, he also says, “I want to try to do my best to make sure it’s not my only tool.”

For now, though, Clifford’s power is the eye candy of his career, especially in light of the gargantuan home run he hit in Sunday’s Spring Breakout, a ball that was estimated to travel nearly 450 feet. It was easily the one shining moment of the Mets’ 5-1 victory over the Nationals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.

Clifford, who was part of the return the Mets snagged in the Justin Verlander trade, slugged a drive well over the 406-foot sign in dead center off Nationals lefty Jackson Kent. It hit halfway or so up a grass rise beyond the fence.

“Felt good,” Clifford said. “Always feels good to put a good swing on one like that.”

Clips of his mighty swing were making the rounds on social media, and he acknowledged that he gets a charge from it.

“There have been a lot of great clips from Breakout games,” Clifford said. “It’s cool to be a part of it.”

Asked if he knew what his longest career home run was, he said, “I don’t know. That would probably be up there, though.”

Clifford -- the Mets’ fourth-best prospect, according to SNY’s Joe DeMayo -- is only 21 and was told that he would start the season at Double-A this year, he said. He hit 18 home runs at Double-A Binghamton last year and seems poised to move if his power continues to play.

He looms as a significant Mets commodity right now -- as a slugger who plays first base, as well as some outfield, he’s a potential ready replacement in case Pete Alonso ends up opting out after this season.

That’s for another day, though. Clifford has more work to do till he puts himself in that kind of position. And he seems to know it -- hence what he said about making sure power isn’t his only tool.

“I just try to be a complete player and just put together some competitive at bats and look to be a tough out and someone that pitchers don't want to face,” Clifford said.

Clifford, who was playing in his second Spring Breakout, said that he and other Mets were talking about how it is an honor to be considered for the game, but there’s something else at play, too.

“I’m sure you don’t want to be a part of too many of them,” he said. “We were joking about that on the way over here.”

More notes from Spring Breakout day:

All that Jazz

Bohan Adderley, an 18-year-old infield prospect who was on the roster for Sunday’s Spring Breakout, is a regular texter with another Bahamian infielder, one who’s already got five years in the Major Leagues -- Jazz Chisholm of the Yankees.

“I try to talk to him every day,” said Adderley, who had a .676 OPS and stole 27 bases in 28 tries in 47 games in the Dominican Summer League last year. “Pick his brain. Get anything I can from him and learn from him and it’s a helping tool.”

The two met “through baseball a long time ago,” Adderley said. Adderley’s brother played with Chisholm in their native Bahamas.

“So he would always be at my house,” Adderley said. “He would always chill. Me and Jazz, we’re close.

“He’s a great guy, a great player. He just puts on for our country, because baseball isn’t big there. I feel like he’s doing a great job at showcasing and putting on for the Bahamas.”

Chisholm is among nine players born in the Bahamas to make MLB, according to Baseball Reference’s database. Chisholm has played in 449 games, second-most among players born in the Bahamas, behind only Andre Rodgers (854), who played from 1957-67 for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Adderley had a .356 on-base percentage in his brief pro debut season. But he wants to be better at controlling the strike zone when he likely starts the season in the Florida Complex League.

“I’m just trying to be more disciplined,” Adderley said. “Go up there with a game plan and really just show what I can do, because I feel like last year I didn’t do as much as I wanted to. So I just want to show what I’m capable of.”

Adderley was 0-for-1 in the game, but showed his powerful arm from shortstop.

Benge press

Carson Benge, the Mets’ highest draft pick last year (19th overall) said that he put on 15 pounds of muscle since giving up pitching and concentrating on the outfield.

Benge, 22, was a two-way player in college at Oklahoma State. He and the Mets “came to an understanding” that he would get off the mound, he said.

“Pitching is definitely fun, but I feel like the future for me is probably with the bat, so I’m going to stick there,” Benge said. “Obviously, putting down pitching was tough because I liked it. But getting to just focus on hitting was definitely exciting and motivating for me.”

Benge said that the added strength has meant “balls are coming off (the bat) a little bit harder and I’m getting more comfortable in the box.”

Benge -- the Mets’ fifth-best prospect, according to SNY -- played 15 games at Low-A Port St. Lucie last year and batted .273 with a .420 on-base percentage and a .436 slugging. He hit three doubles and two home runs. He was 1-for-2 with a walk Sunday.

From rivals to teammates

Jonathan Santucci, a lefty pitcher the Mets took in the second round last year, and Eli Serrano, a fourth-round outfielder in the same draft, faced each other in college in the ACC.

Santucci, who attended Duke, was impressive, said Serrano.

“I think last year I was like 0-for-2 against him,” Serrano said. “That fastball at 96 (miles per hour), up in the zone, it’ll beat you for sure.”

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Mets beat Nationals in Spring Breakout game behind home runs from top prospects Ryan Clifford, Boston Baro

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Clifford hit a mammoth home run, Boston Baro added an opposite-field blast and Jonah Tong threw two scoreless innings Sunday evening as the Mets beat the Nationals, 5-1, in their Spring Breakout game at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.

Nick Morabito added a two-run single for the Mets.

The Spring Breakout is a chance for teams to show off some of their top prospects and an opportunity for the players to showcase their skills against other highly-touted players. It went very well for the Mets.

Here are the main takeaways:

  • Tong, one of the Mets’ top pitching prospects, started the game and was mostly sharp, allowing no runs and one hit in two innings. He struck out three and walked two. Tong, who has the best fastball in the organization, according to Baseball America, pitched at three levels last season, reaching Double-A.
  • The Mets also got scoreless work from Jonathan Pintaro (two innings). Dylan Ross, who showcased nifty breaking stuff, and Jonathan Santucci threw one scoreless frame each. Ryan Lambert, who can hit triple digits, allowed a run in the seventh inning.
  • In the third inning, Baro, a 20-year-old infielder drafted in the eighth round in 2023, smacked a solo home run on a 3-0 pitch. It was an opposite-field shot for Baro, a left-handed hitter. Baro also singled and scored in the fourth. The homer came off Washington’s sixth-ranked prospect, Alex Clemmey, a lefty who struck out six over three innings in the game. Last year, Baro slugged four homers at St. Lucie before being promoted to High-A Brooklyn and had a .748 OPS over the two stops.
  • The Mets added two more runs in the fourth inning after loading the bases with two out. Morabito got ahead in the count, 3-0, and then believed the next pitch was ball four. He was so sure that he even tossed his bat away. But the umpire called it a strike. Morabito fouled off a pitch and then hit a single into short right-center field that plated two runs. Morabito, a second-round pick in the 2022 draft, batted .312 last season with 59 steals over two Class A stops and was named the organization’s minor-league player of the year.
  • One of the more impressive facets of Jett Williams’ skill set was on display in the first inning after he reached base on a fielder’s choice when his popup dropped untouched. Williams, the Mets’ top position-player prospect, took off for second with Clifford at the plate and was easily safe. Get used to seeing stolen bases from Williams, who has 56 steals in 66 tries (84.8%) in his minor-league career.
  • Kevin Parada, the 11th overall pick in the 2022 draft, was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Parada batted .214 with 13 home runs in 115 games at Binghamton last year.

GAME MVP

Clifford, mostly because his fifth-inning home run was the most impressive moment of the game. Clifford, whose prospect calling card is power, smashed a 2-2 pitch over the center-field wall, which is 406 feet from home plate. The ball landed at least halfway up a grass berm well beyond the wall. Clifford, a 21-year-old first baseman/outfielder, hit 19 homers last season over two stops, including 18 at Double-A Binghamton

Highlights

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European football: Inter extend lead in Serie A after win at title rivals Atalanta

  • PSG beat Marseille 3-1 in Ligue 1 top-of-the-table clash
  • Leverkusen snatch 4-3 Bundesliga win against Stuttgart

Inter extended their lead at the top of Serie A to three points with a 2-0 win at third-placed title rivals Atalanta on Sunday as both sides finished with 10 men.

An intense opening half ended goalless, with Inter’s Marcus Thuram hitting the upright and Atalanta’s Mario Pasalic forcing goalkeeper Yann Sommer into a save from a header.

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Jack Draper dismantles Holger Rune to claim Indian Wells title

  • Briton now world No 7 after 6-2, 6-2 victory
  • Mirra Andreeva, 17, wins women’s title

In the aftermath of the most brilliant win of his career, a grimy, gutsy three-set triumph over Carlos Alcaraz, Jack Draper had less than 24 hours to compose himself and refocus in order to close out an extraordinary series of performances with the title he craved.

One of the toughest mental challenges for a professional tennis player is to back up a monumental win, yet on Sunday afternoon in California, Draper cleared that obstacle with ease. He closed out his incredible run in the desert with his most dominant performance of all, completely overpowering the 12th seed, Holger Rune, 6-2, 6-2 to win at Indian Wells for the first time.

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Three Key Takeaways From Avalanche's 4-3 Overtime Win Over Stars

Nathan MacKinnon (left); Cale Makar (right); (Isaiah J. Downing, USA TODAY Sports)

The Colorado Avalanche won their second straight game Sunday afternoon against Central Division rival Dallas --  the Avs' eighth win in their past nine games that improved their record to 41-24-3 this season.

Here are three key takeaways from Colorado's victory over the Stars:

1. Avs overcome Dallas' early lead, stake out 3-1 advantage after two periods

The Avalanche were down 1-0 to the Stars at the 4:10 mark of the first period on a goal from Dallas winger Jason Robertson. However, the Avs stormed back with the next three goals of the game to go up 3-1 after two periods of play.

Star forward Martin Necas got Colorado on the scoreboard with his 23rd goal of the season -- and in the middle frame, the Avalanche got goals from forwards Valeri Nichushkin and Jonathan Drouin to take a commanding lead into the third period. The Avs limited the Stars to just 10 shots on net in the first two periods, and that defensive success was reflected on the scoresheet.

2. Sloppy third period from Avalanche allows Stars to force OT

After generating 27 shots on net through the first 40 minutes, the Avs allowed Dallas to out-shoot them 12-8 in the third period -- and that's was what the Stars needed to get back into the game. 

First, Dallas forward Mavrik Bourque struck for his 10th goal of the season with 5:48 left in regulation time -- then, just 20 seconds later, the Stars evened things up when forward Matt Duchene posted his 26th goal of the season to force overtime. Simply put, Colorado took its foot off the gas late in the game, and Dallas was able to secure a valuable point in the standings by pushing the game to extra time.

3. Superstar Makar caps off three-point day by scoring game-winner, pushing Avs closer to Stars in Central standings

Avalanche superstar defenseman Cale Makar had a banner day on offense Sunday, posting a primary assist on Necas' goal, then adding another assist on Nichushkin's marker. But Makar's biggest contribution was a terrific individual effort in OT, as he potted his 25th goal of the year just 34 seconds into the extra period to give the Avs the victory.

With the win, Colorado crept one point closer to the Stars in the Central standings. The Avs are now 8-1-1 in their past 10 games, and they're now just two points behind Dallas for second place in the Central. The Stars do have two games in hand on the Avalanche, but as the possibility of a Dallas-Colorado playoff series looks more and more like what we're going to get in Round One, the Avs' win Sunday was a statement game.

This was the final regular-season game between Colorado and Dallas this season, and the Avalanche's win put the season series at 2-1-0 in the Avs' favor. If we do see the Stars and Avalanche squaring off in the opening round -- or at any point in the post-season -- we're definitely going to get entertaining hockey. And the Avs have shown repeatedly that they're up to the challenge of taking on one of the NHL's deepest teams.

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Cavaliers' winning streak ended by Magic comeback

Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers in NBA action
Wendell Carter Jr (left) contributed 16 points and 14 rebounds in Orlando Magic's win over Cleveland Cavaliers [Getty Images]

The Orlando Magic fought back to upset the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-103 and end the Cavs' 16-game winning streak.

Orlando recovered from a 13-point half-time deficit to win, with Paolo Banchero scoring 24 points and Franz Wagner adding 22.

Cleveland have already secured a spot in the end-of-season play-offs and remain well placed to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers ended their four-game losing run with a 107-96 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

LeBron James missed the game with a groin injury, but Luka Doncic was fit enough to play and was the Lakers' leading scorer with 33 points.

Elsewhere, Quentin Grimes scored 28 points against his former team as the Philadelphia 76ers overcame the Dallas Mavericks 130-125.

Western Conference leaders the Oklahoma City Thunder recorded a 121-105 win over the Milwaukee Bucks to improve their record to 56 wins and just 12 losses, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 31 points and eight assists.

Anthony Edwards scored 41 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves extended their winning streak to eight matches by beating the Utah Jazz 128-102.

The Portland Trailblazers fought back from a 16-point deficit to end a five-match losing run in a 105-102 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

James Harden scored 31 points for the LA Clippers in a 123-88 win against the Charlotte Hornets, while Cameron Johnson's 28 points helped the Brooklyn Nets defeat the Atlanta Hawks 122-114.

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Luka Doncic scores 33 and gritty Lakers beat Suns to end four-game losing skid

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 16, 2025: Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes (11) dunks.
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes dunks over Phoenix's Devin Booker (1) and Bradley Beal (3) during the first half of the Lakers' win Sunday at Crypto.com Arena. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Dorian Finney-Smith hobbled around, the ankle problems that kept him off the court in the Lakers’ losses to Brooklyn and Denver, obvious. Still, he fought with Kevin Durant and helped push the Phoenix star into missing eight of his first nine shots.

In the second half, Finney-Smith would hit two big threes and have a key offensive rebound.

Jordan Goodwin hadn’t started consecutive games this season, nevertheless consecutive games for a team with NBA title hopes, and here he was Sunday, harassing Devin Booker. He opened the game with a tip-in and finished it by extending a possession with another hustle play.

Read more:'They told me to go play, so I go play.' Austin Reaves can carry the Lakers when asked

“Never judge a player by his box score,” JJ Redick said of Goodwin, who had just two points and four fouls.

And Jaxson Hayes, a former lottery pick given up on by the team that drafted him and by most of the league, feasted at the rim and ran in and out of defensive switches, the Lakers quickly reestablishing their defensive intensity after a four-game road trip where they never totally made it off the plane.

“We knew we had to be better,” Luka Doncic said.

Even though they didn’t have LeBron James and Rui Hachimura in their starting lineup, Hayes’ return and Finney-Smith's and Goodwin’s defense made the Lakers look more like the team that had won eight straight and not the one that just dropped four in a row on the road.

Playing their first of five home games this week, the Lakers recaptured their identity largely thanks to their role players, the team clamping down on the Suns during a 107-96 win.

Phoenix forward Kevin Durant starts a fast break after grabbing a rebound in front of Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith.
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) starts a fast break after grabbing a defensive rebound in front of Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith in the first half Sunday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

None of this is to say the Lakers’ healthy stars weren’t terrific — they were.

One game after he nearly willed the Lakers to a win in Denver, Austin Reaves scored 28 to go with six assists and four rebounds. He hit a three over rookie Oso Ighodaro and drew a foul, Durant slumping back into his seat on the Suns’ bench. He drove past Booker, absorbed the contact and scored, flexing at the Lakers’ bench.

And Doncic, who didn’t play in Denver on the second night of a back-to-back set, scored 33 points to go with 11 rebounds and eight assists — his fifth game in the past six where he scored at least 30.

“Getting there,” Doncic said, “but every day I’m feeling better.”

The Lakers play again Monday night against San Antonio.

James, who has missed the past four games, did an on-court workout Sunday but he’s still unlikely to return for a little bit despite being called “day to day.” The expectation is the Lakers will be conservative with his recovery from a strained groin while he ramps up to a return.

Without him, the Lakers have their formula — a formula that requires Hayes back on the court and the team playing with the right spirit.

Healthy or not, that’s who the Lakers need to be — even if the odds were stacked against them. They’d just been on a road trip, they’d just suffered a brutal loss in Denver on Friday and they needed to be at their home arena first thing Sunday to play the Suns.

And they were the team that played hard.

“That to me, that says everything about our group,” Redick said proudly.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Could The Red-Hot Kings Avoid Another Oilers Matchup In Round One?

Quinton Byfield celebrates with Trevor Moore after scoring a goal against the Nashville Predators. (Jessica Alcheh-Imagn Images)

Very quietly, on Saturday night, the Los Angeles Kings pulled out another impressive win, beating the Nashville Predators 1-0 in overtime for their fifth straight victory. And with the win, the Kings moved ahead of the Edmonton Oilers for second place in the Pacific Division – and L.A. is now five standings points behind the first-place Golden Knights, with the Kings holding two games in hand on Vegas.

Suddenly, there’s a legitimate chance Los Angeles will be able to avoid another first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Oilers. That would end three straight seasons in which the Kings and Edmonton squared off in Round One – and as we’ll explore below, that would almost certainly be a better road for L.A. in the post-season.

If the Kings are able to leapfrog over the Golden Knights and win the Pacfic, they could be looking at a first-round series against the Minnesota Wild, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks or St. Louis Blues. And any of those teams could be a better opponent for Los Angeles in the opening round.

The Kings are 2-0-0 against the Wild this season, with their final regular-season showdown set for Monday. Meanwhile, the Kings are 0-2-0 against the Flames, but both of their losses were close games, and they still have one more game against Calgary in their final game of the season. As far as the Canucks go, L.A. is 1-1-1 against Vancouver this year. And against the Blues, the Kings are 1-1-1. So any of those teams would likely be preferable competition for the Kings.

That said, let’s say the Kings stay where they are, and Edmonton remains in third place in the Pacific. Is it reasonable to argue that this year might be the first year Los Angeles is able to send the Oilers home early for the summer? We believe the answer to that question is "yes".

For instance, in their first game against Edmonton this season, the Kings beat the Oilers 4-3 in overtime. Then, in their most recent game, L.A. lost to Edmonton by a 1-0 score. But the two teams still have two games left against each other before the playoffs roll around – an April 5th game in Los Angeles, and an April 14th game in Edmonton. Those games could decide who gets home-ice advantage in a Round One series, and that's crucial, as L.A.’s home record is an imposing 23-3-4, while their road mark is a sub-par 13-17-5. 

But the more convincing argument to be made when it comes to the Kings beating the Oilers this year is to look at the way the Kings have won their games, as they’re one of the NHL’s best defensive machines. Indeed, Los Angeles has the second-best goals-against average in the league, with a stellar 2.55 GAA. The Oilers, on the other hand, are 14th in the league at a 2.91 GAA. And as we all ought to know by now, defense is what wins you games in the post-season.

To be sure, the Kings are significantly different than the L.A. teams that have lost to Edmonton in their past three playoff series. For one thing, goaltender Darcy Kuemper has delivered as advertised in his first season as the Kings’ No. 1 netminder, posting a 22-8-7 record, a 2.16 GAA, and a .919 save percentage in 38 appearances. Kuemper’s pedigree as a Cup winner is exactly what this Kings team needs, and so long as he stays healthy, Kuemper holds the edge over Oilers counterpart Stuart Skinner.

And while the Kings don’t have an elite talent at forward comparable to Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, L.A. does have seven forwards in double-digits in goals, and eight players who’ve produced between 30-54 points. 

On defense, the Kings have at least as good of a group of blueliners as they had last season, with the addition of veteran Joel Edmundson and the development of youngsters Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence. And L.A. would have the best D-man in the series in veteran star Drew Doughty, who has looked terrific since returning from an injury that’s limited him to only 17 games this season. But that prolonged absence may mean Doughty has a lot left in his competitive tank for the rest of the regular season and playoffs.

In any case, the Oilers’ defense is their Achilles Heel, and that could well prove to be the difference between the Kings winning the series this time around. Los Angeles is proving time and again they can clamp down on opponents’ offense this season, and if they are able to restrict the Oilers’ superstars, Edmonton’s complementary players may not be able to produce enough goals to put the Oilers over the top.

All of this is to say we like the Kings to do great things in this year’s playoffs. Whether they square off against Edmonton or another team, L.A. has the defensive acumen to suffocate their opponent’s offense. And they’ve still got a foundation in Doughty and captain Anze Kopitar who can rely on their Cup-winning experience to lead their teammates to playoff victories. 

The Kings didn’t make any trade-deadline moves because they didn’t need to in order to win games. L.A.’s current hot streak should put the rest of the league on notice – this Kings team should be one that no other team wants to face in Round One, or any round.

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Mikko Rantanen receives mixture of cheers, boos in first game against Avalanche since trades

DENVER — Mikko Rantanen tapped his heart as the video screen showed highlights in the first period of his Colorado Avalanche career, culminating with him hoisting the Stanley Cup.

The crowd greeted him Sunday with a mixture of cheers of “Moose” — his nickname — and, of course, some boos.

Once a fan favorite, Rantanen is now a fierce rival following his arrival with Central Division-foe Dallas. And for the first time in his NHL career, Rantanen was a visitor in a building he’s called home for a decade.

No surprise, he heard the most boos when his name was announced on an assist to set up the first goal of the game for the Stars.

“It’s always emotional,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said before the game of Rantanen’s return. “The good news is you only have to do it once, and then it’s in the rearview mirror. We’ll get through that today and then move forward.”

It’s been a whirlwind of emotions for Rantanen since he was traded to Carolina on Jan. 24. That particular move caught him off guard and broke up the electric pairing with Nathan MacKinnon. Rantanen, the 10th overall selection by Colorado in 2015, was set to be a free agent this summer and figured the sides were simply negotiating.

“At the end of the day, I always wanted to stay in Colorado,” Rantanen said Saturday. “That was the plan, and that’s what I told the front office, too. I told them face-to-face that I was going to be flexible, but I understand. Better players than me have been traded in the history of NHL. So it happens. It’s part of the business.”

Rantanen was a popular figure in the locker room and helped the Avalanche to the 2022 Stanley Cup title. His name remains all over the franchise’s career leaders list, including the sixth-highest goal scorer with 287.

As part of a three-team trade that landed Rantanen in Carolina, the Avalanche received forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury.

“I went there with an open mind to play there long term,” Rantanen said. “I tried my best.”

He played in 13 games with the Hurricanes and had two goals and four assists.

On March 7, Carolina sent Rantanen to the Stars for forward Logan Stankoven and draft picks. Rantanen signed an eight-year, $96 million contract.

“I’m very happy to be here now,” said Rantanen, who played in his fourth game with the Stars on Sunday. “It’s a good team, and they’ve been good, successful the last couple years. They have a good, young core, great coach, so it’s good.”

He wasn’t sure how his reception with the Avalanche fans would go.

“Like I said many times, never wanted to leave. It wasn’t like I asked to leave,” Rantanen said. “I have good memories here.”